Best States to Retire in 2026: All 50 States Ranked
Where you retire can determine whether your savings last. We ranked every state across affordability, taxes, healthcare, and quality of life — so you don't have to guess.
Why Where You Retire Matters as Much as How Much You Save
Choosing the right state for retirement is one of the most financially impactful decisions you'll ever make — yet most people spend more time researching their next vacation than their retirement address.
A retiree in Hawaii needs more than three times the savings of a retiree in West Virginia to sustain the same lifestyle. The Plootus Research Team analyzed all 50 states across four core pillars: Affordability, Tax Friendliness, Healthcare Access & Quality, and Quality of Life.
Top 5 Best States to Retire (2026)
Based on our composite scoring across all four pillars, here are the states offering the best overall retirement environment in 2026:
Sources
Plootus Research 2026, compiled from WalletHub 2026 State Retirement Rankings, GOBankingRates 2026, U.S. News & World Report Healthcare Rankings, and MERIC Cost of Living Index Q3 2025.
All 50 States Ranked for Retirement (2026)
Each pillar is ranked 1 (best) to 50 (worst). Overall Score is our weighted composite. Min. Savings based on 4% withdrawal rule minus average Social Security income ($24,894/year), adjusted for state cost of living.
| # | State | Score | Affordability | Tax | Healthcare | Quality of Life | Min. Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 61.56 | #1 | A | #33 | #6 | $990,000 |
| 2 | Florida | 61.55 | #2 | A | #27 | #1 | $1,010,000 |
| 3 | South Dakota | 58.69 | #15 | A | #4 | #25 | $880,000 |
| 4 | Colorado | 58.37 | #19 | B | #3 | #19 | $1,050,000 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 58.29 | #33 | B | #1 | #7 | $960,000 |
| 6 | Alaska | 57.90 | #13 | A | #5 | #34 | $1,020,000 |
| 7 | Delaware | 57.35 | #3 | A | #15 | #36 | $870,000 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 56.85 | #26 | B | #13 | #5 | $900,000 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 56.40 | #23 | B | #20 | #8 | $980,000 |
| 10 | Iowa | 56.26 | #17 | B | #28 | #11 | $810,000 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 56.05 | #24 | B | #18 | #9 | $850,000 |
| 12 | Virginia | 55.48 | #20 | B | #25 | #15 | $940,000 |
| 13 | North Carolina | 54.91 | #7 | B | #37 | #26 | $830,000 |
| 15 | Missouri | 54.73 | #10 | B | #32 | #29 | $790,000 |
| 20 | Ohio | 52.40 | #22 | B | #38 | #13 | $800,000 |
| 25 | California | 50.70 | #39 | D | #8 | #22 | $1,570,000 |
| 32 | Tennessee | 49.02 | #4 | A | #44 | #47 | $820,000 |
| 33 | Texas | 48.54 | #25 | A | #39 | #38 | $910,000 |
| 45 | New York | 45.34 | #50 | D | #12 | #12 | $1,980,000 |
| 46 | Hawaii | 45.27 | #49 | D | #11 | #21 | $2,100,000+ |
Sources
Plootus Research 2026, WalletHub 2026, GOBankingRates 2026, BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024, MERIC Q3 2025 Cost of Living Index. Rank 1 = best in category.
Annual Retirement Cost by State
Hawaii ranks as the most expensive state to retire with average annual expenditures reaching $129,296. Retirees in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Kansas can sustain a comfortable retirement on roughly $47,000–$50,000 annually — less than half of Hawaii.
Wyoming vs. Hawaii: The $1.1 Million Gap
⚠️ Note: While Hawaii has the nation's lowest property tax rate (0.32%), its overall cost of living so high the advantage is entirely offset. Assisted living in Hawaii averages $140,000/year vs. under $55,000 in Mississippi. Source: Plootus Research 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Data Sources & Methodology
Overall scores: Affordability (30%), Tax Friendliness (30%), Healthcare (20%), Quality of Life (20%).
Affordability: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (65+ cohort) × MERIC Q3 2025 state cost-of-living index.
Tax Friendliness: Kiplinger State Tax Guide 2026; SmartAsset 2026; Tax Foundation 2026.
Healthcare: U.S. News & World Report Best States for Healthcare 2026; WalletHub 2026.
Min. Savings: (Annual cost − $24,894 avg. SS income) ÷ 0.04. SS figure: SSA Monthly Statistical Snapshot, November 2025.
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