Retiring in the US · the 50 states and D.C.
Best states to retire in the US, in tiers
For Americans deciding which state to retire to, and for anyone weighing a US state against a move abroad. We place the 50 states and D.C. in tiers on six criteria, weighted equally: cost of living, taxes on a retired couple, healthcare access, safety, climate and natural-hazard risk. Every figure behind a tier is shown with its source and date.
Cost of living
The 50 states and D.C. by cost of living: BEA price level, all items (US = 100); lower is better.
| State | Cost of living | Against the others |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 86.9 | cheaper than 100% of the others |
| Mississippi | 87.0 | cheaper than 98% of the others |
| Iowa | 87.8 | cheaper than 94% of the others |
| Oklahoma | 87.8 | cheaper than 94% of the others |
| Louisiana | 88.2 | cheaper than 92% of the others |
| South Dakota | 88.6 | cheaper than 90% of the others |
| Alabama | 88.8 | cheaper than 88% of the others |
| North Dakota | 89.0 | cheaper than 86% of the others |
| West Virginia | 89.5 | cheaper than 84% of the others |
| Kansas | 90.1 | cheaper than 80% of the others |
| Nebraska | 90.1 | cheaper than 80% of the others |
| Kentucky | 90.2 | cheaper than 78% of the others |
| Missouri | 90.8 | cheaper than 76% of the others |
| Tennessee | 91.9 | cheaper than 74% of the others |
| New Mexico | 92.2 | cheaper than 72% of the others |
| Wyoming | 92.7 | cheaper than 70% of the others |
| Ohio | 92.8 | cheaper than 68% of the others |
| Indiana | 93.3 | cheaper than 66% of the others |
| South Carolina | 93.7 | cheaper than 64% of the others |
| Wisconsin | 94.1 | cheaper than 62% of the others |
| North Carolina | 94.3 | cheaper than 60% of the others |
| Montana | 94.6 | cheaper than 58% of the others |
| Idaho | 95.5 | cheaper than 56% of the others |
| Michigan | 96.2 | cheaper than 54% of the others |
| Georgia | 96.3 | cheaper than 52% of the others |
| Maine | 97.1 | cheaper than 48% of the others |
| Texas | 97.1 | cheaper than 48% of the others |
| Pennsylvania | 97.6 | cheaper than 46% of the others |
| Vermont | 98.0 | cheaper than 44% of the others |
| Minnesota | 98.6 | cheaper than 42% of the others |
| Utah | 98.9 | cheaper than 40% of the others |
| Delaware | 99.8 | cheaper than 38% of the others |
| Illinois | 100.0 | cheaper than 34% of the others |
| Nevada | 100.0 | cheaper than 34% of the others |
| Arizona | 100.7 | cheaper than 32% of the others |
| Virginia | 101.1 | cheaper than 30% of the others |
| Rhode Island | 102.3 | cheaper than 28% of the others |
| Alaska | 102.4 | cheaper than 26% of the others |
| Colorado | 103.1 | cheaper than 24% of the others |
| Florida | 103.4 | cheaper than 20% of the others |
| Oregon | 103.4 | cheaper than 20% of the others |
| Connecticut | 103.6 | cheaper than 18% of the others |
| New Hampshire | 104.2 | cheaper than 16% of the others |
| Maryland | 105.0 | cheaper than 14% of the others |
| Massachusetts | 105.8 | cheaper than 12% of the others |
| Washington | 107.0 | cheaper than 10% of the others |
| New York | 107.9 | cheaper than 8% of the others |
| New Jersey | 108.8 | cheaper than 6% of the others |
| District of Columbia | 109.9 | cheaper than 4% of the others |
| Hawaii | 110.0 | cheaper than 2% of the others |
| California | 110.7 | cheaper than 0% of the others |
BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (SARPP, line codes 1-5) · figures as of 2024