If you’re a woman hoping to retire in style or simply grow old in peace, you may want to avoid New York. According to a new study from Expert Market, despite what Taylor Swift would have you believe, New York is not welcoming to older women.
American women are almost twice as likely as men to live below the poverty line during retirement, so it’s important to know where your dollars will go the farthest. The study evaluated all 50 states on areas like quality of life, affordability, and healthcare–and New York came in dead last. The Empire State rated low in women’s opportunities and well-being, particularly because of its tough economy, expensive living costs, a tax rate 27% higher than the national average, and high unemployment. That made New York the worst state for women to retire. Rounding out the bottom of the list were Mississippi, thanks to poor healthcare, as well as Alaska, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey.
Instead, women of a certain age should start practicing their “alohas.” Hawaii is the number one state for women to retire, thanks to excellent heathcare and easy to access Medicaid. That translates to a high life expectancy, plenty of opportunities for women, and a thriving retiree community. If you’re allergic to pineapple and sunshine, other top-ranked retirement spots include New Hampshire, Tennessee, Iowa, and Vermont. Noticeably absent from the top 10 states is Florida. While the Sunshine State may have worked for the Golden Girls, the state scored poorly for providing women with opportunities and had one of the highest rates of uninsured females.
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