So, after a lifetime of hard work and years (perhaps decades) of retirement planning, it’s finally time to leave your day job. But now another decision awaits you: where do you want to spend your time? A recent survey from Bankrate.com ranks the best states to retire in 2015 — and the results might surprise you.
The 10 best states to retire in the U.S. doesn’t exactly read like you’d expect it to. Ranked state-by-state, these are the most desirable states for retirees:
1. Wyoming — The most favorable tax rate in the country, favorable weather and a low crime rate helped Wyoming earn the top ranking this year.
2. Colorado — The Centennial State was one of the six best states for community well-being and weather, according to the survey.
3. Utah — This rocky western locale was one of the best states to retire in this year largely because of its low cost of living (#7), high healthcare quality (#7 again) and weather (#6).
4. Idaho — A low cost of living (#3), low crime rate (#2) and decent weather (#7) offset a mediocre community rating (#27) to help Idaho crack the top five.
5. Virginia — The fourth-lowest crime rate and 10th-best weather in the U.S. aided the Commonwealth in its favorable ranking this year. And hey, Virginia is for lovers, right?
6. Iowa — The Hawkeye State garnered top-five rankings in both community well-being (#4) and healthcare quality (#5).
7. Montana — How exactly does Montana land a spot on a “10 best states to retire in” list? Easy, haters. Like Iowa, Montanans enjoy a healthy sense of community (eighth-best in the U.S.). And unlike Iowa, its weather ain’t bad, either (#9).
8. South Dakota — Bottom line? The tax rate is the third-lowest in the nation, it’s got low crime and a healthcare system in the top 30% of states.
9. Arizona — Finally, a stereotypical state to retire in. If you guessed weather played a strong role in its top-10 ranking, you’d be right (#5). With the second-highest community ranking in the U.S., the only reason AZ isn’t higher is its unfavorable crime rate (#41).
10. Nebraska — Yep, Nebraska. A low cost of living and high quality of healthcare make Nebraska an unlikely member of the “10 best states to retire” list.
If you’re curious about the methodology used in the study, it’s explained in further detail here. Importantly, explains Bankrate.com’s research and statistics analyst Chris Kahn, this year’s list “wasn’t just a popularity contest.” It weighed a variety of factors in accordance to the importance respondents gave them.
The 10 Worst States to Retire In
Kahn notes that the higher-taxing, higher-cost-of-living states tend to consistently rank at the bottom of the list, year after year. Indeed, states like Hawaii, Alaska and New York are “wonderful places to live — if you can afford them.”
Here are the 10 worst states to retire in, according to the survey:
41. Oregon
42. Missouri
43. Kentucky
44. Hawaii
45. New Jersey
46. Louisiana
47. West Virginia
48. Alaska
49. New York
50. Arkansas
The full list can be found here.
You can follow John Divine on Twitter at @divinebizkid or email him at editor@investorplace.com. William White contributed to this report.
