Best States for Retirees (2026)
Rankings weighted toward low taxes, quality healthcare, affordable living, safety, community livability, and pleasant environment — the priorities for retirement years.
Top 10 States for Retirees
All 50 States Ranked for Retirees
| Rank | State | Grade | Retirees Score | Overall | 🏥 Health | 💼 Fiscal Health | 🏠 Affordability | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | A+ | 67.3 | 86.6 | 100.0 | 63.1 | 44.3 | Northeast |
| 2 | Vermont | A+ | 66.8 | 77.5 | 95.9 | 51.1 | 54.4 | Northeast |
| 3 | Maine | A | 66.5 | 76.8 | 79.6 | 57.0 | 56.9 | Northeast |
| 4 | South Dakota | A+ | 64.9 | 80.2 | 53.1 | 76.3 | 84.5 | Midwest |
| 5 | Utah | A+ | 64.8 | 81.5 | 91.8 | 71.4 | 65.0 | West |
| 6 | Nebraska | A | 64.7 | 74.5 | 71.4 | 71.4 | 82.8 | Midwest |
| 7 | North Dakota | A | 64.5 | 77.1 | 65.3 | 69.8 | 84.7 | Midwest |
| 8 | Minnesota | A+ | 64.4 | 77.1 | 89.8 | 59.2 | 62.9 | Midwest |
| 9 | Wyoming | B+ | 64.1 | 68.2 | 46.9 | 79.4 | 72.4 | West |
| 10 | Idaho | B+ | 63.4 | 69.2 | 55.1 | 71.0 | 73.4 | West |
| 11 | Montana | B+ | 62.3 | 70.8 | 61.2 | 59.5 | 71.8 | West |
| 12 | Virginia | A | 60.7 | 74.3 | 77.6 | 62.8 | 57.4 | South |
| 13 | Iowa | B+ | 60.5 | 68.7 | 57.1 | 66.0 | 85.0 | Midwest |
| 14 | Washington | B | 59.3 | 63.2 | 87.8 | 64.3 | 36.3 | West |
| 15 | Rhode Island | B+ | 57.7 | 69.3 | 75.5 | 43.0 | 46.1 | Northeast |
| 16 | Connecticut | A | 57.3 | 73.5 | 93.9 | 38.4 | 42.2 | Northeast |
| 17 | Oregon | B | 57.1 | 60.0 | 63.3 | 55.4 | 50.3 | West |
| 18 | Wisconsin | B | 56.6 | 63.7 | 51.0 | 63.6 | 73.4 | Midwest |
| 19 | Massachusetts | B+ | 56.3 | 70.3 | 98.0 | 50.1 | 26.0 | Northeast |
| 20 | Maryland | B+ | 56.0 | 66.9 | 85.7 | 55.0 | 54.6 | Northeast |
| 21 | Colorado | B+ | 55.5 | 67.4 | 67.3 | 60.4 | 50.3 | West |
| 22 | Delaware | C+ | 53.0 | 52.4 | 44.9 | 67.2 | 67.3 | Northeast |
| 23 | Kansas | B | 52.7 | 59.5 | 42.9 | 52.4 | 82.4 | Midwest |
| 24 | New York | B | 52.7 | 56.8 | 73.5 | 44.5 | 35.4 | Northeast |
| 25 | North Carolina | C+ | 52.5 | 53.5 | 36.7 | 71.5 | 74.9 | South |
| 26 | New Jersey | B | 51.6 | 65.1 | 81.6 | 33.2 | 44.4 | Northeast |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | B | 50.9 | 58.2 | 49.0 | 45.6 | 68.6 | Northeast |
| 28 | Georgia | C+ | 50.0 | 51.3 | 32.7 | 69.7 | 74.1 | South |
| 29 | Ohio | C+ | 49.5 | 49.1 | 26.5 | 56.6 | 83.8 | Midwest |
| 30 | Hawaii | B | 49.3 | 64.8 | 83.7 | 36.5 | 9.1 | West |
| 31 | Indiana | C+ | 48.9 | 49.6 | 20.4 | 65.3 | 81.2 | Midwest |
| 32 | Missouri | C+ | 48.7 | 48.7 | 30.6 | 65.4 | 83.1 | Midwest |
| 33 | Alaska | D | 48.2 | 39.3 | 40.8 | 74.2 | 45.5 | West |
| 34 | Michigan | C | 48.1 | 45.0 | 38.8 | 56.2 | 75.7 | Midwest |
| 35 | Texas | C | 47.7 | 45.9 | 18.4 | 72.2 | 75.8 | South |
| 36 | Florida | C+ | 47.4 | 51.7 | 28.6 | 70.2 | 59.9 | South |
| 37 | Tennessee | C | 47.3 | 45.3 | 14.3 | 76.1 | 78.7 | South |
| 38 | Nevada | D | 46.2 | 39.2 | 24.5 | 57.6 | 62.0 | West |
| 39 | Arizona | C | 45.7 | 44.3 | 34.7 | 59.4 | 60.7 | West |
| 40 | Oklahoma | C | 45.6 | 41.8 | 10.2 | 58.4 | 90.8 | South |
| 41 | Illinois | C+ | 45.3 | 50.5 | 59.2 | 21.9 | 67.4 | Midwest |
| 42 | West Virginia | D | 44.7 | 32.5 | 4.1 | 60.1 | 87.2 | South |
| 43 | South Carolina | C | 43.6 | 43.2 | 22.4 | 54.4 | 77.0 | South |
| 44 | Kentucky | D | 42.2 | 38.0 | 12.2 | 38.4 | 87.6 | South |
| 45 | New Mexico | D | 42.2 | 32.6 | 16.3 | 62.0 | 79.5 | West |
| 46 | Alabama | C | 42.1 | 39.4 | 8.2 | 56.4 | 84.2 | South |
| 47 | California | C | 41.3 | 42.9 | 69.4 | 47.5 | 7.2 | West |
| 48 | Mississippi | D | 40.9 | 31.4 | 6.1 | 43.8 | 93.9 | South |
| 49 | Arkansas | F | 39.2 | 29.9 | 2.0 | 56.2 | 92.6 | South |
| 50 | Louisiana | F | 35.3 | 25.2 | 0.0 | 43.1 | 90.8 | South |
Best States for Retirees in 2026: What the Data Shows
New Hampshire leads our rankings for retirees with a score of 67.3 out of 100. Close behind are Vermont (66.8) and Maine (66.5). These top-ranked states consistently score well across the categories that matter most to retirees: health, fiscal health, affordability.
Key Findings
The gap between the #1 and #50 state is 32.0 points — a substantial difference that translates to real quality-of-life differences. The median state scores 52.5/100, meaning the top half of states cluster in the 53-67 range.
For retirees, the most important category is Fiscal Health (20% weight), followed by Health (20%) and Affordability (18%). States that score above 70 in these top categories almost always place in the top 15.
Regional Patterns
For retirees, Northeastern states lead with an average persona score of 57.8, followed by the Midwest (55.7), West (53.8), and South (45.7).
Surprise Rankings
Alaska jumps from #43 overall to #33 for retirees — a gain of 10 spots. Meanwhile, Illinois drops from #31 to #41, losing 10 spots when retirees priorities are applied.
States Facing Challenges
At the bottom of the list, Louisiana (35.3), Arkansas (39.2), and Mississippi (40.9) face the biggest challenges for retirees. Lower scores in health and fiscal health are the primary drivers.
Methodology
These rankings use the same real government data as our overall state rankings — from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, and America's Health Rankings — but re-weighted to reflect the priorities of retirees. The top-weighted categories are Fiscal Health (20%), Health (20%), Affordability (18%). Categories with 0% weight are not included in the calculation. See our full methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best state for retirees in 2026?
New Hampshire ranks #1 for retirees with a persona-weighted score of 67.3/100. The top 3 are New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine.
What are the worst states for retirees?
The lowest-ranked states for retirees are Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi. These states score lower on the categories most important to retirees.
How are "best for retirees" rankings calculated?
We re-weight the 11 scoring categories based on what matters most to retirees. Rankings weighted toward low taxes, quality healthcare, affordable living, safety, community livability, and pleasant environment — the priorities for retirement years.