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New popular retirement destinations are breaking the mold

The current generation of retirees has a new list of priorities

Updated:

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By:
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Mark Huffman
Reporter

Mark Huffman has covered consumer issues since 2004, with a special focus on protecting and empowering older adults. A former news correspondent for the Associated Press Radio Network, Westwood One, and ConsumerAffairs, Mark brings decades of journalistic experience to RetirementLiving.com. He is passionate about giving consumers a voice and helping them make informed decisions. Mark has also created educational content, including Senior Scam Alert, a video resource designed to help seniors recognize and avoid fraud. He holds a B.A. from the University of Kentucky and lives with his family in Richmond, Virginia.

Photo by Yucel Moran on Unsplash

Key Insights

  • New retirement hotspots reflect shifting priorities, with affordability and quality of life often outweighing traditional warm-weather destinations—Delaware and West Virginia are emerging alternatives to Florida and Arizona.
  • Cost of living and access to healthcare now lead decision-making, as more retirees live on fixed incomes and plan to “age in place” rather than relocate multiple times.
  • Florida is losing ground as a top aging-in-place option, due to high housing costs and limited home health care access, while states like Utah are gaining appeal for their strong community support and healthcare infrastructure.

Where you end up in retirement now has a lot to do with how you plan to retire. According to AARP, Florida remains the top retirement destination, but is getting plenty of competition from some unlikely states.

Florida has retained its number one position, mainly because of its year-round warm weather and a lack of state tax. But according to AARP, Arizona is the second-most desirable retirement destination for many of the same reasons and is gaining ground as Florida becomes increasingly crowded and expensive.

However, when John Burns Research and Consulting studied different data, it ranked states based on their highest and lowest median property tax rates. It found two other states have begun to draw retirees in greater numbers – Delaware and West Virginia.

Those choices suggest climate is not the draw it once was. Rather, those two states offer low taxes and a cost of living much lower than the national average, considerations of growing importance to a population living on fixed incomes.

According to a Bankrate study, West Virginia has the lowest cost of living in the U.S. and is the most affordable state in the country. But there are other draws. The state capital of Charleston offers large city amenities, in the midst of scenic mountains, forests and rivers.

Aging in place

For retirees who intend to “age in place,” the most desirable states shift again. A recent study of aging in place found Florida to be the worst state in which to do it. 

The study found that Florida’s last-place finish is due to its limited access to home health aides. Housing costs are also among the highest in the nation, though prices have begun to fall in some areas. But more than a third of retired Floridians spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

The study found Utah is the best state for seniors to age in place. Only 35% of seniors there live alone, reducing social isolation. And despite its climate, the state doesn’t get that much snow, except in the mountains.

When selecting a location to live while aging in place, proximity to medical facilities is essential. States with a higher density of hospitals, primary care physicians, and specialists – especially geriatricians – are good choices, 

Also, look for states that score well in healthcare quality rankings and offer broad Medicare Advantage plan options.