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.
Natural-hazard risk
The 50 states and D.C. by natural-hazard risk: expected yearly loss to buildings from natural hazards, per USD $1,000 of buildings; lower is better.
| State | Natural-hazard risk | Against the others |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | USD $0.43 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 100% of the others |
| Maryland | USD $0.60 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 98% of the others |
| Michigan | USD $0.85 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 96% of the others |
| New York | USD $0.88 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 94% of the others |
| Wisconsin | USD $0.88 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 92% of the others |
| Rhode Island | USD $0.89 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 90% of the others |
| Ohio | USD $0.89 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 88% of the others |
| Virginia | USD $0.91 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 86% of the others |
| Massachusetts | USD $0.91 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 84% of the others |
| Maine | USD $0.99 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 82% of the others |
| Pennsylvania | USD $0.99 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 80% of the others |
| Vermont | USD $1.03 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 78% of the others |
| Indiana | USD $1.05 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 76% of the others |
| North Dakota | USD $1.08 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 74% of the others |
| Georgia | USD $1.11 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 72% of the others |
| Minnesota | USD $1.13 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 70% of the others |
| Delaware | USD $1.14 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 68% of the others |
| Iowa | USD $1.19 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 66% of the others |
| Illinois | USD $1.23 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 64% of the others |
| Kansas | USD $1.24 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 62% of the others |
| South Dakota | USD $1.33 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 60% of the others |
| Tennessee | USD $1.33 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 58% of the others |
| Texas | USD $1.34 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 56% of the others |
| New Jersey | USD $1.34 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 54% of the others |
| New Hampshire | USD $1.35 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 52% of the others |
| Wyoming | USD $1.36 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 50% of the others |
| Montana | USD $1.37 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 48% of the others |
| Colorado | USD $1.38 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 46% of the others |
| Idaho | USD $1.39 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 44% of the others |
| Connecticut | USD $1.41 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 42% of the others |
| Nevada | USD $1.45 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 40% of the others |
| Missouri | USD $1.46 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 38% of the others |
| Nebraska | USD $1.50 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 36% of the others |
| North Carolina | USD $1.55 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 34% of the others |
| New Mexico | USD $1.59 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 32% of the others |
| Utah | USD $1.61 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 30% of the others |
| Oklahoma | USD $1.61 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 28% of the others |
| Arizona | USD $1.63 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 26% of the others |
| Kentucky | USD $1.69 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 24% of the others |
| Alabama | USD $1.73 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 22% of the others |
| Oregon | USD $1.73 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 20% of the others |
| Arkansas | USD $1.73 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 18% of the others |
| Mississippi | USD $1.75 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 16% of the others |
| Washington | USD $1.95 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 14% of the others |
| Florida | USD $1.97 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 12% of the others |
| South Carolina | USD $2.01 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 10% of the others |
| West Virginia | USD $2.16 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 8% of the others |
| Louisiana | USD $2.72 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 6% of the others |
| Alaska | USD $2.78 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 4% of the others |
| California | USD $3.06 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 2% of the others |
| Hawaii | USD $3.64 per USD $1,000 of buildings | lower than 0% of the others |
FEMA, National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), state expected annual loss to buildings (EAL_VALB) · figures as of 2025