14. Morehead City, North Carolina
North Carolina is famous for its Southern charm and temperate climate. Morehead City is blessed to have sandy beaches along the bay called The Crystal Coast. There are cruises that can take you through the bay so that you can enjoy the water on a clear day. You can also go sailing or scuba diving. Besides the water, there are plenty of other things to do when friends and family come to visit. They have the Fort Macon State Park, the North Carolina Maritime Museum, and the History Museum of Carteret County. North Carolina is less prone to hurricanes than the Gulf.
According to Best Places, the cost of renting an apartment starts at just $668 for a one-bedroom apartment, and a 2-bedroom is $875. This is significantly cheaper than many other parts of the United States, especially for a beach town. Most renters have a median income of just over $33,000, and homeowners make an average of $55,000. North Carolina also has beautiful, historic cities you can visit as a day trip like Raleigh and Durham, making it an enjoyable state to discover during your retirement years. Seafood like Atlantic Blue Crabs abound and catching them makes for an extremely enjoyable afternoon.