Around 25% of all American retirees decide to cross state lines to find the perfect home for their final chapter. Of course, many states across the US are considered idyllic for retirees; however, others lack what older Americans need.
Now, let’s find out the ten worst US states for retirees so you can avoid accidentally ending up there. You will be incredibly surprised by which state stole the number-one spot!
How the 10 Worst States to Retire Were Calculated
To calculate the best and worst places to retire in the US, Bankrate used data and statistics collected from the US Census Bureau, the Tax Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Council for Community and Economic Research.
They then organized and calculated the data into five weighted categories: Affordability (40%), Overall Well-Being (25%), Quality and Cost of Health Care (20%), Weather (10%), and Crime (5%).
10. Minnesota
According to Bankrate, Minnesota ranks 41st among 50 states for American retirees, making it the tenth worst state to retire in.
The study noted that while Minnesota has one of the highest ratings for healthcare quality, it’s simply too expensive to be considered a good place to retire. Not to mention, the weather isn’t great.
9. Texas
Although the Lone Star state ranked directly in the middle of the list for affordability, its wildly low well-being and healthcare ranks made it the ninth worst state for retirees.
In fact, the statistics showed that Texas’s overall well-being is only better than that of three other states, and the quality and cost of healthcare are abysmal. While the weather is beautiful, and retirees can technically afford to live there, the data shows that 41 other states are better for retirees.
8. Maryland
The eastern state of Maryland also didn’t fare well on Bankrate’s list. Taking the number eight spot, Maryland ranks 46th in affordability. That means only four states are more expensive than Maryland.
Additionally, Bankrate found that while Maryland does offer impressive quality and cost of healthcare and decent weather, crime is much higher than in most other states.
7. Colorado
Colorado has the second-best rating for the quality and cost of healthcare in the entire country, but that wasn’t enough to keep it out of the top ten worst states for retirees.
And that is because Colorado is more expensive than 78% of US states, and it has the eighth worst weather. Retirees would not only struggle to find an affordable home in Colorado; they would also have a very difficult time getting around in the winter.
6. Massachusetts
As Massachusetts is one of the country’s top five most expensive states, it’s no surprise that the home of the Red Sox ranks sixth on the list of worst states to retire.
Massachusetts did well in the overall well-being and crime categories, coming in at number eight across the country for well-being and the tenth safest state. However, the lack of affordability and poor quality of health insurance sent it to the bottom of the list.
5. North Dakota
Some might be surprised to see North Dakota on this list as it’s considered both safe and affordable. But it didn’t score nearly as well as you might have expected.
The Peace Garden State ranked 26th for affordability, 36th for healthcare quality, 37th for overall well-being, 48th for weather, and 18th for crime.
4. California
Many Americans assume that California would be number one on the list of worst states to retire as it is the most expensive state in the nation. However, as it is also the third best for quality and cost of insurance, it was placed at number four instead.
Of course, number four of 50 is still quite bad, and very few Americans are choosing the Golden State for their later years simply because it is far too expensive.
3. Washington
The Pacific Northwest state of Washington rose from the fourth worst to the third in just one year. Washington was rated the second-best state for healthcare in 2023 but fell to number three this year.
While the state is impressively the fourth best in the country for overall well-being, because crime and cost of living have increased significantly, it’s not considered even a good choice for retirees.
2. New York
It’s certainly no surprise that New York is the second-worst state for retirement, as the Empire State is known for being wildly expensive. New York is the second-most expensive state, just behind California, and it also ranks poorly in quality and cost of healthcare and weather.
However, New York does come in strong as the fourth-best state for overall well-being and as the fifteenth-safest state in the country.
1. Alaska
For two years in a row, Alaska has been ranked the absolute worst US state for retirees. Even though it’s only the ninth most expensive state, Alaska shows poor scores across every single category.
It’s the absolute worst state for weather, the sixth worst state for quality and cost of health insurance, the 24th worst state for overall well-being, and interestingly, the second worst state for crime. The bottom line: Alaska is a horrible place to retire.
