U.S. News & World Report's best places to retire list is a stable full of dark horses

Midland, Michigan, takes the top spot in U.S. News & World Reports 2026 Best Places to Retire rankings
Expanded analysis covers more than 850 cities, up from 150 last year
Quality of life and retiree migration trends shape a new top 10 list

Midland, Michigan, has been named the No. 1 place to retire in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Reports 2026 Best Places to Retire rankings, released Tuesday. The small Midwestern city rose to the top for the first time thanks to strong scores in affordability and favorable retiree tax conditions.

Midland, population about 48,000, is the corporate home of Dow Chemical Co. It's also the home of the 110-acre Dow Gardens, which featuresAmerica's longest treetop canopy walk,andThe Tridge,a distinctive three-legged pedestrian bridge.

The annual rankings now expanded to evaluate more than 850 U.S. cities, up from 150 last year are based on how well each location meets retirees expectations for quality of life, affordability, health care, retiree taxes, and the job market. For the first time, U.S. News also factored in population and migration data for residents ages 55 and older.

Quality of life drives retirement choices

Retirees are prioritizing quality of life over affordability for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Tim Smart, contributing editor and author of U.S. News retirement newsletter, YOLO: Your Smart Guide to Retirement. Whether seeking a bustling city or a quiet town, retirees are now empowered with a more precise view of the best places to settle down.

The 2026 rankings were weighted using results from a national survey of Americans aged 45 and older, asking what matters most when choosing where to retire. In response, U.S. News made quality of life the most heavily weighted factor, ahead of affordability.

A new mix of cities in the top 10

The expanded methodology and larger data set produced a completely reshuffled top 10 list that includes several first-time entrants. Weirton, West Virginia, ranked No. 2 for its strong scores in quality of life and affordability, while Homosassa Springs, Florida, came in third, buoyed by growth in its 55-plus population.

Top 10 places to retire in 2026

1. Midland, Michigan

2. Weirton, West Virginia

3. Homosassa Springs, Florida

4. The Woodlands, Texas

5. Spring, Texas

6. Rancho Rio, New Mexico

7. Spring Hill, Florida

8. Altoona, Pennsylvania

9. Palm Coast, Florida

10. Lynchburg, Virginia

How the rankings were built

U.S. News compiled its rankings using data from federal, state and local sources, including the FBI, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and its own Best Hospitals rankings. The analysis is part of the publications real estate coverage, which also offers tools to help consumers navigate housing markets and evaluate local economies.

The full list of 250 cities and details about the methodology are available at realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-retire.

Slow down, save your money: the holiday scam rule

• Scammers ramp up during holiday shopping because people are rushed and distracted, so a trade group is pushing a slow down before you pay habit

• Their three rules: pause if theres pressure, only send money to people you know, and verify any delivery/bank/message inside the official app or website

• Biggest red flags right now: anyone asking for gift cards, fake shipping/order texts, and fake charity or send me money messages that dont come through the companysapp or website

Holiday shopping is officially underway, and so are the people trying to separate you from your money. Thats why the Financial Technology Association (FTA) is rolling out a new Smarter than campaign aimed at teaching shoppers the one habit that stops most fraud cold: slowing down.

What scammers are doing this year

Miranda Margowsky, head of communications for the FTA said the tactics arent brand new, but scammers are getting more aggressive because they know people are shopping, distracted, and willing to pay fast.

I think we've all gotten the text messages, the calls, the social media messages that can really translate to a scammer trying to get you to send them money, get you to send your personal information, she said. Especially around the holidays, were seeing a lot of things. Were seeing gift card trying to get you to pay for something with a gift card, which is really a telltale sign of a scam.

Thats a big red flag: anyone who insists on being paid with a gift card is almost certainly a scammer. Retailers, delivery companies, government agencies, and payment apps dont take gift cards as in form of a settlement.

The FTAs three core rules

The campaign boils everything down to a simple sequence:

1.Pause before you pay

Scammers love when shoppers are in a hurry. They want you to feel like you have to act now, Margowsky said. Maybe its your package cant be delivered, your account will be locked, or this price is only good for the next 10 minutes. That pressure is intentional and taking 30 seconds to stop and verify kills most in their tracks.

2.Only send money to people you know and trust

The FTA represents companies like Cash App, PayPal, and Venmo, and Margowsky was clear on this point: those platforms wont contact you out of the blue to ask for your bank info or to send money.

Theyre not going to contact you proactively to ask for your bank account information, to ask you to click on a link, to ask you to send your information, she said.

3.Verify the source through an official channel

If you get a text or email about a missed delivery, dont click the link. Instead, open the retailers app or go straight to the delivery services website. Same thing if someone claims to be from your payment app or bank, always go to the app yourself and check messages there.

Two protections shoppers often overlook

Many consumers routinely skip two basic security steps that would make holiday a lot harder to pull off:

Use trusted contact methods

If you need to reach a company, go directly through the app, bookmarked website, or the number on your statement. Never click on a link from a text, email, or social post. Fake lookalike sites ramp up during November and December because scammers know people are searching for deals.

Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) and use strong passwords

A lot of holiday fraud isnt someone tricking you into paying, instead its someone getting into your account and paying themselves. 2FA happens when a code is sent to your phone or generated in an app that you have to enter to prove who you are. Always turn this feature on as it makes life much tougher for the scammers.

Holiday-specific to watch

Here are the ones that tend to spike right now:

Gift card payment : Pay this fee with a gift card. Real companies dont do that.

Fake order/shipping texts: Your package is on hold, click here to update. Go to the retailers app or website instead and check on the order status.

Charity : The end-of-year always brings out fake charities looking to exploit on peoples generosity. I always recommend looking up the group on Charity Navigator before donating.

Friend/family in need messages on payment apps: Always call or text the person separately to confirm that they actually need help before sending any money or help.

Extended use may be associated with a higher risk of heart failure and death

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• A five-year study of more than 130,000 adults with chronic insomnia linked long-term melatonin use to a higher risk of heart failure, hospitalization, and death.

• The research found melatonin users were about 90% more likely to develop heart failure and nearly twice as likely to die from any cause as non-users.

• The findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed, but experts say they raise important safety questions about long-term melatonin use.

A new analysis of more than 130,000 adults with insomnia suggests that long-term use of melatonin supplements often taken to help with sleep may be associated with a higher risk of heart failure and death.

The research, to be presented at the American Heart Associations Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans, reviewed five years of health records and found that people who took melatonin for at least a year were significantly more likely to develop or be hospitalized for heart failure, or die from any cause, compared to those who did not use the supplement.

Researchers found that adults with chronic insomnia who used melatonin long-term had about a 90% higher risk of developing heart failure over five years (4.6% vs. 2.7%). Those with at least two melatonin prescriptions 90 days apart had an 82% higher risk of heart failure than those who never took melatonin.

Hospitalization rates were also notably higher: melatonin users were 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure and nearly twice as likely to die from any cause (7.8% vs. 4.3%) during the study period.

Not as harmless as commonly assumed

Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed, said Dr. Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, lead author of the study and chief resident in internal medicine at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in Brooklyn, New York. If our study is confirmed, this could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids.

Melatonin, a hormone naturally produced by the body to regulate sleep cycles, has become one of the most popular over-the-counter sleep aids in the U.S. Because its sold as a dietary supplement, its strength and purity are not strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Melatonin is not indicated for the treatment of chronic insomnia in the U.S., yet many people take it for extended periods without medical supervision, said Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, chair of the American Heart Associations scientific statement on sleep health. These findings suggest caution may be warranted.

About the study

The study analyzed data from the TriNetX Global Research Network, a large international database of de-identified electronic health records. Researchers examined adults diagnosed with insomnia who had taken melatonin for at least a year and compared them to a matched group of insomnia patients who had never taken the supplement.

Both groups were similar in age, gender, body mass index, and other health conditions. People with prior heart failure or those using other sleep medications were excluded.

While the findings show an association between long-term melatonin use and cardiovascular outcomes, the researchers emphasized that the study cannot prove cause and effect. Other factors, such as depression, anxiety, or the severity of insomnia, could also influence heart health and melatonin use.

Some current robots can handle simple tasks

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Hospitals and senior living centers are leading the adoption of service robots that handle basic support tasks.

• Experts predict home-assistant robots capable of physical caregiving are still 1015 years away.

• The goal is not to replace human caregivers but to give them more time for meaningful interaction.

As Americas population ages and the shortage of caregivers deepens, experts say robotics and artificial intelligence are poised to play a transformative role in elder care though fully autonomous caregiving robots remain years away.

We are still several years from robots that can safely provide hands-on care, like lifting or bathing a person, said Marty Puranik, founder and CEO of Atlantic.Net. Hospitals and senior living facilities are among the first to adopt service robots that deliver meals, transport linens, or carry medical supplies. The next step is bringing that same level of reliability into more sensitive, people-facing environments, like private homes.

Puranik emphasized that the immediate value of AI-powered robots lies in augmenting human caregivers, not replacing them. They can handle routine tasks that give staff more time for personal interaction, he explained. That includes reminders, wellness check-ins, or fetching small items.

Looking further ahead, he envisions robots assisting with daily living activities such as dressing, transfers, and physical therapy, but stresses that those will require extensive testing and regulatory approval.

Over the next five years, Puranik expects wider adoption of robotic assistants in assisted-living facilities as costs fall and capabilities improve. For competent humanoid caregivers, it will likely take ten to fifteen years before they are safe, reliable, and affordable enough for home use, he said.

A decade of development ahead

Brendan Englot, associate professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, agreed that progress is accelerating but that robots still need time in the development stage.

The technology needed to achieve this has been rapidly evolving over the past few years, but it still needs refinement before we can provide elder care that is safe, reliable, and fully automated, he told ConsumerAffairs.

Englot noted that lessons from humanoid robots already being deployed in other industries from logistics to hospitality will help advance elder care robotics.

The robot assistants of the future will ideally provide similar services to what humans can offer in occupational therapy or assisted-living settings, including help getting in and out of bed, getting dressed, or bathing, he said.

While at least one home-assistant robot is already on the market, Englot said the oversight of a human co-pilot is still needed. He predicts that within the next decade, robots could begin performing these complex tasks autonomously.

AI as a partner in care

Amruth Laxman, CEO of 4Voice, said that while AI-driven robots are not yet ready for full caregiving, their presence is expanding rapidly. Existing models can perform simple follow-up care, detect when an individual has fallen, and provide companionship, he told us.

The integration of multimodal AI which can interpret a combination of vision, sound, and speech is making these systems more responsive and aware of human behavior.

Automation of simple tasks such as medication tracking, aided doctor and nurse conversations, mobility tracking, and integration with social platforms to combat isolation are the most important near-term goals, Laxman said.

He predicts that the first economically viable elder-care robots will likely appear in countries like Japan and South Korea within five to ten years. AI systems will not replace human caregivers, he said. They will fill the time and attention gaps human caregivers are not able to cover.

Extending independence

All three experts agree that the purpose of elder-care robotics is not to erase the human touch but to enhance it. These systems can help people remain independent longer, Puranik said. It is not about removing humanity. It is about using technology to extend it.

As Americas aging population grows, the question may not be whether robots will take part in elder care but how soon and how well they will learn to care like humans do.