The best states to retire
We score all 50 states and DC on four things retirees weigh: state income tax on a typical retirement income, everyday living costs, health insurance before Medicare and natural-disaster risk. The weights are ours; you can change them.
Top 3 with our default weights: North Dakota (88), Iowa (85) and South Dakota (85).
Weights: state income tax 25%, living costs 37.5%, health premium at 64 12.5%, natural-disaster risk 25%. Change them or read how the score works.
The 10 best states to retire
Scored with our default weights for a single retiree aged 67 with $30,000 Social Security, $20,000 pension, $20,000 401(k)/IRA. Each line names the state's two strongest factors and, where it has one, its weak spot among the 51.
North Dakota
Score 88
No state income tax on a typical retirement income, and the 3rd-lowest natural-disaster risk (FEMA score 55.7).
Iowa
Score 85
No state income tax on a typical retirement income, and the 6th-lowest natural-disaster risk (FEMA score 62.8).
South Dakota
Score 85
No state income tax on a typical retirement income, and the 4th-lowest natural-disaster risk (FEMA score 56.6). Weak spot: a benchmark health premium of $1,537 a month at 64 (15th highest).
Kentucky
Score 81
Living costs of about $2,872 a month (6th lowest of the 51), and the 11th-lowest natural-disaster risk (FEMA score 68.0).
Mississippi
Score 81
No state income tax on a typical retirement income, and living costs of about $2,848 a month (4th lowest of the 51). Weak spot: a benchmark health premium of $1,554 a month at 64 (13th highest).
Wyoming
Score 80
No state income tax on a typical retirement income, and the 2nd-lowest natural-disaster risk (FEMA score 53.4). Weak spot: a benchmark health premium of $2,558 a month at 64 (the highest).
Idaho
Score 77
A benchmark health premium of $1,150 a month at 64 (8th lowest), and the 8th-lowest natural-disaster risk (FEMA score 65.7). Weak spot: about $585 a year in state income tax on a typical retirement income (21st highest).
Tennessee
Score 76
No state income tax on a typical retirement income, and living costs of about $2,872 a month (6th lowest of the 51). Weak spot: a benchmark health premium of $1,669 a month at 64 (6th highest).
Alabama
Score 72
Living costs of about $2,859 a month (5th lowest of the 51), and about $218 a year in state income tax on a typical retirement income (25th lowest). Weak spot: a benchmark health premium of $1,514 a month at 64 (18th highest).
Georgia
Score 72
No state income tax on a typical retirement income, and the 16th-lowest natural-disaster risk (FEMA score 73.6). Weak spot: a benchmark health premium of $1,443 a month at 64 (21st highest).
Re-weight the ranking
Top state: North Dakota (score 88)
All 50 states and DC
Ranked by the weights above. The best state on a factor gets full marks for it and the worst gets none, so a score of 100 would mean best on everything you weigh.
| State | Score | State tax | Living costs | Premium at 64 | Disaster risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 North Dakota | 88 | None | $2,887/mo | $1,338/mo | 55.7 |
| 2 Iowa | 85 | None | $2,914/mo | $1,176/mo | 62.8 |
| 2 South Dakota | 85 | None | $2,948/mo | $1,537/mo | 56.6 |
| 4 Kentucky | 81 | $154/yr | $2,872/mo | $1,385/mo | 68.0 |
| 4 Mississippi | 81 | None | $2,848/mo | $1,554/mo | 71.1 |
| 6 Wyoming | 80 | None | $2,905/mo | $2,558/mo | 53.4 |
| 7 Idaho | 77 | $585/yr | $2,918/mo | $1,150/mo | 65.7 |
| 8 Tennessee | 76 | None | $2,872/mo | $1,669/mo | 77.8 |
| 9 Alabama | 72 | $218/yr | $2,859/mo | $1,514/mo | 82.7 |
| 9 Georgia | 72 | None | $3,106/mo | $1,443/mo | 73.6 |
| 11 Maine | 71 | None | $3,171/mo | $1,664/mo | 67.8 |
| 12 Arkansas | 70 | $791/yr | $2,771/mo | $1,817/mo | 76.4 |
| 12 Ohio | 70 | $268/yr | $3,023/mo | $1,204/mo | 79.0 |
| 12 Wisconsin | 70 | $38/yr | $3,064/mo | $1,434/mo | 78.6 |
| 15 Michigan | 69 | None | $3,118/mo | $1,227/mo | 82.1 |
| 15 South Carolina | 69 | $199/yr | $2,940/mo | $1,324/mo | 87.1 |
| 15 Virginia | 69 | $750/yr | $3,157/mo | $1,068/mo | 62.6 |
| 18 Louisiana | 68 | $454/yr | $2,847/mo | $1,516/mo | 86.2 |
| 18 Oklahoma | 68 | $805/yr | $2,831/mo | $1,418/mo | 82.3 |
| 20 West Virginia | 67 | $791/yr | $2,875/mo | $2,518/mo | 64.4 |
| 21 Missouri | 66 | $795/yr | $2,918/mo | $1,420/mo | 80.1 |
| 21 Nebraska | 66 | $847/yr | $2,996/mo | $1,666/mo | 70.1 |
| 21 New Mexico | 66 | $665/yr | $2,879/mo | $1,462/mo | 84.2 |
| 24 Nevada | 63 | None | $3,090/mo | $1,166/mo | 95.6 |
| 24 Pennsylvania | 63 | None | $3,186/mo | $1,342/mo | 87.4 |
| 26 Vermont | 62 | $1,415/yr | $3,314/mo | $1,299/mo | 47.8 |
| 27 Indiana | 61 | $1,748/yr | $2,915/mo | $1,112/mo | 72.5 |
| 27 Kansas | 61 | $1,385/yr | $2,965/mo | $1,572/mo | 71.3 |
| 29 Montana | 60 | $1,529/yr | $2,995/mo | $1,624/mo | 67.1 |
| 30 Colorado | 59 | $625/yr | $3,119/mo | $1,307/mo | 85.0 |
| 31 Arizona | 58 | $395/yr | $3,073/mo | $1,249/mo | 97.7 |
| 31 North Carolina | 58 | $1,087/yr | $2,969/mo | $1,497/mo | 83.6 |
| 31 Rhode Island | 58 | $133/yr | $3,457/mo | $1,188/mo | 78.5 |
| 31 Texas | 58 | None | $3,224/mo | $1,551/mo | 91.0 |
| 35 Minnesota | 57 | $1,214/yr | $3,153/mo | $1,051/mo | 76.7 |
| 35 New Hampshire | 57 | None | $3,557/mo | $941/mo | 78.8 |
| 37 Florida | 56 | None | $3,229/mo | $1,603/mo | 95.3 |
| 38 Delaware | 55 | $612/yr | $3,071/mo | $1,622/mo | 93.0 |
| 39 Illinois | 54 | None | $3,357/mo | $1,516/mo | 90.4 |
| 39 Maryland | 54 | $677/yr | $3,392/mo | $972/mo | 80.9 |
| 41 Alaska | 53 | None | $3,378/mo | $2,422/mo | 78.7 |
| 41 Utah | 53 | $1,474/yr | $3,028/mo | $1,298/mo | 84.9 |
| 43 Washington | 52 | None | $3,404/mo | $1,436/mo | 92.8 |
| 44 Hawaii | 45 | $138/yr | $3,538/mo | $1,270/mo | 97.4 |
| 45 New York | 41 | $488/yr | $3,704/mo | $817/mo | 91.5 |
| 46 Connecticut | 40 | None | $3,637/mo | $2,042/mo | 93.0 |
| 47 California | 36 | $430/yr | $3,679/mo | $1,338/mo | 98.8 |
| 47 New Jersey | 36 | None | $3,880/mo | $1,279/mo | 94.4 |
| 49 Washington, DC | 35 | $1,111/yr | $3,475/mo | $1,365/mo | 97.6 |
| 50 Oregon | 32 | $2,179/yr | $3,335/mo | $1,274/mo | 89.9 |
| 51 Massachusetts | 30 | $1,745/yr | $3,595/mo | $839/mo | 92.3 |
State tax: single filer aged 67 with $30,000 Social Security, $20,000 pension, $20,000 401(k)/IRA. Living costs: single retiree, own home with no mortgage, typical spending. Premium at 64: benchmark silver plan, before subsidies. Disaster risk: FEMA National Risk Index, population-weighted (lower is safer).
How the score works
For each factor, the state with the lowest cost or risk gets 1 and the highest gets 0, with every other state in between in proportion. Each factor is multiplied by its weight, and the total is divided by the sum of the weights and scaled to 100. This is the same method as our Where should I move? quiz. The defaults put living costs first because they are the largest bill, and health premiums last because Marketplace premiums end once Medicare starts at 65.
- State income tax default: medium, 25%
- State income tax for a single retiree aged 67 with $30,000 Social Security, $20,000 pension, $20,000 401(k)/IRA, under each state's 2026 rules for Social Security, pensions, 401(k)/IRA withdrawals and 65+ deductions and credits (reviewed September 24, 2026). County income tax is included in Maryland and Indiana. Each state's rules and the revenue department pages behind them are on its retirement tax page.
- Living costs default: high, 37.5%
- Typical monthly spending for a single retiree who owns a paid-off home: what households headed by someone 65 or older spend (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024), adjusted for the state's property tax, prices (BEA), electricity (EIA), gas (AAA) and car insurance (NAIC).
- Health premium at 64 default: low, 12.5%
- The average benchmark (second-lowest-cost silver) Marketplace premium for a 64-year-old in 2026, before subsidies (KFF, with CMS age curves). New York and Vermont don't price by age, so their premiums don't rise before 65. It matters if you retire before Medicare starts at 65.
- Natural-disaster risk default: medium, 25%
- The FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (Dec 2025) score for the state's counties, weighted by population (0–100, a national percentile of counties). It reflects expected losses from 18 natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience.
Not in the score: climate, crime, access to care and being near family, which matter as much to many retirees. Climate is covered elsewhere: each city's cost-of-living page shows NOAA climate normals, and the relocation quiz can weigh mild winters and summers. Crime and access to care are not in our data yet. Statewide figures hide big differences between cities and rural areas; the retire-on-a-budget tool covers 149 metro areas, and each state's retirement tax page explains its rules. Scores compare states with each other; they are not a rating of how good a state is. See our methodology for the underlying data.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best state to retire in 2026?
With our default weights, North Dakota (score 88 of 100), followed by Iowa and South Dakota. The score weighs state income tax on a typical retirement income, living costs, health premiums before Medicare and natural-disaster risk; change the weights to match your own priorities.
What is the cheapest state to retire in?
Arkansas has the lowest typical spending for a single retiree who owns a paid-off home, about $2,771 a month. It stays the cheapest once state income tax on $30,000 Social Security, $20,000 pension, $20,000 401(k)/IRA is added, at about $2,837 a month. 19 states charge no state income tax on that income.
Which state scores lowest for retirees?
With our default weights, Massachusetts (30 of 100). It has the 5th-highest living costs of the 51, about $3,595 a month for a single retiree who owns a paid-off home.