Idaho
Overall retirement ranking: #11
Population: 1.6 million
Share of population 65+: 14.3%
Cost of living: 5% below the U.S. average
Average income for 65+ households: $40,248
Average health care costs for a retired couple: Below average at $407,942
Tax rating for retirees: Mixed
Put your potato jokes away, people. Idaho has some serious advantages to offer your retirement. The state’s affordability, for one thing, makes it easy to stretch your retirement savings. And while the tax picture for retirees is mixed—there’s a statewide sales tax of 6% and a state income tax that can go as high as 7.4%—Social Security benefits are not subject to state taxes. Idaho also is one of the states that doesn’t have an inheritance or estate tax.