State rankings

Best States to Retire

New Hampshire ranks 1st on Overall Rank in 2025, followed by Maine (2nd) and Wyoming (3rd); rank 1 is the best. Louisiana ranks last (50th).

CultureEconomics50 states · 10 metricsUpdated May 16, 2026Original page
2 sources
Year 202550 of 51 states
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Overall Rank, 2025

Green is better, red is worse (rank 1 is the best). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 50 ranked

Best first; rank 1 is the best and has the longest bar.

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

50 states · # = rank by Overall Rank
#
1New Hampshire1st25.79
2Maine2nd19.48
3Wyoming3rd25.83
4Vermont4th22.22
5Idaho5th24.71
6Rhode Island6th24.7
7West Virginia7th28.04
8Wisconsin8th26.42
9Utah9th24.81
10Virginia10th26.05
11Delaware11th23.76
12South Dakota12th28.06
13Connecticut13th23.1
14Oregon14th24.33
15Ohio15th29.79
16Massachusetts16th24.78
17Montana17th21.96
18Indiana18th26.25
19Michigan19th30.19
20Pennsylvania20th28.1
21Iowa21st27.28
22Minnesota22nd24.64
23New Jersey23rd25.3
24Illinois24th26.45
25Hawaii25th23.31
26North Carolina26th27.17
27Maryland27th22.23
28North Dakota28th25.63
29Nevada29th25.28
30New York30th26.08
31Arizona31st27.54
32Missouri32nd29.78
33Georgia33rd30.37
34Tennessee34th28.85
35Colorado35th25.23
36Washington36th23.49
37Kentucky37th29.25
38Alaska38th17.31
39Mississippi39th27.82
40South Carolina40th25.49
41Florida41st32.04
42New Mexico42nd21.7
43California43rd21.61
44Kansas44th24.41
45Alabama45th24.59
46Nebraska46th24.96
47Arkansas47th25.04
48Oklahoma48th26.13
49Texas49th29.07
50Louisiana50th24.3

What correlates with Overall Rank (2025)?

Pearson r against 2,104 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that rank better on Overall Rank tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Crime RatePension-Friendly States
    r = −0.74 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Total Safety Score (WalletHub)Safest States in the US
    r = −0.73 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  3. Health and SafetyBest States to Raise a FamilyA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.70 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Most & Least Intelligent States Index (Guru99)Dumbest States in the United States
    r = −0.69 · strong · n = 30
    Plot
  5. Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages)
    r = −0.66 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  6. Off Grid Via Kuhl Safety ScoreOff-Grid Living Legal States
    r = −0.63 · strong · n = 50
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that rank better on Overall Rank tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. # of Snake SpeciesSnake Population by State
    r = +0.74 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Outdoor Allergy Tree Pollen ScoreAllergy-Friendly States
    r = +0.73 · very strong · n = 48
    Plot
  3. Avg Outdoor Allergy ScoreAllergy-Friendly States
    r = +0.73 · very strong · n = 48
    Plot
  4. Burglary Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI)
    r = +0.71 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. # of Reptile SpeciesMost Biodiverse States
    r = +0.70 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. Pregnancy RateTeen Pregnancy Rates by State
    r = +0.68 · strong · n = 50
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state ranks first on Overall Rank?
New Hampshire ranks first on Overall Rank in 2025, at 1st, followed by Maine (2nd) and Wyoming (3rd). Rank 1 is the best state.
Which state ranks last on Overall Rank?
Louisiana ranks last of the 50 US states with data in 2025, at 50th.
Where does this best states to retire data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: The best and worst states for retirement - Bank Rate; The Best and Worst States to Retire - 24/7 Wall St.