Illinois is NOT the Worst State to Retire in…But its Close.

A website ranked all the states from best to worst for retirement in 2023 and Illinois is not dead last...but it's close. Here are the rankings, and why does Illinois rank so low?

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WalletHub.com has unveiled their 2023 Best States to Retire and shocker (not really) Illinois is near the bottom of the list. They rank Illinois as the 44th best state to retire in, the only states worse to retire in this year are Kentucky, New Jersey, Mississippi, Oklahoma, New York, and Louisiana. So why does Illinois rank so low? On the site they say...

"To determine the best states to retire, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 47 key indicators of retirement-friendliness. Our analysis examines affordability, health-related factors and overall quality of life."

Illinois ranks a terrible 42nd in affordability, and below average in health care is ranked 27th. What really hurts, but again is not surprising, is Illinois ranks 50th in the WalletHub Taxpayer Ranking. To see the full list of the best and worst states to retire in this year click here! 

For our readers, and listeners, on the Missouri side of the river, Missouri ranks a really great 13th on the list!

I will say that Illinois will continue to lose its population and struggle to gain positive momentum if we can't become more competitive in the retirement rankings. Why would people in their 30s or 40s want to move their family to Illinois knowing that when they are done working they will have to move again to retire?