{
  "id": 4687524,
  "title": "The best and worst US states to retire in, ranked",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/the-best-and-worst-us-states-to-retire-in-ranked",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-31T18:04:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/best-worst-us-states-retire-in-2026-8"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "According to a recent study by WalletHub, Wyoming and Florida emerged as the top two states for retirees in 2026, while Kentucky ranked last in terms of suitability for retirees. The rankings were determined by evaluating three main factors: affordability, quality of life, and healthcare, which were assessed using 46 different metrics.\n\nIn terms of affordability, Wyoming and Florida scored the highest, indicating that they are the most cost-effective options for retirees seeking to stretch their fixed incomes. On the other hand, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Mississippi, West Virginia, Hawaii, New York, Arkansas, Washington, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Oregon, Louisiana, Illinois, Alabama, Maryland, and New Jersey were found to be the least affordable states for retirees.\n\nWhen it comes to quality of life, Hawaii and New York City emerged as the best options, with Wyoming and Florida also ranking well in this category. Kentucky, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Oregon, Louisiana, Illinois, Alabama, Maryland, and New Jersey scored poorly in terms of quality of life. Quality of life was measured using various factors, including the risk of social isolation, weather conditions, and the number of bingo halls per capita.\n\nHealthcare was another crucial factor considered in the study, with New Mexico, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Louisiana, Illinois, Alabama, Maryland, and New Jersey scoring poorly. Wyoming and Florida, along with Kentucky, West Virginia, and Mississippi, ranked highest in terms of healthcare. Healthcare was evaluated based on factors such as the number of healthcare professionals per capita, life expectancy, and other related metrics.\n\nIn conclusion, based on the WalletHub study, Wyoming and Florida are the best states for retirees in 2026, offering affordable living costs, high quality of life, and robust healthcare systems. Conversely, Kentucky, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Oregon, Louisiana, Illinois, Alabama, Maryland, and New Jersey are the worst states for retirees, with low scores in all three categories.",
  "summary": "WalletHub ranked every US state on affordability, quality of life, and healthcare to determine the best — and worst — places for retirement.",
  "key_points": [
    "Wyoming and Florida ranked top 2 for retiree suitability in 2026",
    "Kentucky ranked last for retirees in terms of affordability, quality of life, healthcare",
    "Hawaii and New York City scored highest in quality of life for retirees"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}