21 States With the Most Retirement-Aged Residents
Step aside, millennials and Gen Z. These 21 states have higher-than-average populations of baby boomers and silent generation members. If you’re over 65, you might want to consider moving to one of them to be in good company.
The U.S. Census Bureau analyzed the number of Americans aged 65 years and older based on their 2020 data collection. They calculated the total residential population per thousand to determine the percentage of retirement-aged individuals according to each state’s population.
1: Maine
Maine has a massive 21.8% of retirement-aged residents. The Pine Tree State offers quaint coastal towns, whale watching, and special attractions like the Stephen King House in Bangor. Despite its high cost of living, seniors in Maine enjoy excellent healthcare accessibility and low crime compared to the national average.
2: Florida
Florida is a close second to Maine, with 21.3% of its residents being of retirement age. The Sunshine State is notorious for attracting an older population, with the term “snowbirds” referring to people who flock there to escape the north’s cold winters.
3: West Virginia
Over one-fifth of West Virginia’s population is 65 and older, at 20.9%. The Mountain State is the third-best place to retire, according to a 2021 survey. This is in great part because of West Virginia’s relatively affordable senior care facilities, quality health care, and the fact that so much of its population is older. Who says you can’t form new friendships in your golden years?
4: Vermont
Vermont’s population of residents aged 65 years and older is 21.8%. The Green Mountain state offers many outdoor activities to keep seniors feeling young, including over 400 miles of hiking trails, more than 50 state parks, and snow sports.
5: Delaware
Twenty percent of Delaware’s population is 65 years and older. Several tax-friendly laws make Delaware attractive for retirees, including not imposing a state or local sales tax and waiving state taxes on social security income.
6: Montana
Montana is the first state to drop below 20% on this list, with 19.7% of its population being 65 years and older. The Treasure State offers lots of countryside for retirees who spent their careers working in cities to explore. It also only partially taxes social security income.
7: Hawaii
Hawaii’s population of residents 65 years and older falls just a hair below Montana, at 19.6%. Although the Aloha State is the most expensive in the US, the U.S. News & World Report gave it the number one title for excellent public health.
8: New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s rate of population aged 65 years and older is 19.3%. Although the Granite State’s weather may chill seniors to the bone, it has retirement-friendly tax laws. No personal income estate and inheritance tax are among them.
9: Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s 65 years and older retirement population clocks in at just above 19%. The Keystone State attracts Americans before they turn 65, for they have a no-income-tax policy on social security benefits and pensions starting at 60 years old.
10: South Carolina
South Carolina’s rate of population aged 65 years and older is 18.7%. Retirees moving to the Palmetto State will enjoy some of the lowest property taxes in the US. The state also allows tax deductions for seniors.
11: Oregon
Oregon’s population of residents aged 65 years and older comes in at 18.6%. The Beaver State’s outdoor attractions, including hiking at Crater Lake National Park and world-class golfing, make it an attractive place for seniors to spend their golden years.
12: Arizona
Arizona’s rate of population aged 65 years and older is 18.5%. The Grand Canyon State is more affordable than many states on this list. It also has lots of 55+ communities, possibly sparked by people wanting to take advantage of its 300+ days of annual sunshine.
13: New Mexico
New Mexico is tied with Arizona, with 18.5% of its population being aged 65 years and older. The Land of Enchantment is ideal for history-loving seniors. While it doesn’t offer the best tax breaks for retirees, social security is exempt from state income taxes.
14: Rhode Island
Rhode Island marks the first of three states that tie for having 18.2% of its population 65 years and older. Of them, the Ocean State has the fewest senior-aged residents per 1,000 people, given its small population.
15: Michigan
Michigan also has 18.2% of its population aged 65 years and older. In contrast to Rhode Island, it has over nine times the number of retirement-aged residents per 1,000 people. So, seniors looking to make friends will find more people of similar age in Michigan despite these states’ sharing the same percentage ranking.
16: Connecticut
Connecticut rounds out the three states with an 18.2% population aged 65 years and older. In 2023, the Nutmeg State made it to the top ten list of states in the US for life expectancy and social support.
17: Wisconsin
Eighteen percent of Wisconsin’s population is aged 65 years and older. The Badger State offers beautiful coastlines on two Great Lakes, a range of museums, and craft breweries that retirees can choose to visit around the after-work crowds.
18: Iowa
Iowa has a population rate of 17.9% residents aged 65 years and older. The Hawkeye State has moderate tax policies for retirees, the most helpful of which is no tax on social security income.
19: Ohio
Ohio ties with Iowa in having 17.9% of a senior-aged population. Because of its cold winters, the Buckeye State isn’t often at the top of many retirees’ move-to wishlists. However, a relatively low cost of living makes it a wise choice for some.
20: Alabama
Alabama has 17.8% of its population aged 65 years and older. The Cotton State makes Ohio seem expensive for seniors. Retirees looking to move to Alabama will likely find that real estate and property taxes are lower than in their home state.
21: Wyoming
Wyoming puts the kibosh on ending this list at even 20 states, given that it ties with Alabama for having 17.8% of its population aged 65 years and older. The Equality State favors retirees, for it doesn’t impose income taxes; it lets senior-aged residents off the hook for paying state taxes on pensions, social security, and distributions from IRAs and other retirement accounts.
The State With the Lowest Percentage of Seniors
Utah comes in 50th place for the state with the fewest retirement-aged individuals according to its population. Only 11.7% of Utah residents are aged 65 years and older.
Correlation Doesn’t Imply Causation
Although you’ll technically encounter fewer younger generations in the 21 states listed above when in the general public, it’s not always because seniors outnumber them. California has the highest number of retirement-age residents of any state, even though it ranks in 45th place from a population percentage perspective.
Choosing Your Social Circle
Regardless of whether you retire in Maine or Utah, one thing is certain for retirees wanting to make new friends with people around their age: Where you hang out matters.
By seeking out golf tournaments, board game groups, walking groups, and more that are geared to a specific age group, you’ll increase your chances of forming friendships with people who remember when libraries, not smartphones, held the answers.
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