Are you planning a move when you retire? A retirement move could be the best or worst decision you ever make, both financially and emotionally.
The Motley Fool ranked all 50 states from worst to best for retirement, using insights from a variety of sources.
Analyzing Retirement States
The Motley Fool gathered data from two primary sources: a national survey conducted by The Motley Fool and external data sources such as the Zillow Home Value Index, the United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings, and the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index.
Weighing It Out
Using data from its sources, The Motley Fool divided the information into seven categories and weighted them accordingly:
Quality of Life (15.2%).
Housing cost (14.9 percent)
Healthcare (14.8 percent)
Crime (14.8 percent)
Taxes: 13.7%
Non-housing cost of living (13.6 percent)
Weather (13.1 percent)
The Motley Fool used a final weighted score of 0 to 100 to determine the best and worst states to retire in, with zero representing the worst and 100 representing the best. The findings are as follows, beginning with the worst states for retirement.
1: Louisiana
Louisiana is the worst state for retirement in the United States in 2024, with a weighted average score of zero. The Pelican State has a zero public health ranking, as well as a low quality of life and crime rate. What’s the good news for retirees looking to call Louisiana home? Louisiana received a weighted score of 94 for housing and 92 for non-housing cost of living.
2: Kansas
Kansas is not much better off than Louisiana, with an overall retirement score of four. The Sunflower State ranks particularly poorly in terms of public health, with a weighted score of three. As with Louisiana, it ranks among the top performers in the state for housing and non-housing cost of living.
3: West Virginia
If you plan to retire in West Virginia, you should think about moving across state lines. The Mountain State has an overall retirement rating of nine out of ten, with a particularly low ranking for public health. On the plus side, West Virginia scores 100 for housing costs.
4: Arkansas
Although some retirees flock to the Ozarks to spend their golden years, Arkansas ranks among the worst states for retirement. The Natural State has an overall score of eleven. It has the lowest quality of life score of any category.
5: Mississippi
Mississippi is a state of extremes for retirement, but its overall score of 12 places it squarely in the bottom five. The Magnolia State scores 0 for both quality of life and public health. Meanwhile, it received an excellent 97 for housing costs and a respectable 77 and 75 for non-housing costs of living and crime, respectively.
6: New Mexico
In terms of retirement, New Mexico is just slightly ahead of Mississippi, with an overall score of 13. The Land of Enchantment has some of the worst crime rates (8) and quality of life (12).
7: Oklahoma
Oklahoma improves to an overall retirement score of 21, which is far from ideal for retirees. Of the seven categories, the Sooner State ranks last in public health (16) and first in non-housing cost of living (98) and housing cost (94).
8: Nevada
The Motley Fool assigned Nevada an overall retirement score of 26. The Silver State did not rank particularly high or low in any of the categories, with the exception of non-housing cost of living (86).
9: Tennessee
Tennessee’s overall score is 26, which it shares with Alaska. The Volunteer State ranks low in both crime (23) and quality of life (28) categories. A silver lining is its excellent 97 rating for non-housing cost of living.
10: Alaska
Alaska, like Tennessee, has an overall score of 26 and rounds out the top ten worst states for retirement. The Last Frontier is the epitome of extremes, with a score of zero for both crime and non-housing cost of living, but 100 for taxes.
