Maryland Is The Worst State For Retirement, Study Says
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Despite all of the great things about Maryland from seafood, beaches, wineries, and more --- it's ranked as the worst state for retirement.
For this study, Bankrate looked at affordability, weather and a number of other factors important to retirees.
Maryland ranked dead last at no. 50 overall. It ranked no. 47 for affordability, no. 33 for crime, no. 42 for culture, no. 18 for weather, and no. 37 for wellness.
"Where to live is probably one of the most personal decisions one can make because it's not just about preferences, it's also about the financial considerations that are associated with it," says Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.
Weather was by far the best thing Maryland had to offer according to this study.
The best state for retirement: Nebraska. Iowa, Missouri and South Dakota round up the top 4.
Florida ranks no. 5, North Carolina ranks no. 7 and Hawaii ranks. no. 10.
Maryland neighbor Delaware ranks no. 32 and Virginia ranks no. 39.
What are the other worst states? New York ranks no. 49, Alaska ranks no. 48, Illinois ranks no. 47 and Washington state ranks no. 46.
"Obviously, a primary area of concern for older Americans is health care costs," Hamrick says. "The older we get, the more likely it is we're going to have an increasing need for health care services. In some cases, there will be illness and, in some cases, there will catastrophic illness. That can be very expensive."
