How we chose and ranked the best places to retire in California
Retirement priorities differ, so this ranking sticks to two things that can be checked. First, each place has a large, established age-restricted (55-plus) community that we could confirm from the community's own website or another public source, because these communities bundle the amenities, maintenance and social life many people look for when they retire. Second, we ranked the places by cost: Redfin's median sale price for the whole city over the three months to September 2026, from lowest to highest.
Cost leads the ranking for a practical reason. Under Proposition 19, a homeowner 55 or older can move their Prop 13 tax base to a replacement home anywhere in California, and the benefit is largest when the new home costs the same or less than the one sold. Our Prop 19 guide explains the rules. A lower entry price also leaves more of the sale proceeds for living costs.
For context, Redfin's statewide median sale price was $752,837 in September 2026. The city medians below include every home type sold in the city, not only homes inside the 55-plus community. Communities with mostly condos and co-ops pull a city median down, and the notes for each place say where that happens. Mortgage rates matter less if you buy with cash, but for reference Freddie Mac's 30-year average was 7.24% in the week of October 29, 2026.
The best places to retire in California, ranked by cost
All nine places have a 55-plus community of at least 1,000 homes or several thousand residents. "Share of state median" compares each city median with the statewide figure.
| Rank | Place | Established 55+ community | City median sale price | Share of state median | Change, 1 year | Median days on market | Months of supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laguna Woods | Laguna Woods Village | $454,284 | 60% | +1.0% | 62 | 5.2 |
| 2 | Seal Beach | Leisure World Seal Beach | $469,277 | 62% | +4.4% | 54 | 2.6 |
| 3 | Palm Desert | Sun City Palm Desert | $548,629 | 73% | +1.6% | 106 | 7 |
| 4 | Indio | Sun City Shadow Hills | $549,738 | 73% | -0.1% | 80 | 5.5 |
| 5 | Menifee | Sun City | $570,728 | 76% | -0.9% | 44 | 3.3 |
| 6 | Lincoln | Sun City Lincoln Hills | $620,704 | 82% | +3.5% | 37 | 2.9 |
| 7 | Roseville | Sun City Roseville | $629,700 | 84% | -0.8% | 28 | 2.3 |
| 8 | Santa Rosa | Oakmont Village | $714,660 | 95% | -1.5% | 41 | 3.3 |
| 9 | Walnut Creek | Rossmoor | $847,596 | 113% | -2.0% | 33 | 2.5 |
Every place on the list came in at or below the state median except Walnut Creek, which was 13% above it. Seal Beach, Palm Desert, Indio and Menifee sat between 62% and 76% of the state figure, and Laguna Woods at about 60%. The desert cities also had the most homes for sale relative to demand, 5.5 to 7 months of supply, so buyers there have the most bargaining power.
Each place and its 55-plus community
1. Laguna Woods (Orange County): Laguna Woods Village
Laguna Woods became Orange County's 32nd city in 1999, and about 90% of it is Laguna Woods Village, a private gated 55-plus community once known as Leisure World. The Village runs two golf courses with 36 holes on about 154 acres, plus clubs, pools and fitness programs. The city borders Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach, and Orange County Transportation Authority buses serve it. Because nearly every sale is inside the Village, the city median reflects its co-ops and condos, which is why it is the lowest on this list and less than two-thirds of the state median. Supply was deep, 5.2 months, so buyers had choice. Our Orange County 55-plus guide covers the Village and its neighbors.
Across the whole city, Redfin recorded 152 sales at a median of $454,284 in the three months to September 2026, 60% of the statewide median and +1.0% on a year earlier. A typical listing took 62 days to go under contract, with 5.2 months of supply on the market. ZIP data: 92637.
2. Seal Beach (Orange County): Leisure World Seal Beach
Leisure World Seal Beach is a gated 55-plus community of condos and co-ops on 531 acres, with more than 9,500 residents, over a third of the city's population. It runs its own on-site sales office, and an amphitheater with a free summer concert series. Seal Beach itself is a small coastal city in the westernmost corner of Orange County, next to Long Beach, with one of the longest wooden piers in California. The Leisure World share of sales likely explains the low city median; single-family homes near the beach sell for far more. Homes sold in a median of 54 days with 2.6 months of supply.
Across the whole city, Redfin recorded 136 sales at a median of $469,277 in the three months to September 2026, 62% of the statewide median and +4.4% on a year earlier. A typical listing took 54 days to go under contract, with 2.6 months of supply on the market. ZIP data: 90740.
3. Palm Desert (Riverside County): Sun City Palm Desert
Sun City Palm Desert is a gated 55-plus community of nearly 5,000 homes on about 1,600 acres, with two 18-hole golf courses, three clubhouses, 25 lakes and a 24-hour roving patrol. Its association says it is the only 55-plus community in the Coachella Valley to earn the Community Associations Institute's Medallion award. Palm Desert lies about 14 miles east of Palm Springs, with the College of the Desert, a California State University San Bernardino campus and the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. The desert market is seasonal: the median sale took 106 days and supply ran 7 months, the slowest on this list, which gives buyers time and leverage.
Across the whole city, Redfin recorded 243 sales at a median of $548,629 in the three months to September 2026, 73% of the statewide median and +1.6% on a year earlier. A typical listing took 106 days to go under contract, with 7 months of supply on the market. ZIP data: 92211, 92260.
4. Indio (Riverside County): Sun City Shadow Hills
Indio is the most populous city in the Coachella Valley, about 23 miles east of Palm Springs, and its city hall sits 14 feet below sea level. It calls itself the "City of Festivals" for the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals, so expect heavy traffic on those spring weekends. Sun City Shadow Hills, a Del Webb-built 55-plus community, has two clubhouses, golf and pools, according to listing sources; confirm details with the community association. Summer heat is extreme here, and prices were flat over the year. Homes took a median of 80 days to sell.
Across the whole city, Redfin recorded 226 sales at a median of $549,738 in the three months to September 2026, 73% of the statewide median and -0.1% on a year earlier. A typical listing took 80 days to go under contract, with 5.5 months of supply on the market. ZIP data: 92201, 92203.
5. Menifee (Riverside County): Sun City
Menifee, incorporated in 2008, took in Sun City, a master-planned community for residents over 55. Sun City covers about four square miles with a public golf course and two recreation centers with tennis and lawn bowling. Menifee sits in the Menifee Valley at about 1,400 feet, almost 15 miles north of Temecula along I-215, and has 47 public parks. It was one of the busiest markets on this list, with 401 sales, and homes sold at 99.7% of list price.
Across the whole city, Redfin recorded 401 sales at a median of $570,728 in the three months to September 2026, 76% of the statewide median and -0.9% on a year earlier. A typical listing took 44 days to go under contract, with 3.3 months of supply on the market. ZIP data: 92584, 92585, 92586.
6. Lincoln (Placer County): Sun City Lincoln Hills
Sun City Lincoln Hills covers nearly 3,000 acres for residents 55 and older, with two main lodges, Orchard Creek and Kilaga Springs, and a staff of more than 200. Lincoln is about 10 miles north of Roseville in Placer County and was one of the fastest-growing cities in the country in the 2000s. It had the highest owner-occupied share of any city here, about 84% by Census estimates, and prices rose 3.5% on the year. Read our Lincoln guide and the best suburbs of Sacramento ranking for the wider area.
Across the whole city, Redfin recorded 279 sales at a median of $620,704 in the three months to September 2026, 82% of the statewide median and +3.5% on a year earlier. A typical listing took 37 days to go under contract, with 2.9 months of supply on the market. ZIP data: 95648.
7. Roseville (Placer County): Sun City Roseville
Sun City Roseville is a 55-plus community of 3,110 homes about 20 minutes north of Sacramento, and about 20% of its homes back onto a golf course or open space. Roseville is the largest city in Placer County, crossed by I-80, with Amtrak service and a large retail base. It had the fastest median sale on this list, 28 days, so be ready to act quickly. See our Roseville 55-plus communities guide.
Across the whole city, Redfin recorded 519 sales at a median of $629,700 in the three months to September 2026, 84% of the statewide median and -0.8% on a year earlier. A typical listing took 28 days to go under contract, with 2.3 months of supply on the market. ZIP data: 95661, 95678, 95747.
8. Santa Rosa (Sonoma County): Oakmont Village
Oakmont Village is an age-restricted community in Santa Rosa, in Sonoma wine country, with more than 4,500 residents, two recreation centers and a central activity complex, a dog park and a shuttle bus route. Listing sources put it at about 3,300 homes with a 55-plus age restriction; confirm the rules with the Oakmont Village Association. Santa Rosa is the Sonoma County seat, about 55 miles north of San Francisco on US 101. Buyers paid 100.3% of list price on average across the city. Our Santa Rosa 55-plus guide covers Oakmont in more depth.
Across the whole city, Redfin recorded 423 sales at a median of $714,660 in the three months to September 2026, 95% of the statewide median and -1.5% on a year earlier. A typical listing took 41 days to go under contract, with 3.3 months of supply on the market. ZIP data: 95401, 95403, 95404, 95405, 95407, 95409.
9. Walnut Creek (Contra Costa County): Rossmoor
Rossmoor is Northern California's largest independent 55-plus community: about 10,000 residents in 6,676 manors, co-ops, condos and single-family homes on 1,800 acres in Walnut Creek's Tice Valley, with more than 180 clubs and 24-hour security. Walnut Creek is about 25 miles east of San Francisco, at the junction of I-680 and Highway 24, with a BART station. It has the highest median on this list, but Rossmoor's co-ops and condos start well below the city figure. See our Walnut Creek 55-plus guide.
Across the whole city, Redfin recorded 287 sales at a median of $847,596 in the three months to September 2026, 113% of the statewide median and -2.0% on a year earlier. A typical listing took 33 days to go under contract, with 2.5 months of supply on the market. ZIP data: 94595, 94596, 94597, 94598.
How 55-plus communities work in California
The 55-plus occupancy rule
Federal fair housing law lets a community limit residency by age if it is operated for people 55 or older, at least 80% of occupied homes have at least one resident 55 or older, and it publishes and follows policies showing that intent (42 U.S.C. 3607). Each community sets its own rules within that, such as the minimum age of a spouse or whether adult children may live there. Ask for the written age policy before you buy.
Co-ops, condos and single-family homes
In Laguna Woods Village, Leisure World Seal Beach and parts of Rossmoor, many homes are co-op shares rather than real property. Co-ops typically carry a monthly charge that includes the building's property tax and underlying costs, and financing options are narrower. Condos and single-family homes in Sun City communities are deeded property with a separate HOA fee. Compare the full monthly cost, not just the price.
How to choose where to retire in California
Run the Prop 19 numbers first
If you own a California home and are 55 or older, the tax base you carry over can be worth thousands of dollars a year. Price the replacement home against the sale price of your current one, and file the claim with the county assessor on time. Our California property tax guide shows how the bill is built.
Ask for the full HOA picture
Request the current budget, reserve study and any planned special assessments from the association. In large communities, dues can cover golf, clubhouses, security, cable or exterior maintenance, so two similar prices can mean very different monthly costs. Our California HOA laws guide lists the documents a seller must provide.
Weigh climate against insurance and utilities
Desert cities trade mild winters for long, very hot summers and high cooling bills. Foothill and wine-country places carry wildfire risk that affects insurance; get a quote before you commit, and read our homeowners insurance guide.
Check the distance to care
Map the drive to the nearest hospital emergency room, your doctors and a pharmacy, and check which medical groups take your Medicare plan in that county. Plans and networks differ between counties.
Visit in the off season
Spend time in the Coachella Valley in August and in the Sierra foothills in January before you buy. Many 55-plus communities offer short guest stays or tours of their clubhouses; ask the association or the community sales office.
Compare with the wider list
Our 55-plus communities in California guide covers more communities, and the cheapest places to live in California ranking shows lower-cost counties without a large age-restricted community.