This East Coast State Was Just Named the Best Place to Retire for Safety, Taxes, and Health Care

"New Hampshire ranked first overall, with strong performances in multiple categories, including neighborhood safety (first), health care (fifth), taxes (sixth), and people of a similar age (seventh). "New Hampshire mixes an affordable lifestyle with strong quality-of-life in terms of safety, health care, and the arts," the report explained. "As far as taxes, New Hampshire does charge income tax on individual incomes, though it charges a three percent tax only on interest and dividends. That means retirees' Social Security dollars could stretch further here than in other tax-heavy states."

"In fact, Maine came in second overall, scoring first for number of senior residents, second for neighborhood safety, and third for health care. However, both New Hampshire and Maine ranked in the bottom 15 for weather due to their low levels of sunlight. In the general ranking, Maine is followed by Wyoming in third, Vermont in fourth, and Idaho in fifth."

"Last year, over 4.1 million Americans hit retirement age. Although that doesn't mean every single one of them stopped working, it does mean that a record number of people are at least considering how and where to live out their golden years. According to Bankrate, retirees should seriously look at New England."

Over 4.1 million Americans reached retirement age last year, producing a record cohort evaluating retirement locations. State rankings for 2025 place New Hampshire first, with high marks for neighborhood safety, health care, tax treatment, and residents of similar age. New Hampshire applies a three percent tax only to interest and dividends, which can make Social Security income stretch further for retirees. Maine ranks second, leading in percentage of senior residents and performing well in safety and health care, though both New Hampshire and Maine score poorly for sunlight and weather. The top five also includes Wyoming, Vermont, and Idaho.

Read at Travel + Leisure