Best States to Retire In

We ranked all 50 states and Washington DC for overall retirement-friendliness — weighing taxes, cost of living, healthcare quality, climate, and safety. Each state links to its full tax breakdown so you can compare what retirement income will actually cost you.

How we rank

Taxes 40%

Cost of living 25%

Healthcare 20%

Climate 10%

Safety 5%

Scores are relative estimates based on publicly available state data for 2026. Your personal tax bill depends on your specific income mix — run it inside Alistair for an exact number.

#	State	Score	Tax rank	COL	Health	Safety	Climate	Guide
1	Florida	91	#2	103	74	67	Warm year-round	View guide
2	South Dakota	88	#3	96	78	76	Cold winters	View guide
3	Wyoming	87.4	#2	97	70	80	Cold winters	View guide
4	Mississippi	86.1	#3	86	68	57	Hot & humid	View guide
5	Arizona	85.9	#5	104	74	68	Arid, hot summers	View guide
6	Nevada	85.8	#4	104	71	63	Arid	View guide
7	Tennessee	85.1	#7	90	72	65	Four seasons	View guide
8	Delaware	84.9	#7	105	77	70	Four seasons	View guide
9	New Hampshire	84.3	#6	112	87	85	Cold winters	View guide
10	Iowa	83.9	#8	91	77	75	Cold winters	View guide
11	Kentucky	83.4	#9	90	70	70	Four seasons	View guide
12	Georgia	82.1	#10	92	73	67	Mild winters, hot summers	View guide
13	Texas	82	#10	93	73	66	Hot & humid	View guide
14	Illinois	81.3	#11	94	77	71	Cold winters	View guide
15	North Carolina	80.7	#13	96	73	66	Four seasons	View guide
16	Colorado	79.8	#15	105	83	70	Four seasons	View guide
17	Alabama	79.6	#12	88	69	64	Mild winters, hot summers	View guide
18	Alaska	78.6	#1	126	67	56	Cold winters	View guide
19	Missouri	77.8	#17	89	75	62	Four seasons	View guide
20	Pennsylvania	76.9	#20	98	80	73	Four seasons	View guide
21	Louisiana	76.2	#16	92	69	59	Hot & humid	View guide
22	South Carolina	74.7	#19	95	72	65	Hot & humid	View guide
23	Washington	74.2	#21	113	84	76	Mild & rainy	View guide
24	Virginia	73.7	#22	103	75	77	Four seasons	View guide
25	Maryland	71.4	#18	124	82	66	Four seasons	View guide
26	West Virginia	69.1	#27	88	69	69	Four seasons	View guide
27	Idaho	68	#31	100	76	82	Four seasons	View guide
28	Indiana	67.4	#30	91	72	70	Four seasons	View guide
29	Arkansas	66.9	#28	88	69	61	Hot & humid	View guide
30	Montana	66.4	#29	102	75	75	Cold winters	View guide
31	Kansas	66.1	#33	88	76	75	Four seasons	View guide
32	North Dakota	65.3	#32	93	78	76	Cold winters	View guide
33	Ohio	65.3	#34	91	77	72	Four seasons	View guide
34	Michigan	62.8	#35	91	79	70	Cold winters	View guide
35	Maine	62.6	#36	102	81	85	Cold winters	View guide
36	Nebraska	62.6	#38	92	78	76	Four seasons	View guide
37	Rhode Island	61.1	#37	113	86	77	Four seasons	View guide
38	Hawaii	60.8	#14	184	89	74	Warm year-round	View guide
39	Utah	60.2	#41	101	79	81	Arid	View guide
40	Oklahoma	59.5	#39	87	70	62	Four seasons	View guide
41	New Mexico	58.5	#40	95	71	57	Arid	View guide
42	Minnesota	56.4	#46	100	88	78	Cold winters	View guide
43	Vermont	55.7	#43	110	86	84	Cold winters	View guide
44	Oregon	55	#44	115	81	76	Mild & rainy	View guide
45	Wisconsin	52.6	#49	94	81	76	Cold winters	View guide
46	Connecticut	51.6	#45	118	87	78	Cold winters	View guide
47	Massachusetts	49.4	#42	135	90	78	Cold winters	View guide
48	New Jersey	48.4	#50	121	85	78	Four seasons	View guide
49	New York	45	#47	132	85	70	Cold winters	View guide
50	California	44.5	#48	139	82	64	Mild four seasons	View guide
51	Washington D.C.	36.7	#47	158	76	55	Four seasons	View guide

Best States to Retire In

How we rank

Top 10 States to Retire

Worst States to Retire

Full Ranking — All 51 States

Beyond state taxes

Run your exact numbers

State tax drag can quietly cut your retirement runway by years.