This article originally appeared and was published on AOL.com
Seniors relocate to new states for a number of reasons, including a decreased cost of living, closer proximity to friends and family, a milder climate, better benefits and overall higher quality of life.
So when you imagine the quintessential location to spend your golden years, chances are sunny states like Florida, California and Arizona come to mind. However, these idealized retirement destinations may not be so ideal after all, according to a recent report. Caring.com released a new ranking of the best states for aging, and the most affordable and stable spots for those 55 and older are probably not what you expect.
South Dakota leads the pack, with several other states in the Midwestern region trailing close behind. A few tropical locations made the list, but popular retirement state Florida didn’t land a spot this year.
Check out the list below to see the full ranking of top states for retirement:
1. South Dakota
2. Iowa
3. Minnesota
4. Alaska
5. Oregon
6. Colorado
7. Hawaii
8. South Carolina
9. Nebraska
10. Wisconsin
Caring.com collected these ratings by incorporating data on:
- Quality of life in a given area for residents over 55
- Quality of healthcare
- Long-term care
- Support for seniors and family caregiver
- Affordability of senior care
- More than 100,000 ratings of senior care providers in each state
Their sources included Genworth’s 2015 Cost of Care Survey, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, and the Long-term Scorecard, a joint effort by AARP, The Commonwealth Fund and The SCAN Foundation.
See below for the full list of the best states for growing old!
Alabama – Age 62
Alaska – Age 65
Arizona – Age 63
Arkansas – Age 62
California – Age 64
Colorado – Age 64
Delaware – Age 62
Connecticut – Age 64
Florida – Age 63
Georgia – Age 62
Hawaii – Age 63
Idaho – Age 63
Illinois – Age 63
Indiana – Age 63
Iowa – Age 64
Kansas – Age 65
Kentucky – Age 62
Louisiana – Age 63
Maine – Age 64
Maryland – Age 64
Massachusetts – Age 64
Michigan – Age 62
Minnesota – Age 63
Mississippi – Age 63
Missouri – Age 63
Montana – Age 63
Nebraska – Age 65
Nevada – Age 63
New Hampshire – Age 65
New Jersey – Age 65
New Mexico – Age 63
New York – Age 64
North Carolina – Age 63
North Dakota – Age 63
Ohio – Age 63
Oklahoma – Age 63
Oregon – Age 63
Pennsylvania – Age 63
Rhode Island – Age 64
South Carolina – Age 62
South Dakota – Age 63
Tennessee – Age 63
Texas – Age 64
Utah – Age 65
Vermont – Age 65
Virginia – Age 63
Washington – Age 64
West Virginia – Age 62
Wisconsin – Age 63
Wyoming – Age 65
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