Ready to retire? Here are the 10 healthiest states for older Americans

seattle
Courtesy of Josh Fields from Pexels

Millions of employees will leave the workforce in 2023, but their quality of life could be influenced by where they lay down their roots in retirement. 

Global Residence Index, a citizenship management platform, rounded up the best and worst states for retirees, based on a variety of health factors like life expectancy, average Medicare spend and the percentage of the population that's over 65. Social and environmental factors also played a role in their rankings: the company considered crime rates and air quality when deciding their list. 

Read more: Secure 2.0 heads to Biden. Here's what it means for retirees 

"Retirement is a crucial stage of someone's life and choosing a place that is happy, healthy and safe is imperative," a spokesperson for Global Residence Index said in a release. "Community, environment, safety and health are some of the vital factors to consider when choosing the best state to retire in." 

States including Massachusetts and Hawaii ranked high on the list, due to high air quality scores and higher than average life expectancies. Hawaii residents have the highest life expectancy of 80.7 years old on average. Comparatively, Alabama ranked as the worst state for retirees — the state has an average life expectancy of 73.2 years old. Southern states including Tennessee, West Virginia and Mississippi also ranked poorly. 

Read more: 13 companies that expanded their benefits in 2022

Check out the list of healthiest states for retirees — did your home state make the cut? 

10: New Hampshire

9: Connecticut

8: Vermont

7: California

6: New York

5: Oregon

4: Hawaii

3: Massachusetts

2: Minnesota

1: Washington

MORE FROM EMPLOYEE BENEFIT NEWS