Retirement might be the end of your career, but it doesn’t have to be the end of financial security or life satisfaction. Retirement generally coincides with the age at which we may receive Social Security or pension benefits. However, not everyone can retire when they want to. In fact, 25% of non-retired adults haven’t saved any money for retirement, though not necessarily through any fault of their own. In addition, only 40% of non-retired adults think their retirement savings are on-track.
But in addition to when to retire, a good question to ask is where. Finding the best states to retire can be difficult without doing lots of research. Even in the most affordable areas of the U.S., most retirees cannot rely on Social Security or pension checks alone to cover all of their living expenses. Social Security benefits increase with local inflation, but they replace only about 37% of the average worker’s earnings.
If retirement is still a big question mark for you because of finances, consider relocating to a state that lets you keep more money in your pocket without requiring a drastic lifestyle change. To determine the best states to retire, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 47 key indicators of retirement-friendliness. Our analysis examines affordability, health-related factors and overall quality of life.
- 1. Alabama
- 2. Mississippi
- 3. Oklahoma
- 4. Kentucky
- 5. Arkansas
- 46. Alaska
- 47. New York
- 48. California
- 49. Massachusetts
- 50. Hawaii
| Overall Rank | State | Total Score | Affordability | Quality of Life | Health Care |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 57.55 | 16 | 11 | 11 |
| 2 | Florida | 57.43 | 9 | 4 | 28 |
| 3 | Colorado | 57.41 | 14 | 27 | 5 |
| 4 | Wyoming | 55.60 | 5 | 9 | 38 |
| 5 | Delaware | 55.49 | 6 | 33 | 18 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 55.00 | 31 | 5 | 7 |
| 7 | South Dakota | 53.61 | 25 | 30 | 9 |
| 8 | Minnesota | 53.50 | 40 | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | Idaho | 53.20 | 15 | 17 | 31 |
| 10 | North Dakota | 53.03 | 22 | 25 | 20 |
| 11 | Utah | 52.73 | 20 | 24 | 26 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 52.60 | 12 | 23 | 35 |
| 13 | Missouri | 52.37 | 17 | 28 | 32 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 52.27 | 36 | 3 | 12 |
| 15 | Montana | 52.07 | 24 | 15 | 29 |
| 16 | South Carolina | 52.06 | 4 | 38 | 39 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 51.88 | 47 | 1 | 2 |
| 18 | California | 51.64 | 32 | 19 | 10 |
| 19 | Alaska | 51.27 | 26 | 36 | 8 |
| 20 | Arizona | 51.07 | 18 | 35 | 25 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 50.90 | 34 | 14 | 17 |
| 22 | Alabama | 50.65 | 1 | 44 | 50 |
| 23 | Ohio | 49.81 | 27 | 8 | 37 |
| 24 | Hawaii | 49.73 | 38 | 29 | 4 |
| 25 | Nebraska | 49.30 | 37 | 16 | 15 |
| 26 | Iowa | 48.92 | 35 | 12 | 24 |
| 27 | Georgia | 48.58 | 7 | 40 | 42 |
| 28 | Michigan | 48.03 | 29 | 18 | 36 |
| 29 | Maine | 47.50 | 43 | 6 | 13 |
| 30 | New Mexico | 47.47 | 21 | 46 | 30 |
| 31 | Indiana | 47.32 | 23 | 31 | 40 |
| 32 | Nevada | 47.23 | 11 | 42 | 41 |
| 33 | Tennessee | 47.16 | 2 | 48 | 45 |
| 34 | Vermont | 47.12 | 48 | 7 | 6 |
| 35 | Connecticut | 47.11 | 44 | 26 | 3 |
| 36 | Kansas | 46.76 | 30 | 32 | 33 |
| 37 | West Virginia | 46.44 | 3 | 43 | 49 |
| 38 | Oregon | 46.10 | 41 | 21 | 21 |
| 39 | Texas | 45.90 | 28 | 37 | 34 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | 44.95 | 39 | 39 | 14 |
| 41 | Arkansas | 44.73 | 8 | 49 | 44 |
| 42 | Maryland | 44.55 | 46 | 20 | 19 |
| 43 | Washington | 44.46 | 45 | 13 | 23 |
| 44 | Illinois | 44.30 | 42 | 22 | 27 |
| 45 | Louisiana | 43.90 | 13 | 45 | 47 |
| 46 | New York | 43.69 | 50 | 10 | 16 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | 43.61 | 19 | 47 | 43 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 40.80 | 10 | 50 | 48 |
| 49 | New Jersey | 40.23 | 49 | 34 | 22 |
| 50 | Kentucky | 38.80 | 33 | 41 | 46 |
Media Release/Diana Polk
WalletHub Communications Manager
