New England State Named the #1 Best State in the U.S to Retire

When I think of retirement I think of living easy. My parents did it right. They both worked for 30 years as teachers and retired in their mid 60's. They are still spritely, active, and full of life! They spend one half of the year soaking up rays in sunny Florida and the other half in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Their days consist of pickleball, reading, catching up with friends, and volunteering at various organizations. The biggest decision they have to make in a day is if they are going to take some chicken out of the freezer to defrost for dinner. That's the life. I wish that kind of retirement for everyone!

When a person reaches that stage of life, many factors come into play in terms of deciding WHERE they would like to retire. For many the ideal retirement spot would:

have nice weather
be affordable
be close in proximity to family friends
have lots of activities/a sense of community

Now, New Hampshire checks a few of those boxes. But I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't flabbergasted that a publication called retirementliving.com named New Hampshire #1 spot for U.S. retirement destinations for the second year in a row!

Why is New Hampshire the #1 retirement spot?

For one, it's a four-season state. If people who are used to experiencing all four seasons move somewhere where the weather is the same every single day, it can feel a little mundane; even if that weather is 75 and sunny! New Hampshire's varying weather allows residents to participate in a plethora of outdoor activities year-round.

Also, more than 20% of New Hampshire residents are 65 and older so therefore seniors will have little issue building a network of retirement-age friends with similar interests.

And let us not ignore the lack of income tax, estate tax, and sales tax. We have a lot more freedom than other states. It says Live Free or Die on our license plates for a reason.

We do have our touristy areas but the senior citizens get the royal treatment. They get discounts on state park tickets, beach parking, and recreational events and more.

Sure, we have one of the country’s highest real estate transfer taxes but folks are willing to overlook that in exchange for no state tax on retirement income and no sales taxes.

So step aside, Florida! There's a new state ready to welcome retirees with open arms. Florida did, however, make the top 10. You can check out the full list here.