Best and Worst States to Retire in 2025, Ranked

Ah, sweet retirement. Except it’s not always sweet, depending on where you choose to live during your golden years. WalletHub underwent the hard work for you, determining the best and worst states for retirees to call home.

Where does your state fall in the rankings?

Best and Worst States for Retirement

WalletHub used 46 key indicators to determine how retirement-friendly each state is. We won’t bore you with the nitty-gritty details. But to give you an idea, they focused on factors such as tax rates, cost of living, quality of medical care, and fun activities.

These are the results, starting with the best state for retirement.

Overall RankStateTotal ScoreAffordability RankQuality of Life RankHealth Care Rank
1Florida62.762227
2Minnesota62.742761
3Colorado61.7115183
4Wyoming60.791338
5South Dakota60.7618194
6Pennsylvania60.442259
7New Hampshire58.6423814
8Delaware58.6243518
9North Dakota58.45143013
10Wisconsin57.75172021
11Virginia57.08211419
12North Carolina56.7271636
13Missouri56.44133132
14Alaska56.23163715
15Maine55.8333120
16Iowa55.5228929
17Vermont55.0437710
18Utah54.80252225
19Ohio54.17261234
20South Carolina53.4583839
21California53.3839245
22Montana53.17351116
23Massachusetts53.064942
24Idaho53.04292630
25Michigan52.69321331
26Texas52.37203435
27Nebraska51.8543218
28Nevada51.5354243
29Connecticut51.5245176
30Arizona51.41342923
31Kansas50.85302837
32Georgia50.24193940
33Oklahoma50.04104742
34Illinois49.66411528
35New York49.58471011
36Maryland49.54442517
37Alabama48.9334349
38Tennessee48.5864846
39Oregon48.33423226
40Indiana48.29313341
41Hawaii47.7550277
42Arkansas47.70124944
43West Virginia47.48114450
44Rhode Island47.02404022
45New Jersey46.36463612
46New Mexico45.99384533
47Washington45.81482324
48Mississippi45.3395047
49Louisiana44.54244648
50Kentucky42.46364145
Data by WalletHub.

Florida Living

Florida is the best state to retire, according to WalletHub’s data. Low taxes for retirees—including no income, estate, or inheritance tax—coupled with the third-best funding for seniors via the Older Americans Act are some of the reasons it takes first place in this ranking.

Of course, the weather plays a huge role as well. Florida has the third-lowest death rate in the nation for people ages 65+, and some of that could have to do with the fact that warmer weather compared to the North allows people to get outside and be more active year-round.

They say volunteering is good for the soul, so people who retire in Florida are in luck—Florida is the second-best state for grownup volunteer activities. Theater lovers are also in good hands, for the Sunshine State ranks in the top five for the most theater companies in the nation.

Kentucky Challenges

Kentucky ranks as the worst state for retirement in WalletHub’s study. What makes it so bad for retirees, you ask?

Based on WalletHub’s data, the Bluegrass State ranks poorly for quality of life and health care. Its affordability is relatively better, but it’s not enough to salvage Kentucky from the bottom of the retirement barrel.

Perhaps even more troubling, as of 2020, Kentucky ranked as having one of the worst life expectancies in the nation. It ranked in 47th place out of 51 states and Washington, D.C.

Most to Least Expensive States To Retire

Photo Credit: Jade Maas/peopleimages.com via stock.adobe.com.

Are you hoping to settle down in a cheaper state during retirement? These are the states to consider and, equally important, those you’re better off avoiding.

Most to Least Expensive States to Retire Ranked From 1 to 50

Florida City Ranks Among 30 Most Expensive Cities in the World

Photo Credit: steftach via stock.adobe.com.

According to data, residents in one Florida city are shelling out more money than the rest of the Sunshine State. Can you guess which Florida city made the (unwanted) cut?

Florida City Ranks Among 30 Most Expensive Cities in the World

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