countyscore

Best Counties for Retirement in New York 2026

62 counties ranked with the Retiree lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in New York

1Hamilton County
61.3
baseline 61.2
2Lewis County
58.7
baseline 59.6
3Kings County
57.1
baseline 54.5
4Wyoming County
56.7
baseline 58.4
5New York County
56.6
baseline 55.9

All 62 Retirement-Ranked Counties in New York

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Hamilton County, NY61.361.2+0.1
2Lewis County, NY58.759.6-0.9
3Kings County, NY57.154.5+2.6
4Wyoming County, NY56.758.4-1.7
5New York County, NY56.655.9+0.7
6Allegany County, NY56.259.4-3.2
7Essex County, NY55.959.5-3.6
8Schuyler County, NY55.357.6-2.3
9Tioga County, NY53.954.1-0.2
10Orleans County, NY53.652.5+1.1
11Otsego County, NY52.853.4-0.6
12Schoharie County, NY52.554.3-1.8
13Putnam County, NY51.755.4-3.7
14Franklin County, NY51.153.4-2.3
15Greene County, NY50.752.8-2.1
16Clinton County, NY5051.6-1.6
17Livingston County, NY49.851.6-1.8
18St. Lawrence County, NY49.251.3-2.1
19Delaware County, NY4950.3-1.3
20Washington County, NY48.950.1-1.2
21Steuben County, NY48.851.4-2.6
22Yates County, NY48.851.7-2.9
23Saratoga County, NY48.150.9-2.8
24Columbia County, NY47.849.4-1.6
25Richmond County, NY47.546.7+0.8
26Wayne County, NY47.549.8-2.3
27Madison County, NY46.847.8-1
28Warren County, NY46.246.1+0.1
29Seneca County, NY46.145.4+0.7
30Ontario County, NY45.747.8-2.1
31Herkimer County, NY45.647.2-1.6
32Bronx County, NY4442+2
33Chenango County, NY43.645.8-2.2
34Nassau County, NY4346.3-3.3
35Fulton County, NY42.943.6-0.7
36Cayuga County, NY42.743.5-0.8
37Ulster County, NY42.645.6-3
38Genesee County, NY42.546.6-4.1
39Sullivan County, NY42.344.5-2.2
40Dutchess County, NY42.243.9-1.7
41Westchester County, NY4245.7-3.7
42Niagara County, NY41.842.7-0.9
43Oswego County, NY41.842.8-1
44Queens County, NY41.841.1+0.7
45Cattaraugus County, NY41.646.6-5
46Chemung County, NY41.339.2+2.1
47Jefferson County, NY40.941.2-0.3
48Rockland County, NY40.342.7-2.4
49Suffolk County, NY4043-3
50Chautauqua County, NY39.441.3-1.9
51Tompkins County, NY38.838.5+0.3
52Montgomery County, NY38.340.2-1.9
53Orange County, NY38.242.1-3.9
54Cortland County, NY37.838.5-0.7
55Oneida County, NY37.439.2-1.8
56Monroe County, NY36.937.5-0.6
57Rensselaer County, NY36.840.1-3.3
58Broome County, NY36.137.3-1.2
59Erie County, NY35.236.7-1.5
60Onondaga County, NY35.236.9-1.7
61Schenectady County, NY34.334.30
62Albany County, NY33.935.6-1.7

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in New York?

Based on the Retiree lens, Hamilton County ranks as the top retirement county in New York with a County Fit Score of 61.3. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in New York are ranked for retirement?

We rank 62 counties in New York with the Retiree lens, using independent importance values for health, safety, taxes, cost, disaster risk, water, and weather.

Also Browse New York Counties For

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Retirement Rankings by State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.