The 10 worst U.S. states to retire

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing where you want to retire, including your lifestyle and financial situation you want.
In addition to looking for options that meet most of your needs, you will consider the major disadvantages or compromises you need to do, such as accessible health care lack or high life cost.
Financial Services Website Bankrate has recently listed the entire 50 states according to 15 meters, including affordable price, health and weather. The best and worst places to retire in the USA The Council of Studies, Community and Economic Research used data from various sources, including the National Ocean and Atmosphere Administration and the Ministry of Health and Human Services.
The metrics were weighed about what Americans say that the Americans are the most important priorities to choose a retirement destination, according to the survey answers gathered by Bankrate in May 2025. As a result, the general scores of the security, weather and neighborhood safety affected the most.
According to Bankrate, you may need to reconcile the worst 10 states, cost, security and health services to retire:
- Louisiana
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Nebraska
- Alabama
- Kansas
- California
- New Mexico
- Florida
The weather also played an important role in the landing of many of these states under the general rankings. Louisiana ranked 39th for the weather and Texas reached this category.
“Natural disasters, almost every state in the Gulf, decreased the points of almost every state in the Gulf.
Personal choice is important
It may be useful to take into account these rankings and the metrics used to identify them, but the best place for retirement will depend on your personal preferences.
For example, retirement in Louisiana or Oklahoma may seem challenging based on these metrics, but if your family lives and want to be close to them, it may be worth the priority despite the potential disadvantages and to understand how to live well there.
If it is important to you to live in a tax -friendly situation, Wyoming can be the most appropriate, Kate says Kate. The state generally came to number 3 and number 1 to be a tax -friendly. But you will give up other potential opportunities.
“You pay very few state tax, but you have little access to other things you may want,” he says. “Wyoming is not great for art and entertainment – a big, more rural place.”
In the case of metrics such as neighborhood safety, conditions may vary to a great extent in a certain case. The state -level data may be a good place to start, but especially if you think of a large state like California or Texas, you may need to dig or visit personally to determine whether an area is right for you.
“California, Texas or Florida or any state will be important because we collect too much data,” he says. “If you live in Los Angeles, it will be very different from what you live in Sacramento or La Jolla; if you live in Dallas, very different [than] Houston. “
Pension planning is ‘much more than putting a needle on the map’
You may prefer to wait later to not move to retirement or to take action. Since people live longer than before, and therefore may retire longer, it will be wise to think about your retirement at the stages, Kate says Kate.
“Put a needle on the map and say ‘this place is more’, ‘he says. And how do you understand that it is extremely relevant. “
If you want to devote time to travel during your first retirement years, it may not make sense to try to move your main base at that time. However, after ten years, you may be more interested in settling in a new place.
Kates call them the idea that you will probably want to slow down or need as you get older.
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