This Rocky Mountain State is the Best Place for Retirement
Retirees and those heading towards their golden years continue to reconsider their home base, as many prioritize lower costs of living with looming inflation threatening fixed income lifestyles.
A new report from WalletHub analyzes the top and lowest states for seniors to spend their retirement, evaluating key points like high costs of living, quality of life, and medical care to determine the best areas for retirees to contemplate a move to. It uses 46 relevant metrics under these points, including tax-friendliness on estate or inheritance tax, rates on elderly food insecurity, access to adult volunteer activities, and healthcare facility availability, among other measures.
“Retirement is supposed to be relaxing, but it can also be incredibly stressful given that it typically puts people on a fixed income, which may not be enough for them to live comfortably,” said Chip Lupo, an analyst with WalletHub. “As a result, the best states for retirees are those that have low taxes and a low cost of living to help retirees’ budgets stretch as far as possible. Having access to excellent medical care and homemaking services is also crucial, especially for people who don’t plan to retire in close proximity to their families.”
Wyoming, which topped this year’s rankings, had a total score of 61.56 out of 100 and placed first for affordability, sixth for quality of life, and 33 for healthcare.
The Equality State also does not implement any estate or inheritance tax, making it highly friendly for retired taxpayers, WalletHub notes. Among other perks include low annual cost of homemaker services, high elder abuse protections, and a low crime rate.
Concerning finances, Wyoming has the seventh-lowest score of residents ages 65 or over in poverty and ranks fourth in funding from the Administration on Aging per senior resident.
Florida, which regularly places among the top states to retire to, ranked second-best in WalletHub’s research for its low taxes and lack of estate, inheritance, and income taxes, as well as for its accessibility of adult volunteer activities and beaches.
Finally, South Dakota ranked third-best state for retirees due to minimal estate or inheritance taxes and for its emphasis on healthy living for seniors. According to WalletHub, South Dakota has one of the lowest rates of social isolation for seniors, holds the second-best geriatrics hospitals in the country, and reports the second-lowest share of seniors who experience frequent mental distress.
The state was also spotlighted for its natural environment, including having the fifth-best air quality in the country and ranking third-lowest nationwide for health-based drinking water violations.
• Check out the complete WalletHub “Best and Worst States to Retire 2026” coverage here.
Read on to learn more about WalletHub’s best and worst places for retirement in 2026.
