Nevada One of the Worst Places to Live for Older Americans

Special Report

Published: February 21, 2022 12:00 pm

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a surge of retirements across the U.S. labor force. Experts estimate that in the first 18 months of the pandemic, there were 2.4 million more retirements than there would have otherwise been. Due in part to the historic increase, an estimated 19.3% of the U.S. population were retired as of mid-2021, the largest share in at least the last 25 years.

The two primary reasons older Americans left the workforce for good in recent months were the health risks posed by the pandemic and rising asset values – particularly in housing and the stock market – that made retirement financially feasible. Indeed, health and financial stability are two of many factors that affect overall quality of life throughout old age. Here is a look at what it costs to retire comfortably in every state.

With retirements at historic levels, 24/7 Wall St. created an index of over a dozen key socioeconomic measures to identify the best and worst states to grow old in. The measures were chosen to gauge the health, financial well-being, safety, and social engagement of 65 and older populations in each state.

Nevada ranks as the fifth worst state in the country for older Americans. Disadvantages in the state include a far higher than average violent crime rate. There were 460 violent crimes for every 100,000 people in Nevada in 2020, compared to 399 per 100,000 nationwide. Health outcomes for older state residents are also worse than average. Life expectancy at age 65 in the state is just 18.7 years, nearly a year below the national average.

Levels of social engagement among older Nevadans are also low. Only 69.3% of the state population 65 and older spends time with family at least a few times per week, the smallest share of any state, and only 29.7% of Nevada’s 65 and older population report doing a favor for their neighbors at least once a month, the second smallest share of any state.

Rank	State	Population 65 and older (%)	Avg. annual earnings, 65 and older households ($)	Life expectancy at age 65 (years)
1	Delaware	19.5	63,962	19.2
2	Hawaii	19.0	81,027	21.1
3	Connecticut	17.6	79,202	20.3
4	Utah	11.4	61,313	19.5
5	Maryland	15.9	80,477	19.4
6	Massachusetts	17.0	76,131	19.9
7	New York	16.9	79,339	20.2
8	Washington	15.9	66,581	19.8
9	Colorado	14.7	64,403	20.0
10	Vermont	20.1	54,525	19.8
11	New Hampshire	18.6	62,642	19.5
12	Wisconsin	17.5	46,908	19.5
13	New Jersey	16.6	79,112	19.9
14	Oregon	18.2	54,612	19.7
15	Virginia	15.9	68,435	19.3
16	Minnesota	16.3	53,272	20.0
17	Maine	21.3	48,025	19.1
18	Nebraska	16.1	54,249	19.3
19	Pennsylvania	18.7	59,513	19.1
20	Florida	20.9	60,598	19.9
21	Rhode Island	17.7	69,256	19.5
22	Idaho	16.2	52,216	19.3
23	South Dakota	17.4	48,100	19.7
24	California	14.8	80,459	20.3
25	Iowa	17.5	49,521	19.3
26	Michigan	17.7	52,137	18.9
27	Montana	19.5	48,370	19.5
28	Illinois	16.1	62,797	19.4
29	Wyoming	17.1	52,054	19.0
30	Arizona	18.0	57,469	19.6
31	Ohio	17.5	50,402	18.4
32	North Carolina	16.7	52,481	18.7
33	South Carolina	18.2	51,372	18.6
34	Kansas	16.4	53,081	18.8
35	Alaska	12.4	69,443	19.2
36	Indiana	16.1	51,950	18.3
37	North Dakota	15.8	62,662	19.7
38	Georgia	14.3	59,751	18.4
39	Missouri	17.2	51,940	18.4
40	West Virginia	20.5	45,532	17.6
41	Tennessee	16.7	55,990	17.9
42	New Mexico	18.0	58,485	19.5
43	Texas	12.9	64,589	18.9
44	Alabama	17.4	51,601	17.6
45	Oklahoma	16.1	61,091	17.6
46	Nevada	16.2	56,563	18.7
47	Louisiana	16.0	55,809	17.9
48	Kentucky	16.9	52,989	17.5
49	Arkansas	17.4	47,041	17.9
50	Mississippi	16.4	49,422	17.5

Nevada One of the Worst Places to Live for Older Americans

Latest from 24/7

These Countries Are Running Out Of People

These Countries Own The Most U.S. Debt, and It's a Big Deal

These Are the American Cities With the Most Federally Subsidized Affordable...

These Countries Have The Most Political Violence