Which are the most popular retirement states? Not the ones you think.
Common wisdom suggests older Americans flock to sunny Florida and Arizona to retire.
Financial experts urge seniors to consider cheaper retirement states, like Arkansas and Missouri.
But where do Americans actually go to retire? Not where you think, according to a new study.
Wyoming, home to Grand Teton National Park, has gained retirees at a faster pace than any other state in the past decade, according to an analysis in June by BizInsure, the online insurance agency.
South Carolina ranks second. Here’s the full top 10:
- Wyoming
- South Carolina
- Idaho
- Maine
- New Mexico
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Mississippi
- Delaware
- Tennessee
Neither Arizona nor Florida ranks among the states with the highest move-in rates for seniors, based on census data from 2013 to 2023.
Retirees are looking beyond Florida and Arizona
That analysis and others suggest older Americans are looking beyond traditional retirement meccas when they choose to relocate after they stop working.
“That whole line of thinking has changed dramatically,” said Chip Lupo, a writer and analyst at WalletHub, a site that ranks best cities and states for retirement. “A generation ago, you just went to Florida.”
According to the BizInsure report, today’s retirees are “moving to escape, chasing locations better known for hiking trails than beaches and bunko nights.”
(We had to go to the dictionary on “bunko.” Turns out it’s a dice game.)
Their analysis concludes that today’s retiree wants “fewer neighbors and more nature.” Several popular retirement states have populations – and population densities − below the national average.
Some classic retirement states, including Florida, Arizona and Nevada, experienced negative retiree growth from 2013 to 2023, according to the BizInsure report.
But those states still have their charms. The analysis includes a list of 10 “best” retirement cities, considering their popularity among retirees, health care services and affordability, among other factors. Several of the top cities sit in time-honored retirement states.
Peoria, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, tops the list of best retirement cities. Here’s the full Top 10:
- Peoria, Arizona
- North Las Vegas, Nevada
- Cape Coral, Florida
- Chandler, Arizona
- Henderson, Nevada
- Reno, Nevada
- Port St. Lucie, Florida
- Surprise, Arizona
- Mesa, Arizona
- Durham, North Carolina
Where seniors move to retire: A second source
There are, of course, many ways to slice and dice the data on top retirement destinations.
AARP does a regular analysis of destinations for American retirees, also drawing on census figures. Their report looks at people moving to a new state specifically for retirement.
The latest report, published in March, yields a ranking very different from the one above, but it’s no less surprising.
The top retirement destination, according to AARP, is Massachusetts, not a state most of us associate with retirement. Florida, more predictably, ranks second.
Here’s the full Top 10:
- Massachussetts
- Florida
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Delaware
- Vermont
- New Mexico
- Louisiana
Lupo, of WalletHub, said retirees are looking “way beyond weather” when they retire in another state, weighing such factors as health care quality and the local cost of living index.
“For some, it might be strictly affordability,” said Rudri Patel, a senior financial expert at GOBankingRates. “For others, it might be green space, weather, property taxes.”
Here, from WalletHub, GOBankingRates and other sources, are a few other recent reports on best and worst places to retire.
Where are the cheapest retirement states?
The cheapest retirement state in 2025 is West Virginia, birthplace of Don Knotts and home to George Washington’s bathtub.
To retire comfortably in the Mountain State, you’ll need an estimated $712,913 in savings and an annual budget of $50,954, according to GOBankingRates.
Retirement in America now costs $1 million or more in 15 states, GOBankingRates found. The priciest state is Hawaii: You’ll need $2.2 million in savings for a comfortable retirement.
GOBankingRates calculated annual living expenses for retirees using data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and local cost-of-living figures.
Don’t have a million dollars stashed away? Here are a few popular retirement states with lower costs than Hawaii.
- Colorado: $981,803 to retire; $61,709 annual cost of living
- Florida: $977,296 to retire; $61,529 annual cost of living
- New Mexico: $834,590 to retire; $55,821 annual cost of living
Which are the best retirement states?
WalletHub did a recent ranking of best and worst states for retirement. Their analysis looks at 46 indicators of “retirement-friendliness,” from tax rates and cost of living to quality medical care.
Here are WalletHub’s Top 5 states to retire in 2025:
- Florida
- Minnesota
- Colorado
- Wyoming
- South Dakota
The worst retirement state? Kentucky, according to WalletHub. Yes, the same Kentucky that ranks fourth among retirement destinations, according to AARP.
And here are WalletHub’s Top 5 cities for retirees:
- Orlando, Florida
- Miami
- Minneapolis
- Tampa, Florida
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
What are the best states for seniors living alone?
More than one-quarter of seniors live alone, according to the Census. Living solo can present unique financial perils.
A recent report from the senior care platform Caring.com ranks the best states for over-65 Americans who live alone. The report assigned a score to each state based on more than a dozen factors, including living costs and health care.
Three middle-of-America states, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas, rank first, second and third in the Caring.com report.
Though Caring.com didn’t rank least desirable states for seniors who live alone, the report includes a heat map that gives a good idea of which states a cost-conscious senior might want to avoid, including California and Massachusetts.
Yes, the same Massachusetts that ranks as the nation’s top retirement destination, according to AARP.