Rhode Island Named Worst State for Retirement

Illustration by Kyle Clauss

Rhode Island is the worst state for retirement, according to a new study.

The Ocean State placed at the bottom of personal finance social network WalletHub’s list of the best and worst states to retire. Connecticut followed close behind at No. 48, while Vermont was 47th.

The ranking compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia using 24 metrics across three areas: affordability (adjusted cost of living, taxation on pensions and Social Security income), quality of life (number of golf courses, museums, and theaters per capita, air quality, elder-friendly job market), and healthcare (life expectancy, quality of public hospitals, number of healthcare facilities per 100,000 residents).

Florida, predictably, placed at the top of WalletHub’s ranking, followed by Wyoming, South Dakota, South Carolina, and Colorado. The best state in New England to retire is Maine at No. 30, followed by New Hampshire (38) and Massachusetts (39).

Vermont had the highest property crime rate and third-highest percentage of employed people aged 65 and older. Massachusetts and Maine had the fourth and fifth-most museums per capita, respectively. Connecticut tied with California for the third-highest life expectancy, while Massachusetts and Vermont joined New York in a three-way tie for fifth.

You can check out WalletHub’s full ranking here.