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Best States to Retire in 2026: All 50 States Ranked Best to Worst

Wyoming is the best state to retire in 2026, scoring 85.6 out of 100 on a retiree index that weights fiscal health, health outcomes, housing costs, and safety using the latest official data.

Idaho (84.8) and South Dakota (82.8) follow, while Louisiana ranks last at 39.5. Wyoming pairs a 76.8-year life expectancy with 179.9 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and no state income tax.

This page ranks the best states for retirees and shows the numbers behind each rank: what a retiree couple spends and keeps in every state, which states have no income tax, where people live longest, and where crime is lowest. Weather is not scored, so the results differ from lists built on sunshine. How the score works →

#1 for retirees · Grade A+
Wyoming85.6
Retiree score out of 100
Life expectancy
76.8 yrs
Violent crime per 100K
179.9
Total tax burden
5.8%
Best cities for retirees in Wyoming →

Pick your state to see where it ranks for retirees, the numbers behind its rank, and how it compares with the #1 state. We'll remember it on the other ranking pages.

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Retirement in America by the Numbers

The national lines every state is measured against: what a retiree couple spends, how long people live, and what the state takes in taxes.

Average retiree score
63.0
Median state: 61.8
Couple's annual costs
$40,998
Louisiana $30,403 to Hawaii $63,899
Tax burden
8.74%
Of income · 9 states have no income tax
Life expectancy
76.9 yrs
Hawaii 80 · West Virginia 72.2
Violent crime
313
Per 100K · safest Maine (93.2)
Home value
$383,360
Average of state typical values
Read the national overview

The typical state scores 63.0 out of 100 for retirees, 11 states score 75 or higher, and 3 fall below 45. A retiree couple who own a modest home spend about $40,998 a year in the typical state, from $30,403 in Louisiana to $63,899 in Hawaii; on $50,000 of income they run a deficit in 4 states. Life expectancy spans 72.2 years in West Virginia to 80 in Hawaii, and the 10 best states average 77.7 years against 75.2 in the bottom 10. The Midwest leads with an average score of 67.8; the South trails at 55.2 even though it is the cheapest region to retire in.

Retiree Score Map: All 50 States

Darker states score higher. Hover, focus, or tap a state to see its retiree rank, score, and grade in the panel.

Best and Worst States to Retire

The 10 highest and 10 lowest scoring states for retirees, with each state's tax burden, life expectancy, and violent crime rate per 100,000. Wyoming leads; Louisiana is last.

Top 10 states to retire

Score · grade
  1. 1Wyoming5.8% tax · 76.8 yrs · 179.9 crime85.6A+
  2. 2Idaho7.5% tax · 78.4 yrs · 217.3 crime84.8A+
  3. 3South Dakota6.5% tax · 77.3 yrs · 307.5 crime82.8A+
  4. 4North Dakota6.6% tax · 77.9 yrs · 256.7 crime79.1A+
  5. 5Vermont11.5% tax · 78.3 yrs · 214.4 crime78.9A+
  6. 6New Hampshire5.9% tax · 78.7 yrs · 117.6 crime78.7A
  7. 7Nebraska8.8% tax · 78.3 yrs · 218.4 crime78.2A
  8. 8Iowa9.2% tax · 77.9 yrs · 233.9 crime77.8A
  9. 9Maine10.6% tax · 76.6 yrs · 93.2 crime77.5A
  10. 10Montana7.9% tax · 77.3 yrs · 419.1 crime76.8A

Worst 10 states to retire

Score · grade
  1. 50Louisiana8.9% tax · 73.8 yrs · 515.1 crime39.5F
  2. 49California11.0% tax · 79.3 yrs · 432.7 crime43.4F
  3. 48Mississippi9.1% tax · 72.6 yrs · 226.9 crime44.6D
  4. 47Illinois10.2% tax · 77.5 yrs · 251 crime46.6D
  5. 46Kentucky8.9% tax · 73.6 yrs · 212.1 crime47.3D
  6. 45Arkansas8.6% tax · 73.9 yrs · 531.8 crime48.5D
  7. 44Alabama8.0% tax · 73.8 yrs · 348.3 crime51.9D
  8. 43New Jersey10.3% tax · 79.6 yrs · 193.8 crime52.6D
  9. 42New Mexico9.6% tax · 74.5 yrs · 621.6 crime52.7C
  10. 41Oklahoma7.0% tax · 73.8 yrs · 407.7 crime53.7C

Why Wyoming is #1

Wyoming scores 86.1 for safety and 79.4 for fiscal health, the two categories that together carry 32% of the retiree score. Its weakest weighted category is health (51.4). Full Wyoming profile →

Where the Sun Belt favorites land

Florida #18, North Carolina #21, Georgia #27, Tennessee #28, Texas #33, Nevada #35, Arizona #37, and South Carolina #40. They win on taxes and lose on health and crime, and weather is not part of the score. Is Florida still a good place to retire? →

Cheapest States to Retire: What a Retiree Couple Spends and Keeps

Modeled annual costs for a retiree couple who own a home worth 70% of the state's typical home value: housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and federal, state, and sales taxes. Louisiana is cheapest at $30,403; Hawaii costs $63,899.

Keeps the most on $75,000

  1. 1Louisiana#50 for retirees$44,597
  2. 2Mississippi#48 for retirees$44,580
  3. 3West Virginia#38 for retirees$44,356
  4. 4Arkansas#45 for retirees$43,012
  5. 5Oklahoma#41 for retirees$42,644
  6. 6Alabama#44 for retirees$41,956
  7. 7Kentucky#46 for retirees$41,684
  8. 8Ohio#29 for retirees$41,197

Income left after modeled costs.

Keeps the least on $75,000

  1. 50Hawaii#39 for retirees$11,102
  2. 49California#49 for retirees$14,276
  3. 48Massachusetts#19 for retirees$17,779
  4. 47New Jersey#43 for retirees$18,501
  5. 46New York#25 for retirees$22,648
  6. 45Washington#17 for retirees$23,667
  7. 44Oregon#20 for retirees$24,110
  8. 43New Hampshire#6 for retirees$26,342

Housing is the difference: it runs $36,971 a year in Hawaii.

Cheap vs. good

Retiree rank
  1. 1North Dakota$34,097/yr#4
  2. 2Iowa$34,534/yr#8
  3. 3Indiana$33,968/yr#22
  4. 4Tennessee$35,040/yr#28
  5. 5Ohio$33,803/yr#29
  6. 6Kansas$34,719/yr#31
  7. 7Missouri$34,327/yr#32

The 15 cheapest states for a retiree couple, ranked by their retiree score. North Dakota is the best value: among the 15 cheapest states and #4 overall. Louisiana costs $30,403 a year and ranks #50.

On $50,000 of income, a retiree couple runs a deficit in 4 states after housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and taxes. Try your own income and household in the calculator.

Household affordability calculator →

Most Tax-Friendly States for Retirees

9 states have no income tax: Wyoming, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Washington, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Alaska, and Nevada. Alaska has the lowest total state and local tax burden at 4.9% of income; Hawaii has the highest at 13.9%.

Lowest total tax burden

  1. 1Alaska#34 for retirees4.9%
  2. 2Wyoming#1 for retirees5.8%
  3. 3New Hampshire#6 for retirees5.9%
  4. 4Tennessee#28 for retirees6.4%
  5. 5South Dakota#3 for retirees6.5%
  6. 6Florida#18 for retirees6.5%
  7. 7Delaware#23 for retirees6.5%
  8. 8North Dakota#4 for retirees6.6%

State and local taxes as a share of income.

No income tax, ranked

Score
  1. 1Wyoming#1 for retirees85.6
  2. 2South Dakota#3 for retirees82.8
  3. 3New Hampshire#6 for retirees78.7
  4. 4Washington#17 for retirees66.7
  5. 5Florida#18 for retirees66.2
  6. 6Tennessee#28 for retirees60.3
  7. 7Texas#33 for retirees58.8
  8. 8Alaska#34 for retirees57.0
  9. 9Nevada#35 for retirees56.2

These states tax no retirement income, but tax burden is one input to a 20% category.

Lowest property tax rates

  1. 1Hawaii#39 for retirees0.27%
  2. 2Alabama#44 for retirees0.39%
  3. 3Colorado#16 for retirees0.49%
  4. 4Nevada#35 for retirees0.50%
  5. 5South Carolina#40 for retirees0.53%

Effective rate on a home's value; matters most if you own outright. No sales tax: New Hampshire (#6), Montana (#10), Oregon (#20), and Delaware (#23). Social Security and pension exemptions are not tracked here; the 9 no-income-tax states exempt everything by default.

Healthcare, Life Expectancy, and Safety by State

Health is 20% of the retiree score and safety 12%. Hawaii residents live longest (80 years) and Maine has the lowest violent crime rate (93.2 per 100,000). The 10 best retiree states average 77.7 years of life expectancy and 226 violent crimes per 100,000; the bottom 10 average 75.2 years and 374.

Longest life expectancy

  1. 1Hawaii#39 for retirees80 yrs
  2. 2Massachusetts#19 for retirees79.8 yrs
  3. 3New Jersey#43 for retirees79.6 yrs
  4. 4New York#25 for retirees79.5 yrs
  5. 5Connecticut#24 for retirees79.4 yrs
  6. 6Minnesota#11 for retirees79.3 yrs
  7. 7California#49 for retirees79.3 yrs
  8. 8Rhode Island#14 for retirees79.2 yrs

Years at birth. Typical state: 76.9.

Shortest life expectancy

  1. 50West Virginia#38 for retirees72.2 yrs
  2. 49Mississippi#48 for retirees72.6 yrs
  3. 48Kentucky#46 for retirees73.6 yrs
  4. 47Louisiana#50 for retirees73.8 yrs
  5. 46Alabama#44 for retirees73.8 yrs

7.8 years separate the top and bottom. Top health scores: Massachusetts, Hawaii, and New York

Safest states

  1. 1Maine#9 for retirees93.2
  2. 2Connecticut#24 for retirees109.6
  3. 3New Hampshire#6 for retirees117.6
  4. 4Rhode Island#14 for retirees144.1
  5. 5Wyoming#1 for retirees179.9
  6. 6New Jersey#43 for retirees193.8
  7. 7Hawaii#39 for retirees205.1
  8. 8Virginia#15 for retirees205.9

Violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Typical state: 313.

All 50 States Ranked for Retirees

Every state's retiree score with its tax burden, income and property tax rates, life expectancy, violent crime, home value, and what a retiree couple spends and keeps. Click a column header to re-sort, search, or filter by region, grade, or no-income-tax states. The # column is always the retiree rank.

Grade
Taxes
50 states
#GradeCities
1Wyoming85.65.8%None0.58%76.8179.9$371,854$36,623$38,377#2A+Cities →
2Idaho84.87.5%5.7%0.56%78.4217.3$478,744$44,187$30,814#4A+Cities →
3South Dakota82.86.5%None1.14%77.3307.5$321,574$35,647$39,353#3A+Cities →
4North Dakota79.16.6%2.5%0.99%77.9256.7$292,293$34,097$40,903#5A+Cities →
5Vermont78.911.5%8.75%1.78%78.3214.4$399,053$43,743$31,257#8A+Cities →
6New Hampshire78.75.9%None1.89%78.7117.6$516,306$48,658$26,342#1ACities →
7Nebraska78.28.8%5.2%1.54%78.3218.4$280,673$36,067$38,932#10ACities →
8Iowa77.89.2%3.8%1.49%77.9233.9$239,547$34,534$40,466#14ACities →
9Maine77.510.6%7.15%1.17%76.693.2$415,552$43,107$31,893#9ACities →
10Montana76.87.9%5.9%0.79%77.3419.1$471,746$44,318$30,682#7ACities →
11Minnesota75.69.7%9.85%1.05%79.3223.5$350,752$40,002$34,998#12B+Cities →
12Utah72.79.5%4.55%0.55%79.0235.7$534,582$48,205$26,794#6B+Cities →
13Wisconsin72.58.3%7.65%1.59%78.1240.3$339,699$39,845$35,155#11B+Cities →
14Rhode Island68.610.1%5.99%1.39%79.2144.1$511,233$48,588$26,413#19B+Cities →
15Virginia68.48.9%5.75%0.76%77.5205.9$414,662$42,737$32,263#15B+Cities →
16Colorado67.08.7%4.4%0.49%78.5421.7$532,748$46,514$28,486#18B+Cities →
17Washington66.78.6%None0.88%78.4283.9$591,879$51,333$23,667#20B+Cities →
18Florida66.26.5%None0.82%77.9275.2$375,470$38,001$36,999#21B+Cities →
19Massachusetts65.59.6%9%1.15%79.8302.7$661,896$57,221$17,779#13BCities →
20Oregon64.39.1%14.69%0.86%77.7311.2$496,113$50,891$24,110#35BCities →
21North Carolina64.28.2%4.25%0.73%75.9330.3$334,773$37,692$37,308#23BCities →
22Indiana62.89.1%5.02%0.77%75.4254.4$260,095$33,968$41,032#22BCities →
23Delaware62.76.5%7.85%0.55%76.5346.9$406,074$41,774$33,227#30BCities →
24Connecticut62.49.9%6.99%1.79%79.4109.6$450,873$46,954$28,046#16BCities →
25New York62.013.6%14.78%1.64%79.5368.4$526,714$52,352$22,648#29BCities →
26Pennsylvania61.58.6%6.86%1.41%77.3226.8$290,401$37,871$37,129#25BCities →
27Georgia60.48.5%5.39%0.83%75.9296.9$330,817$38,215$36,785#26C+Cities →
28Tennessee60.36.4%None0.58%73.8492.3$334,108$35,040$39,960#24C+Cities →
29Ohio59.99.4%6%1.43%75.6275.6$248,803$33,803$41,197#33C+Cities →
30Michigan59.78.3%6.65%1.35%76.8416.2$266,292$35,994$39,007#45C+Cities →
31Kansas59.69.3%5.58%1.34%76.5457.2$249,603$34,719$40,281#27C+Cities →
32Missouri59.27.8%5.7%0.91%75.2417.8$267,879$34,327$40,673#34C+Cities →
33Texas58.87.8%None1.63%77.1344.9$299,367$35,494$39,506#32C+Cities →
34Alaska57.04.9%None1.16%75.8729.3$398,663$43,435$31,565#42C+Cities →
35Nevada56.28.6%None0.50%76.4379.2$442,027$41,710$33,290#40CCities →
36Maryland55.810.0%8.95%1.02%77.8358$428,308$44,889$30,111#31CCities →
37Arizona54.68.2%2.5%0.56%76.7377.9$417,990$41,573$33,427#38CCities →
38West Virginia54.58.8%4.82%0.55%72.2241.7$179,496$30,644$44,356#44CCities →
39Hawaii54.413.9%11%0.27%80.0205.1$833,340$63,899$11,102#17CCities →
40South Carolina54.08.2%6.2%0.53%75.1387.6$306,323$35,539$39,460#36CCities →
41Oklahoma53.77.0%4.75%0.85%73.8407.7$223,261$32,356$42,644#43CCities →
42New Mexico52.79.6%5.9%0.74%74.5621.6$318,241$35,968$39,032#49CCities →
43New Jersey52.610.3%11.75%2.33%79.6193.8$580,353$56,499$18,501#28DCities →
44Alabama51.98.0%4.15%0.39%73.8348.3$241,613$33,044$41,956#37DCities →
45Arkansas48.58.6%3.9%0.59%73.9531.8$227,264$31,987$43,012#48DCities →
46Kentucky47.38.9%6.2%0.80%73.6212.1$232,577$33,316$41,684#41DCities →
47Illinois46.610.2%4.95%2.11%77.5251$297,573$40,985$34,016#39DCities →
48Mississippi44.69.1%4.4%0.76%72.6226.9$197,606$30,419$44,580#46DCities →
49California43.411.0%14.4%0.71%79.3432.7$764,158$60,724$14,276#47FCities →
50Louisiana39.58.9%3%0.55%73.8515.1$217,039$30,403$44,597#50FCities →

Score re-weights the 11 category scores for retirement (fiscal health 20%, health 20%, housing 18%, safety 12%, and the rest). Tax burden is total state and local taxes as a share of income; Income tax is the top state rate. Couple cost (per year) and Keeps on $75K come from the household affordability model for a retiree couple who own a home worth 70% of the state's typical home value; taxes in that model use the headline income tax rate, not retirement-income exemptions. Violent crime is the FBI's state estimate; Florida and North Dakota use the prior year's estimate because their latest year is based on limited data. Sources: Tax Foundation, CDC, FBI, Zillow Research, BEA, latest releases.

How the Retiree Score Is Calculated

The same 11 category scores that rank every state on this site, re-weighted for retirement. Here is what counts, how much, and what is left out.

Fiscal Health

20%

Tax burden, income tax, and a state government that can keep its promises.

Health

20%

Life expectancy, access to care, and healthy outcomes as you age.

Affordability

18%

Home prices, everyday costs, and utility bills on a fixed income.

Safety

12%

Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents.

Livability

10%

Restaurants, arts venues, and social clubs within reach.

Environment

8%

Clean air and low natural-disaster risk.

Transportation

5%

Short trips and transit options for when driving gets harder.

Economy

4%

Part-time work and a stable local economy.

Outdoor Access

3%

Parks, public land, and recreation nearby.

One scale for every ranking

The weighted total is placed on the same 0-100 scale as the overall composite score, so a retiree score of 70 means the same thing as an overall score of 70. Grades follow rank: A+ for 1-5 down to F for 49-50.

Retiree couple costs

From the household affordability model: a home worth 70% of the state's typical home value, utilities, groceries, and transportation scaled by local prices, plus federal, state, and sales taxes on $75,000 of income. Costs are shown alongside the score, not blended into it.

What is not counted

Weather and climate, Social Security and pension tax exemptions, senior-specific services, and proximity to family. The tax model uses each state's headline income tax rate, so it understates take-home in states that exempt retirement income.

Always the latest releases

This page is rebuilt from the most recent files each source has published (checked October 2026). Scores change when a new release moves a state up or down.

Weather and survey popularity are not scored, which is why colder northern states with long life expectancy and low crime rise to the top here while they may not in other lists.

Read the full methodology →

Key Takeaways

Patterns in the retiree data that the table alone does not show.

  1. The Midwest and West own the top 10

    4 of the 10 best states for retirees are in the Midwest (South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa) and 3 in the West (Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana). The Midwest averages 67.8 out of 100. 6 of the bottom 10 are in the South, which averages 55.2.

  2. The classic retirement states rank mid-table

    Florida (#18), North Carolina (#21), Georgia (#27), Tennessee (#28), Texas (#33), Nevada (#35), Arizona (#37), and South Carolina (#40): only one of the Sun Belt favorites makes the top 20. Warm weather is not scored here; health outcomes and crime rates are, and that is where these states give back the ground they gain on taxes.

  3. No income tax is not enough

    The 9 states with no income tax are scattered from #1 (Wyoming) to #35 (Nevada). 3 of them rank in the top 10 and 4 in the bottom half. Tax burden is a small slice of the score (it is one of eight inputs to the 20% fiscal-health category), while health is a full 20%, so a low tax bill cannot offset a short life expectancy.

  4. The cheapest states are not the best states

    A retiree couple's modeled costs are lowest in Louisiana ($30,403), Mississippi ($30,419), West Virginia ($30,644), Arkansas ($31,987), and Oklahoma ($32,356), yet 4 of the five rank in the bottom 10 for retirees. Their life expectancy averages 73.3 years against 77.7 in the top 10.

  5. The best states cost more to buy into

    The typical home value in the top 10 states averages $378,734, 15% more than the $329,969 average in the bottom 10. North Dakota is the exception: it is among the 15 cheapest states for a retiree couple and still ranks #4.

  6. Louisiana is last because of health and fiscal health

    Louisiana scores 29.9 for health and 43.1 for fiscal health. Life expectancy is 73.8 years and the violent crime rate is 515.1 per 100,000. Its strongest suit is affordability (88.7), which is why it is one of the cheapest states for a retiree couple.

Average retiree score by region

Mean retiree score of the states in each Census region, with a retiree couple's average annual costs.

  1. 1Midwest12 states · $36,166/yr67.8
  2. 2Northeast11 states · $47,423/yr66.0
  3. 3West13 states · $46,875/yr64.3
  4. 4South14 states · $34,635/yr55.2

The Midwest outscores the South by 13 points, but a retiree couple spends about $1,531 more a year there.

Go Deeper

Affordability calculator →

Pick a retiree couple and your income to see what you would keep in every state.

Where people are moving →

State-to-state migration from IRS returns, including the income of movers.

Compare two states →

Taxes, health, housing, and every other category side by side.

State fiscal health rankings →

Which state governments can keep their pension and service promises.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the #1 state to retire in?

Wyoming is the #1 state to retire in with a retiree score of 85.6 out of 100. It has no income tax, a life expectancy of 76.8 years, and 179.9 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Idaho (84.8) and South Dakota (82.8) rank second and third. The score re-weights official data toward fiscal health, health outcomes, housing costs, and safety.

What are the top 10 states for retirees?

The top 10 states for retirees are Wyoming (85.6), Idaho (84.8), South Dakota (82.8), North Dakota (79.1), Vermont (78.9), New Hampshire (78.7), Nebraska (78.2), Iowa (77.8), Maine (77.5), and Montana (76.8). 4 of the 10 are in the Midwest.

What is the worst state to retire in?

Louisiana ranks last (#50) for retirees with a score of 39.5. Life expectancy is 73.8 years, it ranks #44 of 50 for health, and the violent crime rate is 515.1 per 100,000. The bottom five are Louisiana (#50), California (#49), Mississippi (#48), Illinois (#47), and Kentucky (#46).

What is the cheapest state to retire in?

Louisiana is the cheapest state for a retiree couple, with modeled annual costs of $30,403 for housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and taxes. Mississippi ($30,419), West Virginia ($30,644), and Arkansas ($31,987) follow. Hawaii is the most expensive at $63,899. Cheap is not the same as good: Louisiana ranks #50 overall for retirees.

Which state is the best value for retirees?

North Dakota is the best value: it is one of the 15 cheapest states for a retiree couple ($34,097 a year) and ranks #4 for retirees overall. A couple on $75,000 keeps about $40,903 after costs there.

How much does a retired couple need to live in each state?

Modeled costs for a retiree couple who own a home worth 70% of the state's typical home value run from $30,403 a year in Louisiana to $63,899 in Hawaii, with the typical state at $40,998. On $50,000 of income, a couple runs a deficit in 4 states. On $75,000, they keep the most in Louisiana ($44,597) and the least in Hawaii ($11,102).

Which states have no income tax for retirees?

Wyoming, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Washington, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Alaska, and Nevada have no state income tax, so they tax no retirement income of any kind. They rank from #1 (Wyoming) to #35 (Nevada) for retirees overall, because tax burden is one of eight inputs to the fiscal-health category (20% of the score) and health counts for another 20%.

Which states do not tax Social Security or retirement income?

The 9 states with no income tax (Wyoming, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Washington, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Alaska, and Nevada) tax neither Social Security nor pension and 401(k) withdrawals. Other states' treatment of Social Security, pension, and retirement-account income varies and is not tracked on this page; it uses each state's headline income tax rate and total tax burden, so it slightly understates take-home pay in states that exempt Social Security or pension income.

Which state has the lowest property taxes for retirees?

Hawaii has the lowest effective property tax rate at 0.27%, followed by Alabama (0.39%), Colorado (0.49%), and Nevada (0.5%). New Jersey has the highest at 2.33%. Because retirees often own their home outright, property tax can matter more than income tax; Alaska has the lowest total state and local tax burden at 4.93% of income.

Which state has the best healthcare for seniors?

Hawaii has the longest life expectancy at 80 years, followed by Massachusetts (79.8), New Jersey (79.6), and New York (79.5). The top health scores, which combine life expectancy, adult obesity and the share of residents without insurance, belong to Massachusetts, Hawaii, and New York. Health is 20% of the retiree score, tied with fiscal health as the largest factor.

What is the safest state to retire in?

Maine is the safest state for retirees with 93.2 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, followed by Connecticut (109.6), New Hampshire (117.6), and Rhode Island (144.1). The typical state records 313; Alaska records the most at 729.3. Rates are FBI estimates; Florida and North Dakota show the FBI's prior-year estimate because the FBI flags their latest year as based on limited data. Safety is 12% of the retiree score.

Is Florida still a good state to retire in?

Florida ranks #18 of 50 for retirees with a score of 66.2. It has no income tax and a 6.5% total tax burden, and its strongest categories are safety (73.1) and fiscal health (70.2). It loses ground on health (60.5) and livability (26.9), with 275.2 violent crimes per 100,000 (the FBI's prior-year estimate, since its latest year for Florida is based on limited data) and a typical home value of $375,470. Weather is not scored, which is the main reason Florida ranks higher in lists that count sunshine.

Where are retirees moving to?

This site does not have migration data by age, but the states gaining the most movers of all ages per 1,000 residents are South Carolina (+12), Idaho (+9.9), North Carolina (+7.6), Delaware (+6.5), and Tennessee (+5.8). The states losing the most movers per 1,000 are New York (-6.9), Hawaii (-6.2), and Alaska (-6.1). State-to-state flows, including the average income of movers, are on the migration pages.

What is the best state to retire on a fixed income?

On $50,000 a year, a retiree couple keeps the most after modeled costs in Mississippi ($23,269), West Virginia ($23,097), and Louisiana ($22,936), and runs a deficit in 4 states, led by Hawaii (-$9,646), California (-$7,376), and Massachusetts (-$3,382). Among states where the couple keeps at least $10,000, the highest-ranked for retirees overall is Wyoming (#1).

How are the best states to retire ranked?

Each state's 11 category scores, built from official data, are re-weighted for retirement: fiscal health 20%, health 20%, affordability 18%, safety 12%, livability 10%, environment 8%, transportation 5%, economy 4%, and outdoor access 3%. Education and growth are not counted. The weighted total is placed on the same 0-100 scale as the overall composite, and states are ranked 1 to 50. Retiree-couple costs come from the household affordability model, which prices a home at 70% of the state's typical home value plus utilities, groceries, transportation, and federal, state, and sales taxes.

Why is Wyoming the best state for retirees?

Wyoming scores 86.1 for safety and 79.4 for fiscal health, its two strongest weighted categories. Life expectancy is 76.8 years and the violent crime rate is 179.9 per 100,000, and it has no state income tax. Its weak spot is health (51.4): life expectancy is 76.8 years and 10.3% of residents are uninsured.

Which region is best for retirement?

The Midwest has the highest average retiree score at 67.8, followed by the Northeast (66.0), West (64.3), and South (55.2). Costs run the other way: a retiree couple's modeled annual costs average $36,166 in the Midwest and $34,635 in the South.

Where do California, Texas, Florida, and New York rank for retirees?

Among the 10 most populous states, Florida is #18, North Carolina is #21, New York is #25, Pennsylvania is #26, Georgia is #27, Ohio is #29, Michigan is #30, Texas is #33, Illinois is #47, and California is #49. Florida is the best big state at 66.2; California is the lowest at 43.4.

Does this ranking consider weather or climate?

No. Climate is a personal preference, so it is not scored. The environment category (8% of the score) covers air quality, renewable energy, and natural-disaster risk, which is why hurricane- and wildfire-prone states lose a few points. City pages on this site list average annual, summer, and winter temperatures if weather is part of your decision.

Why do other best-states-to-retire lists rank states differently?

Every list weighs things differently. Lists that count sunshine, senior population share, or golf courses push Florida, Arizona, and the Carolinas up. Lists built on cost alone push the Deep South up. This ranking weights fiscal health (tax burden plus state debt, pensions, and reserves) and health equally at 20% each, then housing costs, safety, and amenities, using official data only, so northern states with long life expectancy and low crime rise even though they are colder and often pricier.

Where does the retiree data come from, and how current is it?

Category scores use the latest releases from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, FBI, CDC, Tax Foundation, BEA, EPA, and FEMA. Life expectancy comes from the CDC's state life tables, adult obesity from the CDC's BRFSS survey, insurance coverage from the Census Bureau, crime rates from FBI estimates, typical home values from Zillow Research, and retiree-couple costs from this site's household affordability model. The page is rebuilt whenever a source publishes a new release.

Retiree Rank for Every State

Every state's retiree rank, score, and what a retiree couple keeps on $75,000. Click through for the best cities for retirees in that state.