For most Americans, retiring before 50 sounds like an impossible dream. With housing, healthcare and everyday costs climbing, financial freedom might feel like a long way off. Yet Neil Jesani Wealth found there are still parts of the country where early retirement can actually work.
According to the Pew Research Center, on average, Americans say the ideal retirement age is 61.8, well past 50. With longer careers and higher costs, escaping the workforce early takes strategy, and it seems that picking the right state helps. Lower healthcare costs, manageable rents and retiree-friendly taxes can all stretch savings further than expected.
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To find where money lasts the longest, Neil Jesani Wealth analyzed living costs, healthcare expenses, life expectancy and tax rules and shared the results with GOBankingRates. The money needed to retire after 40 was calculated using annual healthcare costs and cost of living, and the number of years to live carefree after 40 was calculated using life expectancy and costs, to predict how long someone could enjoy retirement for without financial problems.
An overall retirement safety score was calculated out of 100, with the higher the number meaning the better chance of retiring young and finding it easy. Here are the ten best states to retire before 50 based on the results.
Iowa
- Money you need to retire after 40: $1,560,554
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 37.7
- Quality of life index: 55.5
- Retirement safety score: 99
New Hampshire
- Money you need to retire after 40: $2,334,217
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 38.5
- Quality of life index: 65.6
- Retirement safety score: 93
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Wyoming
- Money you need to retire after 40: $1,708,665
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 35
- Quality of life index: 55.9
- Retirement safety score: 89
South Dakota
- Money you need to retire after 40: $1,823,522
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 36.6
- Quality of life index: 49.2
- Retirement safety score: 87
Nevada
- Money you need to retire after 40: $1,750,367
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 35.1
- Quality of life index: 45.2
- Retirement safety score: 81
North Dakota
- Money you need to retire after 40: $1,762,199
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 37.6
- Quality of life index: 50.4
- Retirement safety score: 79
Arizona
- Money you need to retire after 40: $1,803,200
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 35
- Quality of life index: 54.3
- Retirement safety score: 76
Hawaii
- Money you need to retire after 40: $2,627,575
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 39.9
- Quality of life index: 60.1
- Retirement safety score: 75
Utah
- Money you need to retire after 40: $1,830,735
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 38.2
- Quality of life index: 62.7
- Retirement safety score: 74
Alaska
- Money you need to retire after 40: $2,074,002
- Number of years to live carefree after 40: 34.5
- Quality of life index: 51.2
- Retirement safety score: 73
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 States Make It Possible for You To Retire Before 50
