Best and Worst States for Retirement: The Complete List

MoneyRates.com has received a flurry of press coverage plus several questions and comments regarding our lists of 10 worst and 10 best states for retirement.

Some of you asked about specific states that weren't on either list -- or to see the entire list. To let everyone see where their state ranked, here's MoneyRates.com's entire list, from the best state for retirement to the worst state for retirement:

1. New Hampshire

2. Hawaii

3. South Dakota

4. North Dakota

5. Iowa

6. Virginia

7. Utah

8. Connecticut

9. Vermont

10. Idaho

11. Rhode Island

12. Nebraska

13. California

14. Massachusetts

15. Texas

16. Kansas

17. Kentucky

18. Minnesota

19. Florida

20. New Jersey

21. Colorado

22. West Virginia

23. Washington

24. Wisconsin

25. Wyoming

26. Arizona

27. Montana

28. Maine

29. Mississippi

30. Oregon

31. Oklahoma

32. New York

33. Alabama

34. New Mexico

35. Delaware

36. Georgia

37. Indiana

38. Pennsylvania

39. Louisiana

40. Illinois

41. Arkansas

42. Missouri

43. North Carolina

44. Ohio

45. Tennessee

46. Maryland

47. South Carolina

48. Alaska

49. Michigan

50. Nevada

With that, let the arguments begin!

MoneyRates.com recognizes that there will be differing opinions on this. In fact, most of the states in the bottom ten had a top-ten ranking for at least one of our criteria, proving that there is usually something to love about every state. Also, a recent MoneyRates.com/GetRichSlowly.org poll confirmed that proximity to family often outweighs all other considerations in choosing a retirement location.

Still, the importance of the MoneyRates.com list is to help retirees make their choices with open eyes. After all, while most of the bottom states ranked well in one category or another, most had bottom-ten rankings in multiple other categories. If a state has a great climate, but also has a high tax burden or a problem with crime, those are things you should know about before retiring there.

As always, we appreciate your comments. Specifically, was there something we missed? Is there a quantifiable factor that should be figured into our calculations of best and worst states for retirees? Your suggestions will give us food for future thought.