One Of The Best Places For Retirees Is A Laid-Back Town In Texas Near The Gulf Of Mexico

For those who plan on retiring in the near future or have already done so, it's likely that you've seriously considered the idea of relocating to a new city and state. After all, this is something that many retirees tend to do, as there are certain financial benefits that come with moving to a state that exempts Social Security income taxes or offers a lower cost of living. One of the more common states for retirees to move to is Texas. This is because the Lone Star state generally has pretty warm weather year round, no state income taxes, and a relatively low cost of living compared to the rest of the country.

However, depending on where you decide to move to in Texas, you may be able to experience a lower cost of living compared to the more urban areas in the state. This is why it's important to do a good amount of research before making any final decisions. One laid-back Texas town in particular has a cost of living below both the state and national average: Corpus Christi. Located right on the Gulf of Mexico, there are also a handful of other benefits that come with living in Corpus Christi that could make it the perfect place for you to live out the rest of your years.

Corpus Christi is a mid-sized city with a population of just over 300,000 people. It is relatively affordable according to BestPlaces, with a cost of living 16.5% lower than the national average and just over 11% cheaper than the average cost of living in the state of Texas. To live comfortably in this city you will need to make a minimum of around $43,000 annually as an individual.

Beyond this, the cost of housing in Corpus Christi is one of the more attractive features that comes with living there. For example, if you decide to rent, the average price of both a studio and 1-bedroom apartment is going to be around $1,000. A 2-bedroom apartment on average is going to be around $1,300, while a 3-bedroom apartment is about $1,700. Either way, these prices are all below the national average rent price of $1,828 as estimated by Zillow. For those who are looking to purchase a home, Zillow places the average cost at around $218,000. This is well below the estimate for the national average of about $361,000 as of 2025. While utility prices are 16% higher than the national average, groceries are 4% less, and transportation costs are 6% less. Outside of this, healthcare costs are 12% less than the national average, which is great news for any retirees worried about the medicare price hike for seniors in 2025.

For any retirees that have lived in the northern United States for most of their lives and have been plagued by many cold winters, Corpus Christi's year-round warm climate will likely be a very refreshing change of pace. For example, the average temperature in this city is around 72 degrees. Corpus Christi has very mild winters, with coldest months of the year being January and February having average temperatures of around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, it does get pretty hot in the summer and the humidity can be brutal. To give you some perspective on this, July and August are the hottest months of the year with average temperatures of between 83 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity levels as high as 76 to 77%.

However, a great escape from any southern Texas heatwaves you may experience is by visiting one of Corpus Christi's many beaches. Speaking of which, due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Corpus Christi also has an abundance of fantastic fresh seafood and seafood restaurants. Beyond the food, there is also a ton of natural beauty in this mid-sized city such as the South Texas Botanical Gardens and the Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve which is a great place to go hiking. That said, it is worth noting that you definitely will need a vehicle to get around here, as there is very limited public transportation.