The best states to retire in 2026, by agreement across the major rankings, are Wyoming, Florida, and New Hampshire. Wyoming lands in the top five of four separate lists, helped by low taxes and low costs. WalletHub ranks Wyoming first for 2026. Bankrate’s most recent ranking puts New Hampshire first.
Each list weighs taxes, costs, healthcare, and climate in its own way, so each one crowns its own winner. Here’s where they agree, where they split, and how to pick the state that fits your plan.
What Are the Best States to Retire in 2026?
Wyoming is the closest thing to a consensus pick. It ranks No. 1 for WalletHub and Empower, No. 2 for RetirementLiving, and No. 3 for Bankrate. Florida is the other state that shows up near the top of several lists. New Hampshire, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Iowa each make at least two.
| State | WalletHub 2026 | Bankrate 2025 | RetirementLiving 2026 | Motley Fool 2026 | Empower 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | Top pick |
| Florida | 2 | – | 22 | 1 | Second pick |
| New Hampshire | 9 | 1 | – | – | Also named |
| Delaware | 7 | – | 4 | – | – |
| Pennsylvania | 8 | – | 5 | – | – |
| Iowa | 10 | – | 1 | – | – |
| Texas | – | 49 | Bottom five | 3 | Also named |
Source: WalletHub (January 2026); Bankrate (July 2025, latest edition); RetirementLiving (updated July 2026); Motley Fool (January 2026); Empower (December 2025). A dash means the state isn’t in the ranks the publisher lists.
The Top States to Retire, State by State
These six states make the top group on at least two major lists. Each one wins for different reasons, and each comes with a tradeoff worth pricing out.
Wyoming
Wyoming has no state income tax and no estate or inheritance tax. WalletHub also credits its low cost of in-home care, low violent crime, and one of the lowest poverty rates among residents 65 and older. The tradeoff is space. Long winters and long drives to specialists come with the open land.
Florida
Florida ranks second for WalletHub and first in Motley Fool’s survey-weighted score. That score spreads its weight across healthcare, housing costs, safety, weather, and taxes. There’s no state income tax. Costs have climbed, though. Home insurance averaged nearly $8,300 in 2025, AARP reports, and almost as many people 65 and older left Florida that year as moved in.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire tops Bankrate’s latest ranking and places ninth for WalletHub. It doesn’t tax wages, Social Security, or retirement-plan withdrawals. Its health system ranks third in the nation in the Commonwealth Fund’s 2025 scorecard. Property taxes are the catch, so get a tax estimate on any home you consider.
Delaware
Delaware ranks seventh for WalletHub and fourth for RetirementLiving. It has no state sales tax, and it doesn’t tax Social Security. Its location puts beaches, Philadelphia, and Baltimore within a short drive, which matters if your family is spread along the East Coast.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania ranks eighth for WalletHub and fifth for RetirementLiving. The state doesn’t tax Social Security, and most retirement-plan income is exempt once you’ve retired. Big-city health systems in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh add to the case. Local property and wage taxes vary a lot from town to town.
Iowa
Iowa ranks first for RetirementLiving and 10th for WalletHub. It’s one of the cheapest states to live in. Its cost-of-living index is the third-lowest in the country, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Iowa also stopped taxing retirement income for residents 55 and older in 2023.
Other states near the top
A few states rank high on one list without making the others. WalletHub ranks South Dakota, Colorado, and Minnesota third, fourth, and fifth. Bankrate’s top five includes Maine, Vermont, and Idaho. RetirementLiving puts West Virginia third.
Why Do the Rankings Disagree?
Each list weights different things. Bankrate based its weights on a survey of adults: affordability counts for 28%, weather 18%, safety 17%, healthcare 16%, and taxes 9%. RetirementLiving gives quality of life 60 of its 100 points and affordability 30. Motley Fool puts healthcare, housing costs, safety, weather, and taxes near the top, each at 11% to 15%.
Texas shows how much the weights matter. It ranks third for Motley Fool. Bankrate ranks it 49th, and RetirementLiving puts it in its bottom five. The weights, and the data each list plugs into them, produce the gap.
West Virginia makes the same point from the other direction. It ranks third for RetirementLiving, which gives affordability 30 of its 100 points, and 47th for WalletHub. Before you trust a list’s No. 1, check what it measured.
Which States Rank Lowest for Retirement?
The bottom of the lists agrees about as little as the top. WalletHub ranks Kentucky last, followed by Oklahoma, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Hawaii. Bankrate’s bottom five are Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Nebraska. RetirementLiving ranks New Mexico last, with California, Washington, Nevada, and Texas close behind.
Oklahoma lands in the bottom five of two lists even though it has the lowest cost of living of any state. Low costs aren’t enough on their own. Oklahoma ranks in the bottom five for health system performance and for the health of older adults.
Best States to Retire by What Matters Most to You
If one factor will decide your move, start with the data on that factor.
Taxes
Nine states have no broad income tax on wages or retirement income: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Property and sales taxes can offset that advantage. Our guide to the best states to retire for taxes compares every state.
Cost of living
Oklahoma, Alabama, Iowa, West Virginia, and Kansas had the lowest cost of living in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, the District of Columbia, and New York had the highest. For specific towns, see our list of the cheapest places to retire.
Healthcare
The Commonwealth Fund’s 2025 Scorecard on State Health System Performance ranks Massachusetts, Hawaii, and New Hampshire highest overall. For older adults, the 2025 America’s Health Rankings Senior Report ranks Vermont, Colorado, Washington, Utah, and Connecticut healthiest. Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Virginia land in the bottom five of both. See how to plan for healthcare costs in retirement.
Disaster risk
Hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and heat waves shape your insurance bill and your safety. FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the risk for any county, so you can compare the exact places on your list. Here’s how to protect your retirement from climate disasters.
How to Pick Your State
Name the two or three factors that matter most to you. Then find the ranking that weights them the same way, and use it to build a shortlist of three states. Our guide on how to decide where to retire walks through each factor, from housing to healthcare. If you’re still sorting priorities, try our where should I retire quiz.
Test a State Move in Your Plan
Your plan knows what no ranking can: your savings, your Social Security, and what your house is worth. Add each state on your shortlist to the Boldin Planner as its own scenario.
- Enter the relocation, and the Planner applies the new state’s income tax for you.
- Update property tax, insurance, and recurring expenses for the new place.
- If you use the Planner’s medical cost estimate, it adjusts your costs after 65 by location.
- Compare each scenario with staying where you are.
The gap shows what a move buys you, in dollars and in how long your money lasts. The best state to retire is the one your plan says you can afford and enjoy for decades.
Best States to Retire: FAQ
What is the best state to retire in 2026?
Wyoming is the most common top pick for 2026. WalletHub and Empower rank it first, RetirementLiving ranks it second, and Bankrate's latest ranking puts it third. Low taxes and low costs drive its scores. Florida and New Hampshire also rank near the top of more than one major list.
What is the worst state to retire in?
It depends on the ranking. WalletHub's 2026 study ranks Kentucky last, Bankrate's latest ranks Louisiana last, and RetirementLiving's 2026 ranking puts New Mexico last. Oklahoma lands in the bottom five of two lists despite having the lowest cost of living in the country, because it ranks low on health outcomes and access to care.
Is Florida still a good state to retire?
Florida still ranks near the top of several 2026 lists, thanks to its climate and lack of a state income tax. Costs have risen, though. Home insurance averaged nearly $8,300 in 2025, and almost as many people 65 and older left Florida that year as moved there. Price insurance before you commit.
Which states have no state income tax?
Nine states have no broad income tax on wages or retirement income: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Some make up for it with higher property or sales taxes, so compare the full tax bill in each state before you choose one for tax savings.
What is the cheapest state to retire in?
Oklahoma had the lowest cost of living of any state in the second quarter of 2026, followed by Alabama, Iowa, West Virginia, and Kansas, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. A low-cost state can still rank low for healthcare, so check both before you move.
Which state has the best healthcare for retirees?
Vermont ranks healthiest for older adults in the 2025 America's Health Rankings Senior Report, followed by Colorado, Washington, Utah, and Connecticut. For overall health system performance, the Commonwealth Fund's 2025 scorecard ranks Massachusetts first, then Hawaii and New Hampshire. Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Virginia rank in the bottom five on both.
Why do retirement rankings disagree?
Each ranking weights factors its own way. Bankrate counts affordability for 28% of its score and taxes for 9%, while RetirementLiving gives quality of life 60% of its points. That's why Texas can rank third on one list and 49th on another. Pick the ranking whose priorities match yours.
