What states are retirees happiest?

Asked by: Erica Harris  |  Last update: February 2, 2024
Score: 4.1/5 (25 votes)

Key findings
  • Americans value quality of life, affordable housing, high-quality and affordable healthcare, safety, and low taxes when it comes to choosing a place to retire.
  • The top five states to retire to in 2023 are Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Kentucky, and Rhode Island.

Which state is best for retirees and why?

1 state to retire for high quality of life: Massachusetts. Massachusetts is the best state for retirees based on the quality of life. While the state ranked in the bottom half of the list for affordability, it scored top marks for health care, coming in at second place.

What is the best state to retire in the U.S. News and World Report?

Pennsylvania and Florida towns took top spots for places to retire, according to U.S. News & World Report. The yearly list of Best Places to Retire in the U.S. named Lancaster, Pennsylvania as the No. 1 place to retire for 2023.

Where is the best place to live after retirement?

Countries Natixis ranked as secure retirement locations are mostly concentrated in Europe but also include New Zealand and Australia. The top three countries in the rankings are Norway, Switzerland and Iceland, all of which have life expectancies of 83 years, compared to 77 in the U.S. and the world average of 72.

Where is the best place to retire in the United States?

Here's an overview of the top five cities for retirees:
  • Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
  • Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
  • Pensacola, Florida.
  • Tampa, Florida.
  • York, Pennsylvania.

Retiree Havens: Top States They are Moving to in 2023.

21 related questions found

What is the number one state to retire in the United States?

Move over, Florida, a new locale ranks as the best state to retire in. Although in 2022 the Sunshine State was named the No. 1 state to retire in, Virginia has taken the top spot this year, according to personal finance website WalletHub's “2023′s Best States to Retire” study.

Where is the easiest place for Americans to retire?

Top 10 Easiest Countries To Retire Comfortably
  • Ecuador. Ecuador, located in South America between Columbia and Peru, is an increasingly popular destination for retirees. ...
  • Greece. ...
  • France. ...
  • Italy. ...
  • Thailand. ...
  • Colombia. ...
  • Mexico. ...
  • Costa Rica.

Where can I retire on $2500 a month?

In order to streamline the process, GOBankingRates has compiled a list of the 11 best cities to retire with a budget of $2,500 a month.
  • Omaha, Nebraska. Monthly expenditures: $2,499.39. ...
  • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ...
  • Lafayette, Louisiana. ...
  • Sioux Falls, South Dakota. ...
  • Abilene, Texas. ...
  • Brownsville, Texas. ...
  • Lake Charles, Louisiana. ...
  • Ft.

Where do most millionaires retire?

While New Hampshire does have a high cost of living, it also has excellent health care. All of these factors make it the best place to retire if you are wealthy. Other top states on the list include Idaho, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alaska, South Dakota, Michigan, Utah, and Arkansas.

What states do not pay Social Security taxes?

These states are:
  • Alabama.
  • Arizona.
  • Arkansas.
  • California.
  • Colorado: Previously, Colorado worked around straight up taxing Social Security by allowing $24,000 of Social Security income to be deducted from state taxes. As of 2023, Colorado no longer taxes Social Security benefits.
  • Delaware.
  • Florida.
  • Georgia.

Which states not to retire in?

Kentucky ranks as the worst state to take up retirement in 2023, according to a WalletHub study. This year, the state landed in last place which was occupied by New Jersey in 2022. WalletHub ranked all 50 U.S. states based on three key categories: affordability, quality of life and health care.

What is the best state to live in financially?

North Dakota

North Dakota takes the cake as the best state in the U.S. to save money in. With the third lowest debt-to-income ratio in the country for Q3 2022—and the second lowest percentage of income spent on housing costs and rent—North Dakotans are able to keep more money in their pockets.

Are retirees leaving Florida?

“In addition to inflation, housing prices and increasing costs of living in Florida, retirees are also leaving for other reasons,” says Dutch Mendenhall, Founder of RAD Diversified REIT.

What states have good healthcare for retirees?

The analysis, conducted by insurance technology company MedicareGuide.com, ranked Minnesota first with North Dakota close behind. Massachusetts and California followed in the third and fourth spots. Nebraska ranked fifth, and Hawaii followed in sixth.

What are the best states to retire in no taxes?

Fortunately, there are some states that don't charge taxes on retirement income of any kind: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

What percentage of Americans retire with $1000000?

Putting that much aside could make it easier to live your preferred lifestyle when you retire, without having to worry about running short of money. However, not a huge percentage of retirees end up having that much money. In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings.

Do most retirees have a million dollars?

It's long been a rule of thumb that you should have $1 million saved before you retire — and you may actually need to have close to double that in many cases. But most retirees have far less. A recent survey conducted by Clever found that, on average, retirees have just $170,726 saved for retirement.

Where is the best place to retire for taxes?

1. Alaska. Alaska is the most tax-friendly state for retirees because it has no state income tax or tax on Social Security. And its sales tax rate is the fourth lowest on our list - fifth lowest in the U.S. But keep this in mind: The cost of living in Alaska is higher than in most states.

What is a good monthly retirement income?

But, generally speaking, most experts agree that you will need 70-80% of your pre-retirement income to maintain your standard of living in retirement. For example, if you earned $50,000 per year ($4,167 a month) before retiring, you would need approximately $35,000-$40,000 per year in retirement.

Is $4,000 a month enough to retire on?

First, let's look at some statistics to establish a baseline for what a solid retirement looks like: Average monthly retirement income in 2021 for retirees 65 and older was about $4,000 a month, or $48,000 a year; this is a slight decrease from 2020, when it was about $49,000.

What is a good monthly retirement income for a couple?

If you want a comfortable retirement, you should aim for a monthly income of at least 70% of your pre-retirement income. So, if you and your spouse currently bring in a combined monthly income of $5000, you would need to have a retirement income of at least $3500 per month. Of course, this is just a general guideline.

Where can I retire comfortably on Social Security?

10 Best States To Live on Just Social Security Alone
  • Louisiana. 2022 Average Rent: $1,020. ...
  • Wyoming. 2022 Average Rent: $1,038. ...
  • Montana. 2022 Average Rent: $1,033. ...
  • Oklahoma. 2022 Average Rent: $1,052. ...
  • North Dakota. 2022 Average Rent: $871. ...
  • Missouri. 2022 Average Rent: $1,014. ...
  • Iowa. 2022 Average Rent: $937. ...
  • South Dakota.

What state has the lowest retirement age?

Which states have the youngest and oldest average age of retirement in the U.S.? Alaska and West Virginia both have the youngest average retirement age in the USA, 61 years old.

Where is the cheapest place to retire in the United States?

Rather, Alabama is the most affordable state to retire in, according to WalletHub's "2023 Best States to Retire." The analysis compared all 50 states across three key categories: health care, quality of life and affordability.