This Is the No. 1 State for Retirees — and It's Not Florida

MarketWatch cites new data released by United Van Lines, which found that New Mexico was the No. 1 state where retirees moved. Tracking its customers' state-to-state migration patterns in 2018, the company found that more than four in 10 (43 percent) of the moves to New Mexico were related to retirement. In addition, almost 60 percent of the people who moved to the state were between the ages of 55 and 74. This marked the first time New Mexico landed in the top spot. Meanwhile, Florida placed second with 39 percent of the moves to the state related to retirement followed by Arizona, South Carolina, Idaho, Maine, Vermont, Nevada, and Montana in that order. Separately, data from the Census Bureau that personal finance site Smart Asset analyzed shows that with regards to net migration, Florida continues to rank as the No. 1 spot for retirees, with 84,600 more retirees moving to the Sunshine State than leaving. It was followed by Arizona in second place (28,600) and North Carolina in third (15,600). Nevertheless, there remains a compelling case to be made for retiring to the Land of Enchantment. Chiefly, New Mexico is affordable with a lower than average cost of living, median home prices under $200,000, and a tax environment that is moderately friendly to retired households. "For seniors (age 65 or older) there is an $8,000 deduction on retirement income if the household Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is less than $28,500 for single filers or $51,000 for marrieds filing jointly," SmartAsset concluded.