This state just beat Florida as the best place to retire, study claims
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This state just beat Florida as the best place to retire, study claims

  • February 12, 2026

ORLANDO, Fla. – A recent study by WalletHub reveals the best places to retire in America. And it turns out Florida isn’t at the top of that list.

The report looks at factors like affordability, quality of life, and health care to determine which states are havens for prospective retirees.

“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,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “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.”

[BELOW: The top attraction in the U.S. can be found on this Florida island]

While Florida has a reputation as a retirement hotspot, WalletHub’s latest study pinned it at No. 2 nationwide.

Instead, the top spot was granted to Wyoming — though just barely.

“Wyoming is the best state for retirement, in large part due to affordability reasons. Adjusted for retirees’ needs, Wyoming’s cost of living falls in the more affordable half of the nation. The state is also considered highly friendly to retired taxpayers, also offering the added benefit of no estate or inheritance tax. In addition, the state has the fifth-lowest annual cost of homemaker services in the nation, allowing seniors to conserve energy and maintain independence.

When it comes to overall quality of life in Wyoming, the state has the 10th-best elder abuse protections in the country, which guard elderly residents against physical and financial harm. The state also has the fifth-lowest violent crime rate, and the 14th-highest percentage of people who do favors for their neighbors.

On the financial side, Wyoming has the seventh-lowest share of residents ages 65+ who are in poverty, and it ranks fourth in funding from the Administration on Aging per senior resident.”

WalletHub, “Best and Worst States to Retire (2026)”

The news comes after WalletHub released its list of the best cities to retire late last year, with Orlando ranking the best in America.

Several other Florida cities — Miami, Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale — placed within the top 10 on that list, giving the Sunshine State plenty of representation among the nation’s best retirement hubs.

[BELOW: DeSantis weighs in on latest Florida tax ranking]

As for why Florida ranks so high, WalletHub provided the following explanation:

“There’s a reason Florida is known as a retirement paradise – it ranks as the second-best state to retire due to its relatively low taxes for retired people, including no estate, inheritance or income taxes. Plus, Florida receives more funding per senior from the Older Americans Act than all but two other states. This funds things like transportation, homemaker assistance and nutrition programs for seniors.

In addition to financial factors, Florida provides an ideal environment for retirees. It has the second-most shoreline miles of any state, allowing for plenty of relaxing at the beach. It also has the second-most adult volunteer activities, fifth-most theater companies, and eighth-most golf courses and country clubs. There are plenty of ways for seniors to stay healthy and happy, which is reflected in the fact that Florida has the third-lowest death rate in the country for people ages 65+.

Unfortunately, the overall cost of living is pretty high in Florida compared to many other states, but that doesn’t stop the Sunshine State from taking the top spot for retirees.”

WalletHub, “Best and Worst States to Retire (2026)”

Overall RankStateTotal ScoreAffordability RankQuality of Life RankHealthcare Rank 1 Wyoming 61.56 1 6 33 2 Florida 61.55 2 1 27 3 South Dakota 58.69 15 25 4 4 Colorado 58.37 19 19 3 5 Minnesota 58.29 33 7 1 6 Alaska 57.90 13 34 5 7 Delaware 57.35 3 36 15 8 Pennsylvania 56.85 26 5 13 9 New Hampshire 56.40 23 8 20 10 Iowa 56.26 17 11 28 11 Wisconsin 56.05 24 9 18 12 Virginia 55.48 20 15 25 13 North Carolina 54.91 7 26 37 14 North Dakota 54.90 28 33 7 15 Missouri 54.73 10 29 32 16 Idaho 54.32 21 24 26 17 South Carolina 53.67 6 37 34 18 Arizona 53.24 27 32 16 19 Maine 52.50 37 4 14 20 Ohio 52.40 22 13 38 21 Michigan 51.59 32 16 29 22 Indiana 51.21 14 35 41 23 Massachusetts 50.94 48 2 2 24 Montana 50.73 36 10 23 25 California 50.70 39 22 8 26 Kansas 49.73 29 31 35 27 Utah 49.72 35 18 31 28 Nevada 49.54 5 45 42 29 Georgia 49.52 16 40 40 30 Vermont 49.23 47 3 10 31 Nebraska 49.10 38 28 19 32 Tennessee 49.02 4 47 44 33 Texas 48.54 25 38 39 34 Connecticut 48.50 44 23 6 35 New Jersey 47.33 45 30 9 36 Maryland 47.05 41 20 22 37 Alabama 46.85 8 43 48 38 Illinois 46.78 42 14 30 39 Louisiana 46.65 12 46 46 40 Oregon 46.24 43 27 24 41 New Mexico 46.18 30 44 36 42 Rhode Island 45.98 40 39 21 43 Washington 45.63 46 17 17 44 Arkansas 45.34 11 50 45 45 New York 45.34 50 12 12 46 Hawaii 45.27 49 21 11 47 West Virginia 45.24 18 41 50 48 Mississippi 44.60 9 49 49 49 Oklahoma 42.59 31 48 43 50 Kentucky 41.83 34 42 47

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