The 10 best states for retirement in 2026 — and the 10 worst

Retirement is full of decisions, and the state you choose to retire in could be the most important one.

A recent WalletHub study pitted the 50 states against one another across three main categories — affordability, quality of life, and healthcare — to determine the best places for retirement.

The three factors were assessed using 46 different metrics. To determine a state's affordability, metrics such as adjusted cost of living and retired taxpayer-friendliness were considered. Quality of life included metrics such as the risk of social isolation, the mildness of the weather, and even the number of bingo halls per capita, while the healthcare category considered metrics such as nurses, dentists, and health aides per capita, life expectancy, and more.

https://www.businessinsider.com/best-and-worst-states-to-retire-2026-2

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https://www.wealthmanagement.com/retirement/the-10-best-and-10-worst-states-for-retirement-in-2026