Utah is one of the best states for retirement, according to a new WalletHub study.
The news: WalletHub released the findings of its annual best states to retire list, showing off the cities that are best states that will let you “you keep more money in your pocket without requiring a drastic lifestyle change.”
- The report compared all 50 states across 47 key metrics for retirement friendliness.
- WalletHub considered affordability, health-based factors and quality of life to make its rankings.
Why it matters: “Finding the best states to retire can be difficult without doing lots of research,” WalletHub said. “Even in the most affordable areas of the U.S., most retirees cannot rely on Social Security or pension checks alone to cover all of their living expenses.”
The national rankings: Not surprisingly, Florida — often deemed a retirement haven — topped the entire list. The entire top five read as such:
- Florida.
- Virginia.
- Colorado.
- Delaware.
- Minnesota.
Utah’s ranking: Utah finished at the No. 8 space, ranking one spot ahead of Western neighbor Arizona.
- Idaho finished at No. 11.
- Montana, another Western state, ranked at No 7. on the list
The bigger picture: The rankings indicate that the Western U.S. — from Colorado to Utah to Idaho to Arizona — are appealing options for retirement.
Flashback: Utah has consistently ranked among the best states for retirement. In 2020, Utah ranked No. 4 on the WalletHub list, scoring well for affordability, quality of life and health care categories, the Deseret News reported.
- In 2018, the state was listed as the second-best in the country for retirement, according to a report from Bankrate.com, which analyzed metrics such as cost of living, tax burden, weather, crime and health care, among other factors.