The 13 Best Quiet, Affordable Towns to Retire in America

Ranked on The Town Files lifestyle rankings among 3,996 towns of 10,000–50,000 people in the U.S., scoring every town on all of these at once. #1 is West Deer, PA.

Numbers match the ranking.

13Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 74th percentile · Quiet: 70th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 66th percentile

Mount Pleasant is a township of 10,119 people in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $191,300 against household income of $68,131; January lows average 21°F.

10,119 people · Westmoreland County · median home $191,300 · income $68,131 · Jan low 21°F · 30 in snow

Full Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
12Fairview, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 78th percentile · Quiet: 59th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 73rd percentile

Fairview is a township of 11,138 people in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $295,200 against household income of $112,306; January lows average 21°F.

11,138 people · Erie County · median home $295,200 · income $112,306 · Jan low 21°F · 104 in snow

Full Fairview, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
11Dingman, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 78th percentile · Quiet: 70th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 66th percentile

Dingman is a township of 12,490 people in Pike County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $286,500 against household income of $100,972; January lows average 16°F.

12,490 people · Pike County · median home $286,500 · income $100,972 · Jan low 16°F · 42 in snow

Full Dingman, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
10Grosse Ile, Michigan

Retirement: 93rd percentile · Quiet: 55th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 66th percentile

Grosse Ile is a township of 10,788 people in Wayne County, Michigan. Homes have a median value of $355,900 against household income of $126,582; January lows average 19°F.

10,788 people · Wayne County · median home $355,900 · income $126,582 · Jan low 19°F · 54 in snow

Full Grosse Ile, Michigan profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
9Penn, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 91st percentile · Quiet: 56th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 69th percentile

Penn is a township of 20,079 people in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $301,200 against household income of $113,086; January lows average 22°F.

20,079 people · Westmoreland County · median home $301,200 · income $113,086 · Jan low 22°F · 25 in snow

Full Penn, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
8Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 84th percentile · Quiet: 53rd percentile · Home value ÷ income: 82nd percentile

Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)

Lower Burrell is a city of 11,758 people in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $198,600 against household income of $84,602; January lows average 21°F.

11,758 people · Westmoreland County · median home $198,600 · income $84,602 · Jan low 21°F · 28 in snow

Full Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
7Murrysville, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 96th percentile · Quiet: 60th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 66th percentile

Murrysville is a municipality of 21,006 people in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $342,100 against household income of $121,823; January lows average 22°F.

21,006 people · Westmoreland County · median home $342,100 · income $121,823 · Jan low 22°F · 25 in snow

Full Murrysville, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
6Monitor, Michigan

Retirement: 77th percentile · Quiet: 78th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 69th percentile

Monitor is a charter township of 10,687 people in Bay County, Michigan. Homes have a median value of $207,300 against household income of $76,563; January lows average 16°F.

10,687 people · Bay County · median home $207,300 · income $76,563 · Jan low 16°F · 49 in snow

Full Monitor, Michigan profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
5Derry, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 82nd percentile · Quiet: 74th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 69th percentile

Derry is a township of 13,631 people in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $180,400 against household income of $66,156; January lows average 19°F.

13,631 people · Westmoreland County · median home $180,400 · income $66,156 · Jan low 19°F · 48 in snow

Full Derry, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
4Bath, New York

Retirement: 73rd percentile · Quiet: 69th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 87th percentile

Bath is a town of 11,424 people in Steuben County, New York. Homes have a median value of $106,400 against household income of $49,557; January lows average 14°F.

11,424 people · Steuben County · median home $106,400 · income $49,557 · Jan low 14°F · 52 in snow

Full Bath, New York profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
3Elizabeth, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 78th percentile · Quiet: 72nd percentile · Home value ÷ income: 87th percentile

Elizabeth is a township of 12,982 people in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $167,000 against household income of $80,589; January lows average 21°F.

12,982 people · Allegheny County · median home $167,000 · income $80,589 · Jan low 21°F · 21 in snow

Full Elizabeth, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
2St. Marys, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 81st percentile · Quiet: 80th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 85th percentile

Photo: Pubdog (talk) (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)

St. Marys is a city of 12,738 people in Elk County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $149,000 against household income of $67,167; January lows average 13°F.

12,738 people · Elk County · median home $149,000 · income $67,167 · Jan low 13°F · 66 in snow

Full St. Marys, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.
1West Deer, Pennsylvania

Retirement: 94th percentile · Quiet: 81st percentile · Home value ÷ income: 73rd percentile

West Deer is a township of 12,262 people in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Homes have a median value of $244,100 against household income of $94,820; January lows average 19°F.

12,262 people · Allegheny County · median home $244,100 · income $94,820 · Jan low 19°F · 28 in snow

Full West Deer, Pennsylvania profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

Percentile vs U.S. towns on each part of this ranking.

Price vs ranking

Orange squares are the 13 towns on this list; green dots are other towns on The Town Files in the U.S..

More U.S. rankings

Methodology. We ranked 3,996 towns of 10,000–50,000 people in the U.S. (2020 Census population). Lifestyle measures are The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025), shown as percentiles. The combined score is the average of the percentiles shown for each town; a town must be above the middle on every one. Only towns better than 60% of their peers on this measure qualify, so lists can be shorter than 25. Sources:

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

The 13 Best Quiet, Affordable Towns to Retire in America

13Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania

12Fairview, Pennsylvania

11Dingman, Pennsylvania

10Grosse Ile, Michigan

9Penn, Pennsylvania

8Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania

7Murrysville, Pennsylvania

6Monitor, Michigan

5Derry, Pennsylvania

4Bath, New York

3Elizabeth, Pennsylvania

2St. Marys, Pennsylvania

1West Deer, Pennsylvania

Price vs ranking

More U.S. rankings