1. Lexington, Ky.
Lexington is a relatively safe city with low unemployment. Health insurance will cost you on average just $6,372. Lexington also boasts a 1% average effective property tax rate and a state and local sales tax rate of only 6%. SmartAsset says those are among the reasons the city takes top spot as the most affordable place to retire early. Total index score: 100.
The full report can be viewed here.