Move over Florida! Iowa is ranked the best place to retire - while Alaska, New York and California come out worst

Didn't see this analysis coming.... But maybe I should have.

Iowa has been ranked as the best state to retire due to its reasonable cost of living, affordable but high-quality healthcare, and low crime levels.

The Hawkeye state overtook historic retirement paradise Florida which came out top last year, according to Bankrate's annual retirement study.
Bankrate ranked all 50 states on affordability, overall well-being, quality and cost of healthcare, weather and crime - and found the best and worst states for retirees were split geographically.

'The Midwest and the South claim the top five states, while the Northeast and West claim the bottom five states, primarily because of the differences in cost of living,' said Bankrate analyst Alex Gailey.

Following Iowa, Delaware, West Virginia, Missouri and Mississippi were ranked as the best states to retire, while New York, California, Washington and Massachusetts rounded out the bottom five.

From reading Alaska isn't neccessary the wild west, but. Many remote villages, people of sketchy backgrounds and people who've been on the run have been found after decades of hiding out. Then add the brutally cold winters.
 
Lots of great places to retire depending on what you like. Some people like seasons, some people love city living and will stay retired in a big city like NYC or Boston.

I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, most of it in north Florida which really feels like part of Georgia but without state income tax. I moved to south Florida 4 years ago. I love it here, but like many a lot depends on when you bought. I bought in 2020, low interest rate, brand new home, under 400k. Im about 15 miles from the beach, 10 from the intercostal. My area absolutely exploded during Covid and I probably couldn’t afford my house now. Insurance is very reasonable because the new houses are built to a pretty strict code.

Low crime, tons to do, but NO seasons, and iguanas running across the road haha. I have a canal behind my house that I can take straight to the ocean. With our older population we have incredible healthcare nearby. It all depends at what you look for in retirement and when you bought.

Best advice on an area, go there, go to the small restaurants, bars, meet the locals. Talk to people. Those lists only scratch the surface. Just like NY and NYC most people think of FL and Miami, Tampa, Palm Beach, etc. I am in Miami often and the traffic is terrible, everything is expensive, but that’s not all of FL.

PS im also a big hockey fan, who would have thought FL teams take 3 of the last 5 cups? 🤣
 
I have a huge problem with these arbitrary rankings of "best" whatever or "worst" whatever. The problem is whoever compiles these rankings do so by arbitrarily choosing what criteria to use, and what criteria to arbitrarily ignore. Most have some sort of agenda to push. One ranking might use "diversity, arts, and alternative lifestyles" while another might use "low crime rates, low taxes, and job opportunities". The results would likely be miles apart.

I like hard data, such as states people are leaving vs. states people are moving to. That's easily quantifiable, no spin, and no back agenda.
So much this. You could find ten more articles with very different results. And if not today, give it a month. Or two.

Basically the same way I feel about Consumer Reports or even vehicle reliability rankings -- you don't know the metrics unless you dig, and even then they're not always disclosed.
 
Haha no I didn’t come to south Florida to retire, I’m 38, work took me here. It’s just funny how different Florida is depending on where you go.
 
From reading Alaska isn't neccessary the wild west, but. Many remote villages, people of sketchy backgrounds and people who've been on the run have been found after decades of hiding out. Then add the brutally cold winters.
My Sister In Law works as a "tele-nurse" for the VA. She got a call from a guy in Alaska who hadn't used the bathroom for two weeks, "things were locked up". She said get to the Doctor ASAP. He said he had to wait for a couple of days to hitch a ride on the "mail plane"-the only way out.
Yea-total isolation.
 
dang...Iowa best place to retire?...mabye the GF and I should have taken her Grandma's house in Clarinda ( I think it was Clarinda) after she passed... Her mom offered it... oh well.

it sure beats Ohio ;-)
I have lived in both states...
well, turns out i had the details a bit wrong.. while her mom grew up in Clarinda, the house offered was in Omaha, NE ( grandma moved there after she and grandpa divorced)
 
Iowa. Where retirees go to catch pneumonia and die.
Funny Stuff.webp
 
I have lived here since 2006 and it is a good place to live.

The only complaints I have it it seems we have two main seasons, Winter and Summer. Spring and Fall seasons seem way to short.

Trying to buy any property with any agricultural land attached is expensive.
 
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