The Best States to Retire in 2024: A Complete Guide

What's the best state to retire in? It's a complicated question that you may find yourself asking as you approach retirement age.

Senior Couple Walking With Pet Golden Retriever

Image source: Getty Images.

About half of Americans older than 55 are retired, and that percentage may be on the rise. Among those who haven’t retired yet, pessimism about being able to afford retirement is growing alongside considerations about moving during retirement to save money.

Of course, people have different priorities when it comes to choosing the best state to retire to. But what are those priorities? The Motley Fool surveyed 1,500 Americans to find out -- and then ranked all 50 states based on those priorities.

We'll go over the survey results and then jump into the best states to retire to based on what Americans really want.

Key findings

According to The Motley Fool survey, Americans value these seven factors when it comes to choosing a best place to retire: high quality of life, low housing costs, high healthcare quality, reasonable healthcare costs, low crime rate, good public health, and low taxes.
The top five best states to retire to in 2024 are New Hampshire (1), Utah (2), Minnesota (3), Connecticut (4), and Colorado (5).
The bottom five worst states to retire to in 2024 are Louisiana (50), Kansas (49), West Virginia (48), Arkansas (47), and Mississippi (46).

Retirement factors ranked

What makes a state one of the best places to retire?

Instead of ranking states on the factors we think are important to people, we surveyed 1,500 Americans 55 and older to find out what they really want. High quality of life, low housing cost, high healthcare quality, reasonable healthcare costs, low crime rate, good public health, and low taxes were the highest-ranking factors.

Here's the full list of things Americans think about when choosing a state to retire to:

Data source: The Motley Fool survey of 1,500 Americans age 55 and over, conducted December 2, 2021.
Retirement factor	Average importance (out of 10)
Quality of life	8.4
Housing cost	8.2
Healthcare quality	8.2
Crime rate	8.2
Healthcare cost	8.1
Public health, including Covid-19 response	7.7
Taxes	7.6
Non-housing costs	7.5
Weather	7.3
Proximity to family	7.2
Walkability	6.6
Resistance to climate change	6.1
Political environment	5.9
Diversity and equality	5.8
Proximity to airport	5.0
Public transit	4.8

What is quality of life?

Quality of life is the highest-ranking factor when it comes to finding a state to retire to, but what exactly does that mean?

The prevalence of retail and dining options came out at the top of our list, with 57% of respondents saying it's important. Outdoor activities (47%) and cultural activities (35%) were high priorities as well, while spiritual community (31%), organized activities for retirees (23%), and civic organizations (14%) were less important.

In these rankings, we used Sharecare's Community Well-Being Index to represent quality of life since it captures many of the things that people want in a high-quality life, including a wide variety of physical, social, financial, and community factors.

Top 10 best states to retire to in 2024

Here's the ranking of the top-10 states for retirees based on our study and data analysis:

New Hampshire
Utah
Minnesota
Connecticut
Colorado
Vermont
Maryland
Nebraska
North Dakota
Wisconsin

Best state to retire

The best state to retire: New Hampshire

New Hampshire earns the top spot on our Best States to Retire list thanks to its near-perfect healthcare score, second-best crime score, and being in the upper half of states when it comes to quality of life and taxes. That was more than enough to offset expensive housing, cost of living, and cold temperatures.

Quality of life score: 60 (ranked 16th)
Housing cost: $453,001 (ranked 41st)
Healthcare score: 99.9 (ranked 2nd)
Crime score: 95 (ranked 2nd)
Tax score: 56 (ranked 18th)
Average temperature: 45.2ºF (ranked 41th)
Cost of living score: 34 (ranked 47th)

Top 10 best states to retire

2. Utah

Utah ranks second, boasting the top healthcare score in the country and pulling in scores in the top half of all states in two other categories: quality of life (eighth) and crime (12th). Utah does have among the highest house prices in the country and a relatively high tax burden, but those factors and middling temperature (33rd) and cost of living (28th) scores didn’t keep the state down in our rankings.

Overall rank: 2
Quality of life score: 76 (tied 8th)
Housing cost: $510,173 (45th)
Healthcare score: 100 (1st)
Crime score: 79 (12th)
Tax score: 34 (40th)
Average temperature: 49.2ºF (33rd)
Cost of living score: 80 (28th)

3. Minnesota

Minnesota ranks third on our Best States to Retire list, boosted by the fourth-best healthcare score among all 50 states, 13th-best crime score, and 15th-best quality of life score. While the state has the third-lowest average temperature, it comes in around average for housing cost (26th) and cost of living (30th), making it desirable for retirees who can handle chilly weather.

Overall rank: 3
Quality of life score: 64 (15th)
Housing cost: $331,895 (26th)
Healthcare score: 95 (4th)
Crime score: 77 (13th)
Tax score: 34 (39th)
Average temperature: 41.5ºF (47th)
Cost of living score: 78 (30th)

4. Connecticut

Connecticut is an expensive state to retire to, but it makes up for that with great quality of life (seventh best), healthcare (sixth best), and low crime (fourth best). That’s enough to make up for tough tax and cost-of living scores.

Overall rank: 4
Quality of life score: 80 (7th)
Housing cost: $381,722 (31st)
Healthcare score: 92 (6th)
Crime score: 90 (4th)
Tax score: 4 (49th)
Average temperature: 51.1ºF (29th)
Cost of living score: 51 (45th)

5. Colorado

Colorado’s natural beauty and outdoor recreation is arguably unmatched, so it’s no surprise that it ranks in the top 10 for quality of life. That, and scoring third best for healthcare, propelled it into our top five best states to retire to despite chilly temperatures and being home to the fourth-most-expensive housing market in the country.

Overall rank: 5
Quality of life score: 76 (tied 9th)
Housing cost: $537,600 (46th)
Healthcare score: 96 (3rd)
Crime score: 57 (31st)
Tax score: 55 (19th)
Average temperature: 46.2ºF (38th)
Cost of living score: 79 (29th)

6. Vermont

Vermont comes in sixth on our list of best states to retire to due to having the third-best crime score and fifth-best healthcare score. That, along with a slightly-above-average quality of life, is enough to make up for cold temperatures, a high cost of living, and an expensive tax environment.

Overall rank: 6
Quality of life score: 52 (tied 21st)
Housing cost: $393,838 (34th)
Healthcare score: 93 (5th)
Crime score: 91 (3rd)
Tax score: 20 (47th)
Average temperature: 44ºF (42nd)
Cost of living score: 55 (41st)

7. Maryland

The only mid-Atlantic state to crack the top 10, Maryland has the second-highest quality of life score and ninth-best healthcare score. Although Maryland has a relatively high cost of living, its scores for crime (28th), temperature, tax (35th) and housing (35th) are closer to average, leaving it as a top state to retire to.

Overall rank: 7
Quality of life score: 96 (tied 2nd)
Housing cost: $407,656 (35th)
Healthcare score: 83 (9th)
Crime score: 60 (tied 28th)
Tax score: 41 (35th)
Average temperature: 56.7ºF (18th)
Cost of living score: 62 (39th)

8. Nebraska

The Cornhusker State scores in the upper half of all 50 states in every category but taxes and weather. And Nebraska’s scores in those two categories aren’t among the worst, meaning they more than offset its strong scores in cost of living, quality of life, housing cost, healthcare, and crime.

Overall rank: 8
Quality of life score: 56 (tied 18th)
Housing cost: $254,571 (15th)
Healthcare score: 77 (tied 12th)
Crime score: 69 (22nd)
Tax score: 39 (tied 37th)
Average temperature: 49.5ºF (32nd)
Cost of living score: 92 (9th)

9. North Dakota

North Dakota has experienced a relatively recent boom thanks to drilling in the oil-rich Bakken formation. The state doesn’t stand out in any one category but scores in the top half in five of the seven categories that factor into our rankings. Weather is a rough spot -- North Dakota has the second-coldest average temperature, at about 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

Overall rank: 9
Quality of life score: 60 (tied 18th)
Housing cost: $257,503 (16th)
Healthcare score: 75 (16th)
Crime score: 70 (21st)
Tax score: 63 (7th)
Average temperature: 40.7ºF (49th)
Cost of living score: 80 (27th)

10. Wisconsin

Wisconsin rounds out the top 10 best states to retire to by posting healthcare, crime, and house price scores all in the top half of the country. Its quality of life and cost of living scores come in at 25th out of 50 states, while it fares worse in terms of tax burden and average temperature.

Overall rank: 10
Quality of life score: 48 (tied 25th)
Housing cost: $293,610 (20th)
Healthcare score: 80 (11th)
Crime score: 71 (20th)
Tax score: 44 (32nd)
Average temperature: 44ºF (43rd)
Cost of living score: 81 (25th)

The best states to retire in for high quality of life

Data source: Sharecare (2022).
Rank	State	Sharecare Well-Being Index
T-1	Hawaii	71
T-1	Massachusetts	71
T-3	Maryland	70
T-3	New Jersey	70
5	New York	69

Our respondents said that quality of life is the most important factor to them. We measured quality of life using the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index, which combines a wide range of factors that they call "social determinants of health." This includes factors that cover physical and financial health, food access, and a variety of social and community elements.

The best states to retire in financially

We looked at two different factors that make a state affordable: housing cost, via the Zillow Home Value Index, and non-housing cost of living, represented by the C2ER Cost of Living Index. With the recent drop in average financial well-being among Americans over 61, this is more important than ever.

States with the most affordable homes for retirees

Data source: Zillow (2023).
State	Zillow Home Value Index (August 2023)
West Virginia	$158,668
Mississippi	$177,536
Kentucky	$197,657
Oklahoma	$198,629
Arkansas	$198,746

States with the lowest cost of living for retirees

Data source: Council for Community and Economic Research (2023).
State	Non-housing cost of living
Mississippi	66.2
Oklahoma	66.8
Tennessee	67.0
Kansas	67.3
Missouri	67.4

Best states to retire in for healthcare

Data source: United Health Foundation (2023).
State	America's Health Rankings Senior Report Overall Score
Utah	0.722
New Hampshire	0.72
Colorado	0.657
Minnesota	0.637
Vermont	0.603

Our respondents value both the quality and affordability of healthcare when looking at states to retire to. We used a single value to represent both: the America's Health Rankings Senior Report. The score in that report is calculated using a number of factors that represent quality, availability, and cost of healthcare, in addition to outcomes.

Safest states to retire to

Data source: United Health Foundation (2023).
State	America's Health Rankings Senior Report Violent Crime Per Capita
Maine	109
New Hampshire	146
Vermont	173
Connecticut	182
New Jersey	195

To determine the level of safety of each state, we used the number of violent crimes committed per 100,000 population from the America's Health Rankings Crime Report.

Best states to retire tax wise

Data source: Tax Foundation (2023).
State	Effective Tax Rate
Alaska	4.60%
Wyoming	7.50%
Tennessee	7.60%
South Dakota	8.40%
Michigan	8.60%

We ranked states for taxes by looking at the Tax Foundation's State and Local Tax Burden tables. The five states above have the lowest state and local tax burden in the country. It's important to remember that different states tax your retirement income differently.

Best states to retire to for warm weather

Data source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, September 2018 to August 2023.
State	Average Temperature
Hawaii	76°F
Florida	73°F
Louisiana	68°F
Texas	66.4°F
Georgia	65.5°F

Identifying the state with the best weather for retirees is complicated, if not impossible. Many people prioritize mild winters, but others prefer dryness over heat. Others want to be close to the beach, and still others are fine with cold winters as long as summers aren't too oppressive. In the end, because warm winters are a common theme, we went with a five-year average temperature for our ranking, and the five states above came out on top.

Retirement ranking by state

The best states to retire: The full ranking

Individual factor scores are normalized on a 0-100 scale. The final score is weighted and normalized.
State	Quality of life	Cost of housing	Public health	Crime	Taxes	Weather	Non-housing cost of living	Overall weighted and normalized score
New Hampshire	60	57	99.9	95	56	34	34	100
Utah	76	48	100	79	34	43	80	95
Minnesota	64	75	95	77	34	26	78	92
Connecticut	80	67	92	90	4	47	51	87
Colorado	76	44	96	57	55	36	79	86
Vermont	52	66	93	91	20	32	55	85
Maryland	96	64	83	60	41	59	62	82
Nebraska	56	86	77	69	39	43	92	81
North Dakota	56	86	75	70	63	25	80	79
Wisconsin	48	80	80	71	44	32	81	79
Virginia	72	69	72	86	30	60	78	78
Washington	76	39	88	75	46	39	53	77
Maine	44	66	76	100	31	29	55	72
Hawaii	100	0	91	80	16	100	0	72
Iowa	40	92	67	73	42	41	89	72
Florida	52	66	61	62	60	94	81	71
Oregon	68	51	77	75	45	41	62	70
Massachusetts	100	37	82	73	39	45	26	70
Rhode Island	72	59	70	83	40	49	53	69
Wyoming	44	73	61	83	74	27	89	69
Delaware	56	68	77	56	31	61	69	68
Idaho	36	58	71	82	46	32	84	65
South Dakota	44	80	66	46	66	35	94	62
Pennsylvania	60	85	60	61	47	46	76	62
Michigan	36	88	63	49	65	36	88	62
Indiana	32	89	55	66	58	51	88	61
New Jersey	96	51	59	88	24	55	68	59
North Carolina	40	76	57	57	53	67	86	59
Illinois	68	86	57	57	27	51	89	56
Ohio	40	91	47	73	52	50	84	55
Georgia	40	76	44	60	62	78	95	52
Arizona	48	61	57	48	57	68	76	52
Kentucky	16	94	42	79	56	60	75	52
Texas	40	79	44	54	65	80	90	51
South Carolina	36	81	49	42	62	75	82	50
Alabama	24	90	43	53	54	76	92	49
New York	92	57	65	65	0	38	59	46
Montana	40	57	64	50	48	28	76	44
Missouri	40	88	38	40	58	57	96	37
California	84	14	57	54	21	65	41	28
Alaska	52	71	57	0	100	0	5	26
Tennessee	28	78	33	23	73	64	97	26
Nevada	52	62	31	52	56	47	86	23
Oklahoma	20	94	16	52	61	67	98	21
New Mexico	12	80	37	8	50	55	89	13
Mississippi	0	97	0	75	54	77	100	12
Arkansas	12	94	20	23	50	69	92	11
West Virginia	16	100	3	66	54	52	87	9
Kansas	48	91	3	57	42	55	96	4
Louisiana	28	94	0	27	60	83	92	0

Worst states to retire in

The worst states to retire in

Louisiana, Kansas, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Mississippi ranked as the worst states to retire to based on the factors Americans care most about.

These five states are among the most affordable in terms of housing and other cost-of-living categories. They also feature relatively warm temperatures. But they post very low scores in other areas.

Louisiana, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Mississippi are among the 10-worst states for quality of life, with Mississippi taking the bottom spot.

In terms of healthcare for seniors, the bottom four states are Mississippi, Louisiana, Kansas, and West Virginia, in that order. Arkansas is ranked sixth worst.

Louisiana and Arkansas have the fourth- and fifth-worst crime scores, and Kansas is in the bottom half of all states.

Of course, there are sought-after retirement communities in some of those states, such as the Ozarks in northern Arkansas.

Methodology

The Motley Fool’s 2024 Best States to Retire study leverages data and rankings from a variety of reputable sources, as well as primary data collected by The Motley Fool to determine what Americans value most in retirement.

To determine the best states to retire in, The Motley Fool used a three-step process:

1. Survey distribution and analysis

The Motley Fool surveyed a national representative sample of 1,500 American adults aged 55 or older to find out what they value in retirement. This survey was distributed on Dec. 2, 2021. The margin of error was 3%, and the confidence level was 95%. Their responses determined the factors considered in this study, as well as the weighting of each factor (described below). The online survey was distributed via Pollfish. The survey employed organic sampling via random device engagement.

2. Data analysis

Second, The Motley Fool selected data sources to correspond to these top retirement factors:

Quality-of-life

Source: Sharecare's Community Well-Being Index (2022).
The Sharecare Community Well-being Index, produced in partnership with the Boston University School of Public Health, examines more than 600 factors, including physical, financial, social, community, purpose, healthcare, food, resources, housing and transportation, and economic security, as well as data from more than 400,000 Americans. The index makes use of county-level well-being data to generate a holistic assessment of well-being.

Cost-of-living (excluding housing)

Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research’s (C2ER) Cost of Living Index (Q2 2023).
C2ER has collected state and MSA-level cost-of-living data since 1968. It has been recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and is consistently cited by major media outlets.

Housing cost

Data source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) (August 2023).
The ZHVI is a measure of the typical home value in a state, across all homes in a state. The dataset includes more than 100 million homes, including those under construction or not listed for sale, providing a more accurate overview of a housing market.

Healthcare

Data source: United Health Foundation’s America's Health Rankings - Seniors Report (2023).
This report scores health and well-being outcomes for older adults by state. It examines 52 measures from 22 data sources.

Crime

Data source: United Health Foundation’s America's Health Rankings - Violent Crime Report (2023).
This report reviews the number of murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults per 100,000 population to determine state safety rankings.

Temperature

Data source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Information (October 2018 to September 2023).
Uses average temperature from October 2018 to September 2023, a 60-month period.

Tax

Data source: The Tax Foundation: State and Local Tax Burden (2023).
Provides findings on effective tax rates for each state. Effective tax rates are the percentage of taxable income paid in taxes, which provides a holistic view of taxes paid in each state.

3. Data weighting and state scoring

Data from those sources were normalized and weighted based on the importance of the corresponding factor from the survey.

Weighting was assigned as follows, based on survey results (percentages do not add up to 100% due to rounding):