I keep telling everyone that they do not want to move to Idaho. The weather, the weather!!! 🤣
Deciding where to live in retirement is one of the most important decisions many retirees in the United States need to make. While some may want to stay close to family and friends, others may prioritize affordable housing, a reasonable cost of living, and a low tax rate to maximize retirement income. Safety, access to health care, and climate are also big factors.
Using data from financial services company and personal finance website Bankrate, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the best and worst states to retire. Bankrate analyzed multiple data points and assigned a weight to each category: affordability (40%), well-being (20%), culture and diversity (15%), weather (15%), and crime (10%).
According to the report, Idaho ranks as the 18th worst place to retire among the 50 states. The state ranks sixth best in crime, its best performing category. This category takes into account both property and violent crime rates. Idaho’s worst performing category is weather. In this category, which is based on climate data and the likelihood of natural disasters, Idaho ranks eighth worst in the country.
But just wait until Global Warming kicks in! We are going to be paradise! 🤣
Of the 1,754,367 people who reside in Idaho, 15.8% are 65 or older, the 18th smallest share among states, according to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey.
All data in this story is from Bankrate and the U.S. Census Bureau. A full methodological explanation is available here.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/idaho/article_4491b426-8991-5cfa-9022-9fd0d6abc59d.html
| Overall rank | State | Best category | Best category ranking (of 50 states) | Worst Category | Worst category ranking (of 50 states) | Population age 65 and older (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | Culture and diversity | 1 | Crime | 27 | 20.5 |
| 2 | Georgia | Weather | 4 | Culture and diversity | 37 | 13.9 |
| 3 | Michigan | Affordability | 1 | Well-being | 39 | 17.2 |
| 4 | Ohio | Affordability | 11 | Culture and diversity | 34 | 17.0 |
| 5 | Missouri | Affordability | 3 | Crime | 42 | 16.9 |
| 6 | Kentucky | Weather | 3 | Culture and diversity | 50 | 16.4 |
| 7 | Texas | Affordability | 9 | Culture and diversity | 48 | 12.5 |
| 8 | Tennessee | Affordability | 2 | Crime | 45 | 16.4 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | Crime | 12 | Weather | 33 | 18.3 |
| 10 | South Dakota | Affordability | 15 | Weather | 41 | 16.7 |
| 11 | West Virginia | Weather | 8 | Well-being | 48 | 19.9 |
| 12 | Mississippi | Affordability | 4 | Well-being | 50 | 15.9 |
| 13 | Arizona | Weather | 1 | Crime | 41 | 17.6 |
| 14 | Iowa | Crime | 12 | Weather | 31 | 17.1 |
| 15 | North Carolina | Affordability | 16 | Well-being | 38 | 16.3 |
| 16 | Illinois | Well-being | 13 | Culture and diversity | 31 | 15.7 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | Crime | 12 | Weather | 38 | 16.9 |
| 18 | Indiana | Affordability | 12 | Culture and diversity | 43 | 15.7 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | Affordability | 6 | Culture and diversity | 46 | 15.7 |
| 20 | New York | Well-being | 5 | Affordability | 42 | 16.5 |
| 21 | Virginia | Crime | 9 | Culture and diversity | 40 | 15.4 |
| 22 | Wyoming | Crime | 7 | Weather | 49 | 16.4 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | Crime | 1 | Weather | 45 | 18.1 |
| 24 | North Dakota | Well-being | 16 | Weather | 46 | 15.3 |
| 25 | South Carolina | Weather | 16 | Crime | 46 | 17.7 |
| 26 | New Jersey | Well-being | 3 | Affordability | 46 | 16.2 |
| 27 | Nevada | Culture and diversity | 11 | Crime | 40 | 15.8 |
| 28 | Colorado | Well-being | 7 | Weather | 44 | 14.2 |
| 29 | Arkansas | Affordability | 8 | Well-being | 49 | 16.9 |
| 30 | Nebraska | Well-being | 19 | Weather | 37 | 15.7 |
| 31 | Utah | Well-being | 10 | Culture and diversity | 47 | 11.1 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | Well-being | 1 | Affordability | 47 | 16.5 |
| 33 | Idaho | Crime | 6 | Weather | 43 | 15.8 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | Crime | 7 | Affordability | 44 | 17.3 |
| 35 | Minnesota | Well-being | 15 | Weather | 42 | 15.8 |
| 36 | Alabama | Affordability | 10 | Well-being | 46 | 16.9 |
| 37 | Kansas | Affordability | 20 | Culture and diversity | 45 | 15.8 |
| 38 | Oregon | Culture and diversity | 6 | Affordability | 40 | 17.6 |
| 39 | Louisiana | Weather | 6 | Crime | 48 | 15.4 |
| 40 | Delaware | Culture and diversity | 2 | Affordability | 39 | 18.8 |
| 41 | Washington | Well-being | 9 | Affordability | 38 | 15.4 |
| 42 | Hawaii | Well-being | 2 | Affordability | 50 | 18.4 |
| 43 | Connecticut | Crime | 4 | Affordability | 48 | 17.2 |
| 44 | Maryland | Well-being | 4 | Affordability | 43 | 15.4 |
| 45 | Vermont | Culture and diversity | 3 | Affordability | 45 | 19.4 |
| 46 | Montana | Culture and diversity | 10 | Weather | 47 | 18.7 |
| 47 | New Mexico | Weather | 12 | Crime | 50 | 17.4 |
| 48 | California | Well-being | 6 | Affordability | 49 | 14.3 |
| 49 | Maine | Crime | 2 | Weather | 50 | 20.6 |
| 50 | Alaska | Culture and diversity | 26 | Crime | 49 | 11.9 |