Austin, TX
4 Central Texas cities rank as best places to retire in 2026
Texas retirees on the hunt for the right place to settle down and enjoy their blissful retirement years will find their haven in four Central Texas cities in 2026: Temple, Georgetown, Austin, and Killeen.
A new study conducted by the research team at RetirementLiving.com, “The Best Cities to Retire in Texas,” compared the affordability, safety, livability, and healthcare access for seniors across 31 Texas cities with at least 90,000 residents.
Wichita Falls, about 140 miles northwest of Dallas, claimed the top spot as the No. 1 best place to retire in Texas.
The senior living experts ranked Temple as the 13th best place for retiring Texans to live, and Georgetown was only two spots behind as No. 15.
Temple, located about 70 miles north of Austin, ranked higher than any other Central Texas city due to its affordability, livability, and for its healthcare access for seniors. The city only lacked in the safety category, ranking No. 17 out of all 31 Texas cities on the list. Georgetown, however, ranked as the second-safest Texas city for retirees.
Georgetown is no stranger to making such lists. In 2024, the suburb appeared as the No. 6 best Hill Country town to retire. It’s a highly sought-after suburb for newcomers to the Austin area, and the widely popular grocery chain H-E-B recently opened its third store in the city to accommodate its growth.
Besides enjoying the historic downtown square, retirees can also enjoy visiting the award-winning speakeasy Brass Peacock or upcoming ramen restaurant Haji Moto. Georgetown is also famously known for its iconic Red Poppy Festival and the Two Step Inn country music festival.
Meanwhile, Austin proper ranked as the 24th best Texas city to retire in, and Killeen ranked 25th on the list.
Three Central Texas cities that retirees won’t find on RetirementLiving’s list are Leander, Round Rock, and Pflugerville. These three booming Austin-area suburbs all ranked among the top 100 best places to retire by U.S. News & World Report in 2025, but were excluded from this 2026 list.
The top 10 best places to retire are in North Texas
This may not be surprising to residents living in Dallas-Fort Worth, but seven of the Lone Star State’s top 10 best retirement locales are located in the North Texas Metroplex: Carrollton (No. 2), Plano (No. 4), Garland (No. 5), Richardson (No. 6), Arlington (No. 7), Grand Prairie (No. 8), and Irving (No. 9). Pasadena, a suburb of Houston, ranked as the third-best place to retire in Texas, while the Rio Grande Valley city of McAllen ranked 10th.
RetirementLiving said Carrollton has one of the lowest property and violent crime rates per capita in Texas, and it ranked as the No. 5 safest city on the list. About 17 percent of the city’s population is aged 65 or older, which is higher than the statewide average of just 14 percent.
Other North Texas cities that were named among the best places to retire include McKinney (No. 16), Lewisville (No. 20), Denton (No. 22), and Frisco (No. 23). Meanwhile, Fort Worth ranked as the 28th best place to retire, and Dallas was 29th.
Austin, TX
Austin weather: Intense storms in West Texas could make it to Hill Country
AUSTIN, Texas – We will be on storm watch tonight.
Local perspective:
More of the same today with a cloud/sun mix, warm, humid and breezy conditions.
Highs heading for the 80s with wind gusts of 15 to 25 mph.
The backstory:
The West Texas dryline will be the storm machine. This is where the Gulf moisture meets up with dry air coming off the mountains.
As the two different air masses collide the air will be forced up.
The heating of the day and upper low will provide even stronger lift to generate numerous and more intense storms in West Texas.
There is a chance a few of the storms will survive their journey away from the dryline and reach the Hill Country starting this evening and overnight.
By the time they enter Central Texas, most of the storms will drop below severe limits.
The highest threat of severe weather remains west of the Hill Country.
What’s next:
Could we get redevelopment with the storms late on Wednesday?
The jury is still out because not all the models agree, so we will have to play the wait and see game.
The next game-changers will be a stronger Western Low and a cold front with bite to it entering the picture this weekend.
Expecting increasing rain chances on Saturday followed by a cooler and drier breeze the rest of the weekend.
What you can do:
Track your local forecast for the Austin area quickly with the free FOX 7 WAPP.
The design gives you radar, hourly, and 7-day weather information just by scrolling.
Our weather alerts will warn you early and help you stay safe.
The Source: Information from meteorologist Zack Shields.
Austin, TX
Texas AG to investigate Austin Police’s new policies related to ICE warrants, city says
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson expressed concern Monday about two items on the Austin Transit Partnership Board agenda later this week, one to negotiate an office lease in a downtown office building for up to $32 million for roughly 8 years and another to furnish the space for $15 million. READ MORE: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/inappropriate-mayor-pushes-back-on-47m-light-rail-office-relocation-plan/
Austin, TX
George Strait Delivers Epic Return to Austin Stage – Austin Today
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
George Strait thrilled fans with an unforgettable concert at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, delivering a set packed with his signature No. 1 hits. The country music legend’s return to the stage after nearly four years left some wondering how much longer he plans to continue performing, as Strait has hinted at retirement in the past.
Why it matters
As one of the most influential and successful country artists of all time, George Strait’s concerts have become must-see events for his devoted fanbase. This performance in Austin showcased Strait’s enduring popularity and artistry, even as he nears the end of his legendary career.
The details
Strait’s concert at the Moody Center on Thursday night was his first at the venue since April 2022. The show featured a hit-filled setlist that had the capacity crowd singing along. Strait shared a video on Instagram teasing the performance, writing ‘What a night Austin, TX! Who’s ready to do it again on Saturday?’ While the video didn’t show any full performances, it did include a snippet of Strait singing his 2024 single ‘Three Drinks Down’.
- Strait last performed at the Moody Center in April 2022.
- He is scheduled to play another show at the Moody Center on Saturday, April 13, 2026.
What they’re saying
“I have maybe five good years to sing my songs for you, folks…it’s been around 50 now. And I still love it just as much as I ever did.”
— George Strait
What’s next
Strait is scheduled to perform another show at the Moody Center in Austin on Saturday, April 13, 2026, giving fans another chance to see the country legend in action.
The takeaway
George Strait’s epic return to the Moody Center stage in Austin underscores his enduring popularity and artistry, even as he nears the end of his legendary career. Fans cherished the opportunity to witness the ‘King of Country Music’ deliver a hit-filled set, leaving them to wonder how much longer they’ll be able to see Strait perform live.
-
Atlanta, GA1 week ago1 teenage girl killed, another injured in shooting at Piedmont Park, police say
-
Georgia1 week agoGeorgia House Special Runoff Election 2026 Live Results
-
Arkansas4 days agoArkansas TV meteorologist Melinda Mayo retires after nearly four decades on air
-
Pennsylvania1 week agoParents charged after toddler injured by wolf at Pennsylvania zoo
-
Milwaukee, WI1 week agoPotawatomi Casino Hotel evacuated after fire breaks out in rooftop HVAC system
-
Ohio10 hours ago‘Little Rascals’ star Bug Hall arrested in Ohio
-
Austin, TX7 days agoABC Kite Fest Returns to Austin for Annual Celebration – Austin Today
-
World1 week agoZelenskyy warns US-Iran war could divert critical aid from Ukraine