Where you live in retirement can affect your health, your wallet, and your social life. In this episode, Rally breaks down the top 10 states for healthy aging in America — ranked across 13 factors, including healthcare access, affordability, and how active seniors really are. Whether you’re seriously considering a move or just curious, you’ll come away knowing exactly what to look for. Study source for this episode: America First Healthcare
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Hey Beautiful People…welcome to the Silver Beast Podcast. I’m Rally Preston, 71 years old – it sounds like I’m bragging, but no, just a fact.
Anyway, on today’s episode, you’re going to help me move to a different state.
Well, I’m not actually asking you to tape up boxes and load the U-Haul…although if you want to…free beer and pizza! Any takers? Anyone? Well, that worked for my first apartment.
But no, seriously, my wife and I are just thinking of moving from our beautiful abode here in Arizona… to… anyplace else.
Why you ask? Well any number of reasons…and as of right now, let me look, there’s exactly 108 reasons…because it’s 108 degrees out.
So yeah, we’ve been thinking about moving a lot lately.
So I thought this episode would help us decide where to move. No clue yet. And maybe you, too if you’ve been thinking about it. And if you live in Arizona right now, you probably are.
So I poked around and found this recent study.
Now this should help.
This one looked at all fifty states and ranked them for “healthy aging.”
Now “healthy aging” is not a great catchphrase for a tourism bureau…but, OK – I’m intrigued.
So this study came up with a bunch of different metrics to put together their top 10 list of healthy aging hotspots in the US of A.
So the big idea behind this particular study was: where you live in retirement actually matters.
It can affect your health, your wallet, your social life…all kinds of things.
So they’re saying, where you live might be one of the most important decisions you can make. But hey, no pressure.
So this one looked at things like: healthcare access, affordability, how active seniors are in that state, social isolation, home costs, safety, the weather. … like 13 different factors in all. They really did their homework.
So I wanted to share this one with you.
OK, so here’s the top ten states for healthy aging. Are you ready?
And we’re going in reverse order here…I know…lots of podcast suspense here, right?
So coming in at number ten is… Washington State. Great health behaviors. Lowest physical inactivity rate in the whole country – so seniors tend to be very active here. Solid score overall. So the trade-off in Washington State? Well, mainly, higher housing costs and some social isolation issues. But health-wise, seniors are doing things right in the number 10 state, Washington State.
OK, next, number nine is Arizona. Hey, we made the top 10 – squeaked in there! Now you know about Arizona. Warm climate it says – and that’s an understatement. Established retirement communities. And seniors here are staying active – well when it’s cooler. Still a popular pick for retirees. So that’s Arizona at number 9.
Ok so the number eight state for “healthy aging” is… New Hampshire. Granite State, solid state here. Lowest food insecurity. Healthcare coverage is outstanding, it says. Very low poverty rate. They actually won an award as the best state for retirees in 2025. So. way to go New Hampshire – number eight this year.
Alright, next we have number seven… Wisconsin. Known as the best state for overall well-being in 2024. So it’s affordable. Financially accessible. Great composite score across the board. Now, physical inactivity is a little higher here – but, consolation prize: all the deep-fried cheese curds you can eat! And affordability gets high marks here, just bring your snow shovel. Yeah, that’s Wisconsin coming in at number seven.
Alright, number six for healthy aging is… Minnesota. Really low food insecurity. Strong healthcare coverage. Low early death rate — one of the best in the country. And volunteerism is really high there, those seniors are engaged and connected. Oh — and yeah, the weather ranks forty-ninth. Out of fifty. Ooops. So…there’s that. But if you’re thinking about number six, Minnesota – bundle up!
Alright, next we have number five is… Delaware. Don’t ask me to find it on a map. Strong healthcare coverage here though— almost ninety-seven percent of seniors have a dedicated provider. And there’s low poverty rate. Low early death rate. And it’s the third most affordable state in the country. Delaware keeps a low profile, but the numbers are impressive. So that’s Delaware – number 5 on this list.
Alright, moving on, number four for healthy aging is Idaho. Now this one kinda surprised me. The study actually calls Idaho the “sleeper pick.” Lowest housing cost burden in the entire top ten. Second best in the whole country. So financially, seniors in Idaho are squeezed less than almost anywhere else. So that’s cool. It says Nursing home quality could be better. But ok, that’s Idaho at number four.
OK, we’re getting close – number three is Vermont. Now outstanding healthcare system here. Near-universal coverage. Strong nursing home quality. And Vermont has a statewide ten-year plan specifically designed to make it a great place to age — and they call it Age Strong VT. So they’re not all about the maple syrup up there…so that’s Vermont at number three.
Number two for healthy aging is Colorado. Active lifestyle, great weather for getting outside, second lowest early death rate in the nation. And this says it was named the best state for aging back in 2017…well it’s 2026, but OK, we’ll let it slide. Colorado seniors are an active bunch. And you know what, we’ve got a kid living up there – and it is a gorgeous place. So that’s Colorado at number two.
And here’s the moment you all have been waiting for…the number one state for healthy aging in America is: Utah.
Utah yeah, another Four Corners state. Overall score of 80.9 out of 100. And that’s not even close to any other state. Lowest physical inactivity rate in the country, so seniors are getting busy in the beehive state. And one of the lowest early death rates. Strong volunteerism. And strong community connection. Utah is not just winning in the healthy aging category — it’s lapping the entire field. So kudos to our neighbor to the north.
OK. So what do we do with all this?
Well, whether you’re serious or not about relocating, or just want to know your options, I want to give you some practical things to think through.
And this is what my wife and I are doing right now.
Because moving in your senior years is kind of a big deal, because we’re not seniors in high school anymore.
So if you’re thinking of moving, like we are, here are some quick Silver Beast Action Steps for you.
Alright so, Step One: Don’t just chase the weather. Look, we all want sunshine. But weather alone doesn’t predict healthy aging. So best thing to do here is make a list of what actually matters most to you. Healthcare. Cost of living. How close you’ll be to the rest of the family. Sense of community…things like that. So just figure out what’s really important to you before you fall in love with a climate.
Alright, Step Two: Run the real numbers. This is the big one. Before you get excited about moving to a new state, sit down with your actual budget. What does it cost to live there? The property taxes? Is there a state income tax on your Social Security? Just get a feel for all the costs involved first.
Step Three: Check your Medicare situation. So Medicare coverage networks change at the state line, right? The doctors in your network, your supplemental plan, your Part D drug coverage — all of it can shift when you relocate. So before the moving truck shows up, know what your Medicare picture looks like in that new state and prep accordingly.
Alright, Step Four: Think about Your family. Your friends. Your community. So social connection is a big factor in healthy aging. If moving puts thousands of miles between you and your kids and your grandkids, well factor all that in.
And finally, Step Five: Plan an extended visit. Not just a long weekend. So actually go and spend some time there — a few weeks if you can swing it. Walk around. Eat at local spots. Talk to people your age who live there (and if you can’t find any, that might be a red flag.) So get a feel for the place, the vibe. Your gut will tell you things a pretty picture never will. So, boots on the ground here is the way to go here before you decide.
Alright, my friends. So what I got from this little exercise is that where you live can affect how well you age. And that’s not some trivial thing, right?
My wife and I are still figuring it out. And we need to do more homework here first. But this study of the top 10 states was a pretty good place to start.
OK, that’s a wrap on this one. I’ll let you know what we decide. And if you want to move to number nine, Arizona, I might have the perfect home for you.
OK, in the meantime, this is Rally Preston saying thanks so much for dropping by the Silver Beast Podcast today. And take care!