35 affordable waterfront retirement towns: best u.s. towns for an affordable retirement along a lake, river or seacoast

UPDATED in July, 2024, and five bonus towns added! Living near the water is a lifelong dream for many people. So when retirement time arrives, moving to a lakeside town, riverfront hamlet or seaside community is a natural inclination. The trick is to find a reasonably priced place near the water.

Here we have 35 U.S. towns (plus five bonus towns) that sit next to a lake, have a lake within their boundaries or are along a river or a seacoast. They have a cost of living that is close to the national average (some have costs slightly above the national average, but most have costs below it).

We look at housing prices, population, median income, climate, percentage of residents age 45 or better, medical facilities, public transportation, political leanings and more. No place is perfect, however, so we also point out each town’s potential drawbacks.

Reviews are short and to the point for quick reading.

Kris Kelley lives in beautiful Colorado has been finding and reviewing great places to retire since 2006. She is an avid traveler, always looking for that hidden gem of a town, whether it be along an ocean, in a desert or on a mountaintop. She believes that retirement is just the next phase and should bring fulfillment and a sense of purpose. And that phase and sense of purpose should happen in the perfect retirement town.