$1M might last longest in Harlingen, 2022 retirement report suggests
A $1 million nest egg won't last you forever in retirement, but how long should it cover expenses in the Rio Grande Valley?
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A $1 million nest egg won't last you forever in retirement, but how long should it cover expenses in the Rio Grande Valley?
A recent analysis suggests $1 million might last the longest for American retirees living in and around Harlingen.
"According to the study, $1 million lasts 33.71 years in Harlingen," said Steve Sabato, of SmartAsset, a financial advising firm that compiled the data and provided the analysis to ValleyCentral. "This ranks No. 1 out of more than 200 cities included in this year's study."
Although McAllen was not ranked in the 2022 analysis, both Harlingen and McAllen have shared the numbers 1 and 2 spots in previous years. The SmartAsset reports date to 2017, but a report was not provided in 2021.
The top 10 US cities for making $1 million last through retirement
| Rank | City | Housing Expenses | Food Expenses | Healthcare Expenses | Utilities Expenses | Transportation Expenses | Years in Retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harlingen, Texas | $6,018 | $4,519 | $5,588 | $4,014 | $5,269 | 33.71 |
| 2 | Kalamazoo, Mich. | $4,710 | $4,439 | $6,328 | $3,632 | $5,711 | 32.94 |
| 3 | Muskogee, Okla. | $5,255 | $5,305 | $5,441 | $3,609 | $5,251 | 32.78 |
| 4 | Topeka, Kan. | $7,892 | $4,393 | $6,621 | $3,628 | $5,655 | 31.03 |
| 5 | Decatur, Ill. | $5,959 | $5,390 | $5,654 | $3,670 | $5,910 | 30.93 |
| 6 | Statesboro, Georgia | $6,802 | $5,225 | $5,754 | $3,560 | $5,487 | 30.93 |
| 7 | Amarillo, Texas | $7,099 | $5,140 | $5,734 | $3,564 | $4,790 | 30.91 |
| 8 | Richmond, Ind. | $6,673 | $4,872 | $5,421 | $3,760 | $5,947 | 30.77 |
| 9 | Anniston, Ala. | $5,751 | $5,242 | $5,221 | $4,619 | $5,549 | 30.61 |
| 10 | Conway, Ark. | $7,069 | $4,923 | $5,801 | $3,560 | $5,674 | 30.55 |
The analysis considered factors such as expenses for housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation.
SmartAsset applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category — and assumed the $1 million would increase at a net annual return of 2% after inflation.
"For any prospective retiree, it helps to know how long your nest egg will last in retirement," Sabato said. "Whether it’s a conservative goal or an aspirational figure, you need to know how much mileage your money will get."
Texas was one of the more affordable states for retirement in the analysis, which showed the most affordable states to typically be in the Midwest and southern regions of the U.S.
Top 10 Texas cities for making $1 million last through retirement
| Rank | City | Housing Expenses | Food Expenses | Healthcare Expenses | Utilities Expenses | Transportation Expenses | Years in Retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harlingen | $6,018 | $4,519 | $5,588 | $4,014 | $5,269 | 33.71 |
| 2 | Amarillo | $7,099 | $5,140 | $5,734 | $3,564 | $4,790 | 30.91 |
| 3 | Nacogdoches | $6,950 | $4,838 | $6,201 | $4,063 | $5,394 | 28.57 |
| 4 | Corpus Christi | $8,081 | $4,798 | $5,761 | $4,415 | $5,773 | 28.01 |
| 5 | Waco | $7,426 | $4,467 | $6,208 | $4,101 | $5,474 | 27.96 |
| 6 | Lubbock | $8,130 | $5,134 | $6,288 | $3,435 | $5,219 | 27.31 |
| 7 | Texarkana | $6,990 | $5,339 | $5,935 | $3,514 | $6,084 | 27.07 |
| 8 | Midland | $7,902 | $4,855 | $6,428 | $3,590 | $5,842 | 26.87 |
| 9 | Wichita Falls | $7,843 | $5,236 | $6,495 | $4,173 | $6,065 | 26.53 |
| 10 | Houston | $8,081 | $5,510 | $6,695 | $3,696 | $5,636 | 26.50 |