It's Kiplinger's list of How Every State Ranks for Retirement 2015. (Via Newmark's Door.)
Here's the list, but go to the link to see more detail.
1 Delaware
2 Florida
3 West Virginia
4 Pennsylvania
5 South Dakota
6 Arizona
7 Hawaii
8 Iowa
9 Kansas
10 Wyoming
11 Arkansas
12 New Hampshire
13 Mississippi
14 Alabama
15 Ohio
16 Connecticut
17 Oklahoma
18 Nevada
19 Kentucky
20 Vermont
21 Michigan
22 Maine
23 South Carolina
24 Idaho
25 Missouri
26 Alaska
27 Louisiana
28 North Dakota
29 Virginia
30 Wisconsin
31 Rhode Island
32 Washington
33 Colorado
34 Georgia
35 Tennessee
36 New Jersey
37 Indiana
38 Massachusetts
39 Maryland
40 Montana
41 Illinois
42 Texas
43 Utah
44 Oregon
45 Nebraska
46 North Carolina
47 Minnesota
48 New York
49 New Mexico
50 California
51 District of Columbia
Rankings are based on seven factors: taxes on retirees; share of residents 65+; average income for 65+ households; poverty rate for residents 65+; cost of living for all residents; home values for residents 65+; and crime rates.
It's not surprising to see Florida near the top. All those old folks knew something. It's also not surprising to see California and New York near the bottom, although it might be a positive for New York retirees that New York City’s narcotics cops are being told to stop arresting suspects over the age of 40.
Texas' selling point appears to be the lack of a state income tax. But be forewarned before moving here. There's a state sales tax of 6.25% which when added to the local sales taxes drives it up to 8.25% in most municipalities. That can really add up on big ticket items. On a national basis that's why I favor the flat tax over a nationwide sales tax. Imagine the sticker shock when faced with a total sales tax of about 1/3. Ouch!
As for the retirees themselves, they're probably not especially appreciated wherever they are. They keep the local newspapers, cable TV companies, and any cafeteria with an early bird special alive. But no one else wants them. Even Mother Nature, with all those cancers that afflict reproductive systems of both men and women, seems to be saying "Get out there, reproduce, then get the Hell out of the way!"
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