The 15 best, worst states for retirement in 2022

The top state for retirement this year leads in affordability and quality of life but lags when it comes to healthcare, according to one new ranking.

The rankings for 2022 come from Wallethub, which looked at three key dimensions: affordability (40 points), quality of life (30 points) and healthcare (30 points). 

Several components make up a state's healthcare score, including physicians and nurses per capita, life expectancy, healthcare facilities per capita, CMS ranking of hospitals and percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated. 

Some insights into the rankings and scores: 

  • Florida ranks No. 1 overall, coming into fourth and fifth place for affordability and quality of life, respectively, but lagging in 27th place for healthcare. 
  • Total scores for the top three states — Florida, Virginia and Colorado — are so close, they are nearly a draw. 
  • Alabama is ranked the most affordable state in the U.S., and New York is the least affordable.
  • Massachusetts is the top state in the country for quality, and Mississippi has the lowest ranking for this domain. 
  • Healthcare and affordability are at odds for several states. For instance, Minnesota is the top state in the country for healthcare, but No. 36 for affordability. Alabama has the lowest ranking for healthcare, but No. 1 for affordability. 
  • Below are the top 15 states and bottom 15 states. This listing includes ties. The complete ranking and scoring can be found here

The best 

1. Florida

2. Virginia 

3. Colorado 

4. Delaware

5. Minnesota 

6. North Dakota 

7. Montana 

8. Utah

9. Arizona

9. New Hampshire

11. Idaho

12. South Carolina 

13. Wyoming 

14. South Dakota

15. Wisconsin 

 

The worst

35. Georgia 

36. New Mexico 

37. Alaska 

38. Oregon

39. Tennessee 

40. Washington 

41. Louisiana 

42. West Virginia

43. Arkansas 

44. Rhode Island 

45. Illinois 

46. Oklahoma 

47. Kentucky 

48. New York 

49. Mississippi 

50. New Jersey 

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