28. Eureka, California
While many may be surprised to see a California entry on the list with the state’s extremely high cost of living, Eureka, California, is just remote enough to feature affordable housing for homeowners and renters alike. Retirees will have to give up SoCal’s palm trees in exchange for NorCal’s swaying pines, but it’s still a great tradeoff with Eureka’s median home value only being $270,000 versus SoCal’s millions. Eureka only has a population of 26,000, but it’s the biggest coastal town between San Francisco and Portland, meaning it has many of the amenities of a larger community.
Eureka features a local zoo, which is a treat for visiting grandchildren or adult animal lovers alike, as well as a neighborhood full of historic gothic and Victorian architectural style mansions. If you’re the outdoorsy type, Eureka is perfectly situated to give access to the forests of Oregon as well as the coastal waters of the Pacific. The town is quiet but features plenty of breweries, coffee shops, and local stores to keep even the most urbane shoppers happy. Mushroom lovers will enjoy the rainy climate of nearby temperate forests and the ample, diverse mushroom hunting available to people who retire in the Northwest.