Where to move in retirement?

McKnight’s had an article about the best cheapest states for assisted living facilities. The best and worst states to live in depends on what you’re looking for. When considering where you or a loved one should spend their senior years, consider a state that seems to truly care about its residents, so you can love where you live.

For adults planning to purchase assisted living care, South Dakota is determined to be the most affordable state for assisted living. South Dakota’s annual median rate of $52,000 is $20,000 less than the national median, and the state also spends about $7,029 per Medicaid enrollee.

Mississippi has been ranked as the second most inexpensive state, followed by Alabama, with each having median annual rates of $53,343 and $54,870, respectively. Louisiana is also recorded to have low assisted living rates, with an average of $50,336 annually.

However, the most expensive states are known to be Hawaii with an average rate of $135, 735.

When ranking the cost of general senior living, Mississippi and Texas are recorded as being half the cost of states such as California or New York. Similar to South Dakota, Texas is also notable for the high rates the state pays, spending about $9,637 per enrollee. The Lone Star State is also highly ranked for their lower cost of healthcare.

However, California has the most assisted living communities in the nation as well as the most care staff working in assisted living communities. So it may be easier to find a community and an aid in California.

It’s also important to consider that while the care in particular states may be more affordable, it’s possible the lower cost is from a lower quality of care being provided. Consumers should explore everything their state’s plans offer and discuss the quality with customers who have already experienced it. It is unfortunately far too often that providers try to pass off low-quality care as standard. In fact, the staff-to-resident ratio in the U.S. is recorded as being as high as 1 to 20 on average. Worse, the average annual pay for such staff is a meager $36,280, making decent care hard to come by in the U.S.

Considering the state of America’s assisted living options, it’s perhaps better to consider living in a state that encourages a healthier lifestyle so seniors stay more capable and independent for longer.

By analyzing the physical activity, health status, proximity to outdoor and fitness facilities, and life expectancy, Colorado has been ranked as the best state for active aging.

Here, 79% of older adults have been recorded as having an active lifestyle, with more having easy access to parks and gyms.

For similar reasons, North Dakota was ranked the second best, with Utah as the third, and Washington D.C. as the fourth best. Massachusetts, having scored high in longevity, ranks as the fifth best.

Seniors looking to move to improve their lifestyle should not consider West Virginia, as a low percentage of older adults report being in good health and older adults have much less access to gyms. Joining West Virginia a the bottom were Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. As previously stated, the lower price tag of senior living in these states has been linked to lower-quality care, and, to put it bluntly, lower life expectancies.