Regular dividends lessen an investor's dependence on the market's fickle price swings because it reduces or eliminates the need to sell shares to generate income. Regardless of whether the market rises or falls in 2021, a portfolio of high-quality companies can provide you with predictable, growing dividend income.

And in today's low-interest-rate environment, dividend stocks can generate much higher income than many fixed-income instruments. Better still, many dividend-paying stocks grow their payouts, which preserves those dividends' purchasing power. And dividend stocks, like other equities, also provide meaningful long-term price appreciation potential.

Research firm Simply Safe Dividends published an in-depth guide about living on dividends in retirement here. However, a key component to this strategy is finding the best retirement stocks that can deliver safe dividends and grow in value over time.

To that end, here are the 21 best retirement stocks to buy in 2021. The 21 stocks on this list appear to have safe dividends based on their ability to generate cash, yield between 3% and 7%, and have solid potential to continue growing their payouts in the long term.

Company Ticker

Coca-Cola KO

Cisco Systems CSCO

Genuine Parts GPC

Kimberly-Clark KMB

Cullen/Frost Bankers CFR

Crown Castle International CCI

Dominion Energy D

Flowers Foods FLO

General Mills GIS

MSC Industrial MSM

Public Storage PSA

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP BIP

Verizon VZ

Realty Income O

Healthcare Trust of America HTA

Telis TU

W.P. Carey WPC

Main Street Capital MAIN