Though Southern states tend to have warmer climates and large populations of older adults, several rank among the worst states to retire in the U.S.
That's according to senior living website Seniorly.com, which recently determined the best and worst places to retire, ranking all 50 states plus the District of Columbia on affordability, quality of life and health care.
Though Southern states are largely more affordable than other regions, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas all received poor scores on Seniorly's health-care metrics, which include the number of doctors in each locale, Medicaid spending on long-term care and the health of Medicare beneficiaries.
Florida received the worst health-care ranking in the U.S., but its relatively lower cost of living, availability of recreational activities and large senior population help keep it out of the bottom of the overall rankings. Alabama has the third-worst health-care environment for retirees, Seniorly finds.
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These are the 10 worst states to retire, according to Seniorly:
- New Jersey
- Alabama
- Kansas
- Georgia
- Oklahoma
- Mississippi
- Massachusetts
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Arizona
New Jersey offers miles of coastline and plenty of shopping malls for leisure and entertainment, as well as decent access to health care for retirees. But a high cost of living and high personal income tax rates contribute to the state's poor overall ranking, Seniorly finds.
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Though Social Security income isn't taxed at the state level in New Jersey, the state has the highest property tax in the country at an effective rate over 2%, according to the Tax Foundation. Homeowners in the state pay a median of $9,345 in annual property taxes, SmartAsset reports, so even retirees who've paid off their mortgages may still be on the hook for hefty housing costs.
The Garden State also has the sixth-highest cost of living of all the states, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center data Seniorly used for its ranking. Massachusetts is the second-most expensive, only behind Hawaii, which contributed to its poor overall ranking.
When it comes to quality of life for retirees, Texas ranks dead last, according to Seniorly's ranking. The Lone Star state may offer a mild climate most of the year, but it has one of the smallest shares of adults ages 65 and up of any state, with just 13% of the population in that age group, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
By contrast, in Montana — the best state to retire, by Seniorly's metrics — seniors make up nearly 20% of the state's population.
Texas also has room for improvement when it comes to retiree health care. United Health Foundation ranked it No. 38 for senior health in its 2024 Senior Report, noting that the state has slightly higher rates of seniors living in poverty and struggling with food insecurity than the country as a whole.
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