State rankings

Pension-Friendly States

Vermont has the highest Overall Score (100), followed by Maine (99.3) and New Hampshire (89.1). Nevada has the lowest (5.7).

EconomicsPolitics & Government50 states · 7 metricsUpdated Aug 4, 2023Original page
1 source
49 of 51 states
Compare this metricAdd to combined rankingOpen full map

Overall Score

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

Loading map…

All 49 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
48.9
Middle half 35.7 – 61.5
Average
48.54
49 states
Highest
100
Vermont
Lowest
5.7
Nevada

Data

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

49 states · # = rank by Overall Score
#
1Vermont100
2Maine99.3
3New Hampshire89.1
4Kentucky79.1
5Rhode Island73.3
6Iowa72.8
7Wisconsin70.6
8Oregon69.2
9Nebraska66.7
10West Virginia63.4
11Pennsylvania63.3
11Wyoming63.3
13Ohio61.5
14Delaware61
15Michigan60.5
16Connecticut59.7
17Mississippi59.6
18North Carolina56.1
19Indiana55.6
20Montana55.4
21Virginia54.3
22Kansas53.5
23Illinois53.2
24North Dakota50.3
25Idaho48.9
26Oklahoma46.7
27New York45.8
28Missouri43.2
29New Jersey42.6
30Florida42.2
31Arkansas42
32Louisiana37.8
33Minnesota37.2
34Utah37
35Maryland36.8
36Alabama35.9
37South Carolina35.7
38South Dakota33.6
39New Mexico32.5
40Georgia31.2
41Texas27.4
42Tennessee26.3
43Massachusetts24
44Colorado20.2
45Hawaii18.6
46Alaska16.4
47Washington11.8
48Arizona8.1
49Nevada5.7

What correlates with Overall Score?

Pearson r against 2,065 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 have a higher Overall Score tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. % of Needed 2030 RNs State Is Projected to HaveNursing Shortage by State
    r = +0.64 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Sales Tax RankBest State To Incorporate InA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.60 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Personal & Residential Safety Rank WalletHubSafest States in the USA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.57 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  4. Average TipFriendliest States
    r = +0.57 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  5. Safety RankBest States to RetireA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.56 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. % of Households Who Own CatsPet Ownership Statistics by State
    r = +0.55 · strong · n = 47
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Overall Score tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Weekly Grocery CostGrocery Prices by State
    r = −0.68 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Total Diversity ScoreMost Diverse US States
    r = −0.66 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Cultural Diversity RankMost Diverse US StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.66 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  4. Cultural DiversityLeast Diverse States in the USA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.65 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  5. Total ScoreLeast Diverse States in the US
    r = −0.65 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. Racial & Ethnic DiversityMost Diverse US StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.64 · strong · n = 49
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Overall Score?
Vermont has the highest Overall Score, at 100, followed by Maine (99.3) and New Hampshire (89.1).
Which state has the lowest Overall Score?
Nevada has the lowest Overall Score, at 5.7.
What is the median Overall Score across US states?
The median is 48.9 across the 49 US states with data.
Where does this pension-friendly states data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: The Best States to Retire, Based on What People Really Want - The Motley Fool.