

When people retire, it gives them a chance to try something they haven’t been able to do through all of their working lives. Bereft of responsibility, they might pick up a new hobby, spend more time with their family or maybe move somewhere. There are some wonderful places to retire, although many of them might not be what you expect. You might want to retire to Florida, but that’s almost become a cliché, and there are so many better places to retire. I recently came across an article that shares the 10 best states for retirees, listed below:
Wyoming: According to Bankrate, this is the best state to retire in this year, thanks to a low cost of living, low taxes, high-quality healthcare, easy weather, low crime and a high rate of happiness and well-being. Although it’s often been viewed as a retirement hotspot, Florida is ranked much lower due to a high crime rate and below-average health care.
South Dakota: Although its winters are notorious, the taxes and crime rates in South Dakota are some of the lowest in the entire country.
Colorado: Even though it gets some nasty Rocky Mountain winters, most of the year Colorado is blessed with mild, sunny weather, making this a hard destination to beat. Yet the climate is just one reason that Coloradoans report being happier than the residents of other states.
Utah: If you’re noticing a trend towards western states, then you won’t be surprised that Utah is on this list. There aren’t any sandy beaches or cool ocean breezes in Utah (just a big salt lake), but it does have plenty of outdoor activities.
Virginia: Finally, somewhere on the east coast! Virginia has the lowest crime rate among the top 10 states to retire, with convenient proximity to the beach and major cities like DC and Baltimore.
Montana: Montana residents scored higher on Gallup-Healthways well-being index than the rest of the Continental US (only Alaska and Hawaii had it beat). This means Montanans are in good health, enjoy what they’re doing and don’t stress out about finances.
Idaho: There’s a lot to love about Idaho, and it goes far beyond potatoes. Although it scored lower on quality of health care, its cost of living and crime rate were astoundingly low.
Iowa: If you can get past that Midwest weather, then Iowa will offer an affordable place to live, with excellent options for healthcare.
Arizona: This is where you want to be if you’re interested in sunny, warm weather. The cost of living is fairly low, although the crime rate is high in some areas.
Nebraska: The weather among the corn huskers might not always be ideal, but the cost of living, crime rate and health care certainly are.