A new study by financial services firm Bankrate has ranked every U.S. state on how good—or bad—it is for retirees.

Choosing the right place to retire is essential for ensuring a comfortable, fulfilling, and financially stable life after work. A good retirement location can stretch your savings further through lower taxes and living costs, while offering access to quality health care—something that becomes increasingly important with age. The right climate can boost physical and mental well-being, and living in a safe, welcoming community helps prevent loneliness and isolation.

Ultimately, where you retire plays a major role in shaping your lifestyle, health, and peace of mind throughout your later years.

To determine which state is the best to spend those post-work years, Bankrate compared all 50 states across spanning eight categories, including affordability, safety, health care, taxes, arts and entertainment, and people of a similar age.

New England takes three of the top spots in the best five, but Western states also get a look-in. The top five best places are:

New Hampshire is at number one, offering a good blend of affordability and quality of life. Though it scores poorly on weather (40th), the state excels in neighborhood safety (1st), health care (5th), local taxes (6th), and senior population (7th).

Maine follows closely, with strong marks in safety (2nd), health care (3rd), and arts (4th), though it too scores low for weather (41st).

Wyoming ranks highest for taxes and is 4th in affordability, but its health care ranking (39th) is a notable weakness.

Vermont wins in arts (1st) and health care (1st) and already boasts a high senior population (2nd), but is weighed down by affordability (12th) and poor weather (43rd).

Idaho closes out the top five, scoring well in safety (3rd), affordability (9th), and taxes (11th), but ranks low in arts (37th) and senior population (35th).

At the other end of the spectrum:

Stephen Kates, Bankrate's financial analyst, said in the report: "Retirees and pre-retirees should take notice of these rankings because we looked beyond the typical categories to look closely at important lifestyle and risk factors for residents of various states. There is more to being a resident than just the number of sunny days and taxes. Categories like public safety, walkability, access to health care, air quality, recreational opportunities, and more add up to the daily quality of life retirees want."

Bankrate analyzed several factors to reflect what retirees value most, using weighted categories based on a national survey of American preferences. Affordability leads with the highest weight at 28 percent, followed by weather at 18 percent, neighborhood safety at 17 percent, health care at 16 percent, and local taxes at 9 percent. Arts, entertainment, and recreation have a smaller impact at 7 percent, with having people of similar age nearby at 3 percent. Lastly, other factors, such as walkability, community well-being, air pollution, and water quality, collectively account for 2 percent. This approach marks a shift from methodologies used in previous years.

for Bankrate's full methodology.

Update, 8/5/25, 8:35 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a summary of Bankrate's methodology.