The 10 best states for retirement in 2026 — and the 10 worst

2026-02-10T13:36:01.236Z

WalletHub ranked the best US states for retirees in 2026.
Its report compared affordability, quality of life, and healthcare across states.
Wyoming and Florida topped the list, while Kentucky ranked last.

Retirement is full of decisions, and the state you choose to retire in could be the most important one.

A recent WalletHub study pitted the 50 states against one another across three main categories — affordability, quality of life, and healthcare — to determine the best places for retirement.

The three factors were assessed using 46 different metrics. To determine a state’s affordability, metrics such as adjusted cost of living and retired taxpayer-friendliness were considered. Quality of life included metrics such as the risk of social isolation, the mildness of the weather, and even the number of bingo halls per capita, while the healthcare category considered metrics such as nurses, dentists, and health aides per capita, life expectancy, and more.

“Retirement is supposed to be relaxing, but it can also be incredibly stressful given that it typically puts people on a fixed income, which may not be enough for them to live comfortably,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the study. “As a result, the best states for retirees are those that have low taxes and a low cost of living to help retirees’ budgets stretch as far as possible.”

WalletHub used data from the US Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other sources.

See the 10 states that topped WalletHub’s retirement ranking, followed by the 10 states that ranked the lowest.

1. Wyoming

Wyoming barely edged out Florida for the overall No. 1 spot on WalletHub’s ranking.

It ranked first in affordability, sixth in quality of life, and 33rd among the 50 states in healthcare.

WalletHub also reported the state had the 10th strongest elder-abuse protections and the fifth-lowest violent crime rate in the US. It also has the nation’s seventh-lowest poverty rate among residents ages 65 and up.

2. Florida

It comes as no surprise that Florida was ranked the second-best state to retire in. Florida’s beaches — perhaps its defining feature as a retirement haven — give it the second-most miles of shoreline out of any state. This factor, along with others, earned Florida the No. 1 spot in the quality-of-life category.

Like Wyoming, Florida’s healthcare ranked in the bottom half of the report, at No. 27, but the state’s relatively high cost of living wasn’t enough to stop it from ranking second in overall affordability.

Florida just missed out on the No. 1 spot on the list, trailing Wyoming by only 0.01 points on WalletHub’s 100-point scale.

3. South Dakota

South Dakota has more to offer than just Mount Rushmore. The state ranked 15th in affordability and 25th in quality of life. Its healthcare was the standout, finishing at No. 4.

The state also had one of the lowest rates of seniors feeling social isolation, and the second lowest rate of seniors experiencing frequent mental distress, per WalletHub.

4. Colorado

Colorado’s rankings in affordability and quality of life were near the middle in WalletHub’s report, each at No. 19.

The state made up for this with a No. 3 ranking in healthcare.

5. Minnesota

WalletHub ranked Minnesota as the top state for healthcare for retirees. The Midwest state also ranked seventh in quality of life, resulting in a favorable combination for retirees despite the state’s No. 33 finish in affordability.

6. Alaska

Though it may not be one of the first locations that pops into retirees’ minds, Alaska’s good affordability and healthcare rankings make it the sixth-best state to retire in, per WalletHub’s report. And if you ask a local, the state’s snow, ice, and short winter days might not be as intimidating as they seem.

Despite these high points, Alaska’s quality of life ranked 34th out of the 50 states.

7. Delaware

Ranked seventh on the list, Delaware was found to be an extremely retiree-friendly state. WalletHub crowned it the second-best state in its “taxpayer” ranking, which led to its third-place finish in affordability overall.

The state also ranked in the top 15 in healthcare and had the fifth-highest percentage of population aged 65 and older.

It’s for these reasons that retirees can perhaps forgive Delaware’s 46th place ranking in museums per capita.

8. Pennsylvania

Anchored by two major cities on opposite ends of the state, and with no shortage of scenic views and getaway opportunities, it’s perhaps no surprise that Pennsylvania rounded out the top five in quality of life.

The state ranked 13th in healthcare and 26th for affordability.

9. New Hampshire

Among all states, New Hampshire had the highest percentage of the workforce aged 65 and older and the second-lowest property-crime rate.

It ranked 8th in overall quality of life, 20th in affordability, and 23rd in healthcare, making it a desirable place for retirement.

10. Iowa

A ranking of 17th for affordability and 11th in the quality-of-life category meant Iowa closed out the top 10 in WalletHub’s report. The Hawkeye state finished 28th in healthcare.

41. New Mexico

At the other end of the ranking, New Mexico was named the 10th-worst state for retirement.

New Mexico holds the unfavorable distinction of having the highest property crime rate in WalletHub’s report.

Overall, the state ranked 30th in affordability, 44th in quality of life, and 36th in healthcare.

42. Rhode Island

Meanwhile, Rhode Island had the third-lowest property-crime rate, but that wasn’t enough to pull up its overall score in WalletHub’s report. The state was found to be the 40th most affordable and to have the 39th highest quality of life.

Rhode Island’s healthcare ranked in the top half, at No. 21.

43. Washington

Though the report ranked Washington 17th in both quality of life and healthcare, the state was held back by its 46th-place ranking in affordability, largely due to having the fourth-highest annual cost of in-home services.

The state was also found to have the third-highest property crime rate.

44. Arkansas

Arkansas ranked just outside the top 10 states in affordability, at No. 11. It came second for adjusted cost of living and had the fifth-lowest annual cost of in-home services.

However, it ranked 45th in healthcare and had the worst quality of life across all states, WalletHub reported.

45. New York

For all the draws of the Empire State, affordability isn’t one of them.

New York was named the least affordable state in WalletHub’s report.

The state ranked 12th in both healthcare and quality of life, but these merits weren’t enough to keep New York out of the bottom 10.

46. Hawaii

Hawaii may be one of the world’s quintessential vacation spots, but retiring there is a different story. The state ranked 49th in affordability and had the highest adjusted cost of living in the US, according to WalletHub’s report. On the plus side, it claimed an 11th-place finish in healthcare.

Other special considerations, like climate and transportation, bring unique challenges to living in the state. As Business Insider’s Ashley Probst reported, “If you were to ask a born-and-raised Hawaii resident what they’d say to someone who wants to move here, a majority of the time their answer will simply be, ‘Don’t.'”

47. West Virginia

West Virginia ranked 18th among all states for affordability — it ranked fifth lowest for adjusted cost of living and had the 3rd-lowest annual costs for in-home services, tied with Alabama.

However, the Rust Belt state ranked 41st in quality of life and finished last in healthcare.

48. Mississippi

Mississippi ranked 49th in both quality of life and healthcare, contributing to its 48th overall placement.

The silver lining? The state ranked ninth in affordability, making it one of the most affordable states for retirees.

49. Oklahoma

The fact that Oklahoma was found to have the lowest cost of living in the US wasn’t enough to balance out its rankings of 31st in affordability, 48th in quality of life, and 43rd in healthcare.