You can't decide where to retire based on number-crunching alone, but you can use it as a starting point to identify places you might want to live in during retirement (and places you probably don't). We weighed several factors related to affordability, safety and quality of life—essential considerations to most retirees—to rank all 50 states and the District of Columbia as retirement destinations. Take a look at the chart below to see where your state stands.
Rankings are based on seven factors: taxes on retirees; share of residents 65+; average income for 65+ households; poverty rate for residents 65+; cost of living for all residents; home values for residents 65+; and crime rates. Three of these factors are highlighted in the chart below. The share of the U.S. populations that is 65+ is 13.4%. The cost-of-living column shows how much a state's living costs come in above or below the U.S. average. Tax ratings, based on Kiplinger's Retiree Tax Map, divide states into five categories: Most Friendly, Friendly, Mixed, Not Friendly and Least Friendly.
| Rank | State | Share of Population 65+ | Cost of Living | Retiree Tax Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | 14.9% | +6.4% | Most Friendly |
| 2 | Florida | 17.8% | +4.6% | Most Friendly |
| 3 | West Virginia | 16.5% | -2.0% | Friendly |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 15.8% | +14.8% | Friendly |
| 5 | South Dakota | 14.5% | +0.1% | Most Friendly |
| 6 | Arizona | 14.4% | +6.2% | Most Friendly |
| 7 | Hawaii | 14.8% | +33.4% | Mixed |
| 8 | Iowa | 15.1% | +0.2% | Not Friendly |
| 9 | Kansas | 13.5% | +1.8% | Friendly |
| 10 | Wyoming | 12.7% | +6.4% | Most Friendly |
| 11 | Arkansas | 14.7% | -5.4% | Friendly |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 14.2% | +25.4% | Mixed |
| 13 | Mississippi | 13.2% | -6.3% | Most Friendly |
| 14 | Alabama | 14.2% | -4.3% | Friendly |
| 15 | Ohio | 14.4% | -1.5% | Mixed |
| 16 | Connecticut | 14.5% | +33.4% | Least Friendly |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 13.8% | -2.0% | Friendly |
| 18 | Nevada | 12.6% | +6.3% | Most Friendly |
| 19 | Kentucky | 13.7% | -4.5% | Friendly |
| 20 | Vermont | 15.2% | +23.7% | Least Friendly |
| 21 | Michigan | 14.2% | +0.6% | Mixed |
| 22 | Maine | 16.5% | +22.0% | Not Friendly |
| 23 | South Carolina | 14.2% | +1.3% | Friendly |
| 24 | Idaho | 12.9% | +1.2% | Friendly |
| 25 | Missouri | 14.4% | +0.7% | Mixed |
| 26 | Alaska | 8.2% | +31.4% | Most Friendly |
| 27 | Louisiana | 12.6% | +0.3% | Most Friendly |
| 28 | North Dakota | 14.4% | +3.1% | Not Friendly |
| 29 | Virginia | 12.6% | +9.0% | Mixed |
| 30 | Wisconsin | 14.1% | +1.9% | Mixed |
| 31 | Rhode Island | 14.8% | +27.6% | Least Friendly |
| 32 | Washington | 12.8% | +11.9% | Friendly |
| 33 | Colorado | 11.4% | +8.7% | Friendly |
| 34 | Georgia | 11.1% | +3.3% | Most Friendly |
| 35 | Tennessee | 13.9% | -3.7% | Mixed |
| 36 | New Jersey | 13.8% | +21.4% | Least Friendly |
| 37 | Indiana | 13.3% | -0.9% | Mixed |
| 38 | Massachusetts | 14.1% | +34.4% | Not Friendly |
| 39 | Maryland | 12.7% | +13.5% | Mixed |
| 40 | Montana | 15.3% | +3.9% | Least Friendly |
| 41 | Illinois | 12.9% | +12.1% | Mixed |
| 42 | Texas | 10.7% | +1.5% | Friendly |
| 43 | Utah | 9.3% | +3.4% | Not Friendly |
| 44 | Oregon | 14.5% | +14.3% | Least Friendly |
| 45 | Nebraska | 13.7% | +2.0% | Least Friendly |
| 46 | North Carolina | 13.4% | +2.1% | Mixed |
| 47 | Minnesota | 13.3% | +3.6% | Least Friendly |
| 48 | New York | 13.8% | +52.7% | Least Friendly |
| 49 | New Mexico | 13.8% | +3.6% | Mixed |
| 50 | California | 11.8% | +34.7% | Least Friendly |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 11.4% | +39.9% | Not Friendly |
| Row 51 - Cell 0 | United States | 13.4% | Row 51 - Cell 3 | Row 51 - Cell 4 |
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