Florida Ranks Best State to Retire in 2025—Can You Guess the Worst?

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.

Unsurprisingly to many, Florida ranks number one. But which state ranks last?

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 Rank	State	Total Score	Affordability Rank	Quality of Life Rank	Health Care Rank
1	Florida	62.76	2	2	27
2	Minnesota	62.74	27	6	1
3	Colorado	61.71	15	18	3
4	Wyoming	60.79	1	3	38
5	South Dakota	60.76	18	19	4
6	Pennsylvania	60.44	22	5	9
7	New Hampshire	58.64	23	8	14
8	Delaware	58.62	4	35	18
9	North Dakota	58.45	14	30	13
10	Wisconsin	57.75	17	20	21
11	Virginia	57.08	21	14	19
12	North Carolina	56.72	7	16	36
13	Missouri	56.44	13	31	32
14	Alaska	56.23	16	37	15
15	Maine	55.83	33	1	20
16	Iowa	55.52	28	9	29
17	Vermont	55.04	37	7	10
18	Utah	54.80	25	22	25
19	Ohio	54.17	26	12	34
20	South Carolina	53.45	8	38	39
21	California	53.38	39	24	5
22	Montana	53.17	35	11	16
23	Massachusetts	53.06	49	4	2
24	Idaho	53.04	29	26	30
25	Michigan	52.69	32	13	31
26	Texas	52.37	20	34	35
27	Nebraska	51.85	43	21	8
28	Nevada	51.53	5	42	43
29	Connecticut	51.52	45	17	6
30	Arizona	51.41	34	29	23
31	Kansas	50.85	30	28	37
32	Georgia	50.24	19	39	40
33	Oklahoma	50.04	10	47	42
34	Illinois	49.66	41	15	28
35	New York	49.58	47	10	11
36	Maryland	49.54	44	25	17
37	Alabama	48.93	3	43	49
38	Tennessee	48.58	6	48	46
39	Oregon	48.33	42	32	26
40	Indiana	48.29	31	33	41
41	Hawaii	47.75	50	27	7
42	Arkansas	47.70	12	49	44
43	West Virginia	47.48	11	44	50
44	Rhode Island	47.02	40	40	22
45	New Jersey	46.36	46	36	12
46	New Mexico	45.99	38	45	33
47	Washington	45.81	48	23	24
48	Mississippi	45.33	9	50	47
49	Louisiana	44.54	24	46	48
50	Kentucky	42.46	36	41	45

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.

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It takes a lot of savings to be able to retire in many parts of Florida. Unfortunately, many scammers target retirees, and they’re often successful. Even if you think you’re not at risk, your assets are likely more exposed than you realize.

14 Retiree Scams Florida Residents Need to Watch Out For

The Sunshine State or Land of Regret?

Deciding to move to a different state is a big deal, and Florida is on many people’s radar. The Sunshine State’s warm weather and state income tax-free policies may draw you to call it your new home. But it doesn’t come without its drawbacks.

12 Regrets Florida Transplants Have