10 best, worst states to retire in 2026

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Wyoming is the best state to retire in 2026, according to a Jan. 26 ranking from personal finance website WalletHub.

To create the list, WalletHub compared each state across 46 indicators in three categories: affordability, quality of life and healthcare. Metrics included adjusted cost of living, share of population aged 65 and older, elderly food insecurity rate, access to public transportation, family medicine physicians per capita and home health aides per capita.

Each of the four major U.S. Census regions had at least one state in the top 10.

Here are the 10 best and worst states to retire in 2026, according to WalletHub:

10 best

1. Wyoming

2. Florida

3. South Dakota

4. Colorado

5. Minnesota

6. Alaska

7. Delaware

8. Pennsylvania 

9. New Hampshire

10. Iowa 

10 worst

41. New Mexico

42. Rhode Island

43. Washington

44. Arkansas

45. New York

46. Hawaii

47. West Virginia

48. Mississippi

49. Oklahoma

50. Kentucky

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