This Affordable Retirement Community Is Known For Its 'Eiffel Tower Park'

If your ideal retired life features a comfortable home, daily walks in neighboring parks, community life with other retirees, easily accessible healthcare services, and a lot of outdoor activities like fishing, boating, golfing, and playing tennis — all without stretching your savings — you might to consider Paris, Tennessee. Famous for having its very own 'Eiffel Tower' (a 60-foot replica built by students of Christian Brothers University), this small town has a cost of living that is 24% below the national average, according to the Economic Research Institute. Since a manageable cost of living is often among the top criteria for retirees, Paris could be an excellent choice.

Enjoying life, and staying fit, are among the top priorities for American retirees, according to a 2024 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey. In Paris, you can fulfil these priorities at the 18-hole disc golf course or tennis courts at Eiffel Tower Park, or even go fishing and boating at nearby Kentucky Lake. You can also join the World's Biggest Fish Fry, a weeklong festival where more than 12,500 pounds of catfish is eaten. Plus, not only is the cost of living much lower than the national average in Paris, it is also 13% lower than the state average, with housing being particularly budget-friendly. Median home prices are around $142,700, and according to Apartments.com, the average rent in is about $560 per month, as of October 2025. This is approximately 66% lower than the national average of $1,630.

Moving to Paris can not only you save you money on housing, but also on everyday living expenses. If you are among the majority of Americans anxious about their retirement savings running out, Paris could be the solution you are looking for. According to Salary.com, a single person spends about $300 a month on groceries and $723 on basic living needs such as utilities, transportation, and healthcare, bringing total monthly expenses to around $1,838 — figures that are well below national averages. With that said, since your post-retirement lifestyle can determine your financial success, make sure to factor in what that lifestyle looks like before deciding where to move.

Another major perk of living in Paris is that Tennessee is does not have individual income tax, which can save you money on any retirement income. Safety is also a cost saver in Paris, with lower crime rates than national figures – a fact that can offer peace of mine while also keeping things like home and auto insurance rates down. Other ways to save money also include using Paris' public transportation services, provided by the Northwest Tennessee Human Resource Agency (NWTHRA). You can travel within town with one-way fares as low as $1, or pay up to $20 if you want to visit larger cities like Memphis or Nashville.