Best Places to Retire & How to Downsize Without the Stress
20 oct. 2026 / Public Storage
The best place for you to retire fits the life you want to enjoy, whether that means spending time near family, exploring a new community, enjoying warmer weather, or taking care of a smaller home. You can make a retirement move feel less stressful by choosing a location that matches your priorities, bringing the items you use and love, and sorting the rest at your own pace. After all, retirement is about leisure!
Retirement gives you the chance to rethink their surroundings. You might want a walkable neighborhood, a patio for morning coffee, room for visiting family, or fewer rooms to clean and maintain. Instead of starting with what you need to give up, start with what you want more of in this next chapter.
Key Takeaways
- Choose a retirement destination based on your everyday lifestyle, not just its weather or home prices.
- Consider proximity to family, favorite activities, healthcare, transportation, and the amount of home maintenance you want.
- Start downsizing early.
- Bring items that fit your new home and will support your new routine and pack away seasonal décor, extra furniture, and occasional-use items while you settle into your new space.
- Use simple organization habits to keep your retirement home comfortable and easy to enjoy.
Picture Your Everyday Retirement Life
Before you compare retirement destinations, picture an ordinary Tuesday in your new home. Do you see yourself meeting friends for lunch, gardening, visiting grandchildren, golfing, volunteering, traveling, or enjoying a quiet morning walk?
Your answers can help you narrow your search.
Consider these lifestyle questions:
- Do you want to live near family and longtime friends?
- Do you prefer warm weather, changing seasons, coastal scenery, or access to outdoor activities?
- Would you like a walkable neighborhood, nearby restaurants, or cultural events?
- Do you want easy access to healthcare providers and transportation?
- Do you plan to travel often and want a home with less upkeep?
- Do you want room for overnight guests, hobbies, or a home office?
- How much outdoor space do you want to maintain?
- How much are you able to spend with a fixed “income”?
The best retirement destination looks different for every household. A familiar town near family may feel like the right fit for one person, while a new city with outdoor recreation and a lower-maintenance home may better match someone else’s plans.
Where Are Retirees Moving?
AARP reported that more than 338,000 U.S. residents moved for retirement in 2023. Its analysis of interstate retirement moves identified these five states as the most popular destinations.
| Rank | State | Share of Interstate Retiree Moves in 2023 | Lifestyle Inspiration |
| 1 | Florida | 11.1% | Warm weather, beaches, and an active outdoor lifestyle |
| 2 | South Carolina | 10.0% | Coastal towns, golf, and a relaxed pace |
| 3 | New Jersey | 6.0% | Access to established communities, family, and nearby cities |
| 4 | Texas | 5.8% | Diverse cities, smaller communities, and varied landscapes |
| 5 | Washington | 5.3% | Access to nature, mild summers, and vibrant metro areas |
Use this list as inspiration—not a checklist! A popular destination may spark ideas, but your ideal retirement location should match your budget, relationships, interests, and preferred pace of life.
Choose a Home That Fits Your Next Chapter
Retirement does not automatically mean you need the smallest possible home. It means you can choose a home that supports how you expect to live.
For example, you may want:
- A guest room for family visits
- A hobby room for crafting, music, or projects
- A single-level layout
- Less yardwork and fewer rooms to maintain
- A patio, balcony, or outdoor area
- Enough storage for the items you use throughout the year
- A community where your friends currently live
As you tour homes or communities, think about where your furniture, kitchen items, clothes, and hobbies will go. Measure major pieces before moving day, including sofas, dining tables, beds, desks, and shelving. You can avoid extra stress when you know each item has a place before the moving truck arrives.
Downsize at Your Own Pace
Downsizing can feel freeing when you focus on what you want to bring into your next chapter. Start early when possible, and work through one manageable area at a time.
Begin with items that carry less emotional weight, such as duplicate kitchen tools, extra towels, unused décor, or clothes you no longer wear. Then create four simple sorting groups:
- Move: Everyday items that fit your new home and support your routine.
- Store: Seasonal items, extra furniture, and occasional-use belongings you want to keep in reserve.
- Donate or Sell: Usable items that no longer match your lifestyle.
- Recycle or Discard: Worn-out or unusable items.
- Gift: Consider passing family heirlooms or memorabilia on to the next generation.
You do not need to finish your entire home in a weekend. Start with one drawer, closet, shelf, or category, then move to the next. You can also clear one room to stage the items you plan to move; a visual of the items you’ll be taking is often helpful. This gives you space to compare what fits your new home, what you want to pack away, and what you are ready to let go.
| Question to Ask | Move to Your Retirement Home | Store, Donate, Sell, or Recycle |
| Do I use it regularly? | Bring items you use weekly or daily. | Pack away or let go of items you rarely use. |
| Does it fit my new layout? | Move furniture and household items with a designated place. | Set aside oversized, duplicate, or extra items. |
| Does it support my current lifestyle? | Keep items that match your hobbies, routines, and plans. | Reconsider items tied to a past routine. |
| Would I replace it? | Bring items you would actively seek out again. | Let go of items you would not miss. |
| Do I use it only during certain seasons? | Bring it if you have room and expect to use it soon. | Pack it away until you need it again. |
Make Your New Home Feel Like Yours
Downsizing does not mean letting go of everything; it means making intentional room for the furniture, hobbies, décor, and routines that help your retirement home feel personal.
Bring the items you use and enjoy. Put away items you want to keep in reserve. Then give yourself time to settle in before making final decisions. A smaller, more organized home can leave you with more time to enjoy the lifestyle you chose. For more moving and organization ideas, visit the Public Storage blog.
Keep Room for What You Enjoy
Retirement communities and homes are usually on the smaller side, so if you’ve downsized and want to preserve your uncluttered space, consider securing a storage unit. A storage unit can give you more flexibility while you transition into a smaller home, condo, or retirement community; you can pack away off-season clothing, seasonal décor, extra furniture, or hobby supplies while you learn how you use your new space.
The Public Storage Size Guide can help you compare storage-unit options before you reserve. Since Public Storage operates more than 4,600 facilities across 42 states, finding a facility close to your new home will not be difficult. If you plan to visit your unit often, look for location-specific options that fit your routine like 24/7 Access and Drive-Up Access. More than 2,400 Public Storage facilities offer 24/7 Access, and more than 45% of properties offer Drive-Up Access units. Availability varies by location.
You can find a Public Storage location near your new home, compare available options, and reserve online when you are ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Choose the Best Place for Me to Retire?
You can choose the best place to retire by considering your preferred lifestyle, proximity to family and friends, weather, healthcare access, transportation, favorite activities, and budget. Research, research, research!
Which States Are Popular Places for Me to Retire?
You can look to Florida, South Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, and Washington for retirement-location inspiration. AARP identified these states as the top destinations for interstate retiree moves in 2023.
How Do I Know How Much Space I Need in Retirement?
You can estimate how much space you need by looking at your daily routines, guest plans, hobbies, furniture, outdoor maintenance preferences, and the belongings you want to keep nearby.
How Do I Start Downsizing for Retirement?
You can start downsizing by sorting one drawer, closet, room, or item category at a time into move, store, donate or sell, and recycle or discard groups. Begin with duplicates and items you rarely use. Don’t rush the process.
What Should I Put in Storage When I Downsize?
You can put seasonal décor, off-season clothing, extra furniture, and occasional-use hobby supplies in storage when you want to keep them in reserve but do not need them in your new home right away.
Can I Use Self-Storage While I Downsize for Retirement?
It is useful to utilize a self-storage space while you downsize to create more room to sort, organize, and settle into your new home.
