The 10 worst U.S. states to retire—6 are in the South

What the data shows is What's particularly noteworthy is SpendThe 10 U

However, Furthermore, Cities where rents are rising the fastest—5 are in the Midwest and InvestThe 10 U

In addition to looking for options that meet most of your needs, you'll want to consider any major downsides or trade-offs you'd have to make, such as a lack of accessible health care or a high cost of living

Financial services website Bankrate recently ranked all 50 states based on 15 metrics, including affordability, health care and weather, to determine the best and worst places to retire in the U (noteworthy indeed)

The study used data from a variety of sources, including the Council for Community and Economic Re, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U (something worth watching), in today's market environment

However, In contrast, Department of Health and Human Services

Moreover, The metrics were weighed according to survey responses gathered by Bankrate in May 2025 on what Americans say are their top priorities for choosing a retirement destination

As a result, affordability, weather and neighborhood safety influenced overall scores the most, given current economic conditions

However, Here are the 10 worst states to retire, according to Bankrate, where you may have to commise when it comes to cost, safety and access to health care:LouisianaTexasOklahomaArkansasNebraskaAlabamaKansasCaliforniaNew MexicoFloridaWeather also played a significant role in landing several of these states at the bottom of the overall rankings

Moreover, 39 for weather and Texas came in at No (which is quite significant). 47 in that category

Moreover, Additionally, "Natural disasters really degraded the scores of almost every state across the Gulf

Nevertheless, Nevertheless, Texas, Florida — even states that you really think as primary retirement destinations," Stephen Kates, a certified financial planner and Bankrate financial analyst, tells CNBC Make It

Nevertheless, "They didn't do as well in the weather category because of their pensity to have hurricanes and other natural disasters

Furthermore, "Personal preference mattersIt can be helpful to consider these rankings and the metrics used to determine them, but ultimately, the best place for you to retire will depend on your personal preferences

However, Meanwhile, Retiring in Louisiana or Oklahoma may look challenging based on these metrics, for example, but if that's where your family s and you want to be close to them, it may be worth planning ahead and figuring out how to well there, despite potential drawbacks, given the current landscape

If living in a tax-friendly state is important to you, Wyoming may be your best fit, Kates says

The state came in at No

Additionally, 3 overall and No (something worth watching). 1 for tax-friendliness

But you'd be giving up other potential amenities. "You pay very little state taxes, but you have little access to some of the other things that you may want," he says, in today's financial world. "Wyoming is not great for arts and entertainment — it's a big, more rural place (remarkable data). "Conditions can also vary greatly within a given state when it comes to metrics neighborhood safety (an important development)

State-level data can be a good place to start, but you may need to dig deeper or visit in person to determine if an area is right for you, especially if you're considering a big state California or Texas, Kates says. "Where you in California or Texas or Florida, or any state, is going to matter because we're aggregating a lot of data," he says (an important development), given current economic conditions. "If you in Los Angeles, it's going to be very different than if you in Sacramento or La Jolla; if you in Dallas, very different [than] Houston. "Planning for retirement is 'a lot more than just putting a pin on the map'You may choose not to relocate in retirement, or prefer to wait until later on to make a move

On the other hand, As people longer than they used to and thus may be retired longer, it's wise to think your retirement in phases, Kates says. "It's a lot more than just putting a pin on the map and saying, 'This's the place,'" he says

Moreover, "If you're going to in retirement for 25 or 30 years, there's going to be phases of that

And how you figure that out is extremely relevant, in this volatile climate

On the other hand, "If you want to dedicate time to traveling in your early retirement years, it may not make sense to also try to move your base during that period (something worth watching), amid market uncertainty

But a decade or so later, you may be more interested in settling down somewhere new

Kates calls these the "go, low-go and no-go" phases of retirement, alluding to idea that as you get older, you'll ly want or need to slow down (remarkable data)

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