WalletHub found Kentucky to be the worst place to retire based on cost, quality of life, and health care.
Kentucky scored 38.8 out of a possible 100 in WalletHub’s study of the best states to retire.
Based on WalletHub’s data, Kentucky has one of the lowest costs of living in the nation.
According to RentCafe’s cost of living calculator, Kentucky’s average annual cost of living is just over $40,000, 8% less than the national average.
Kentucky ranked among the worst in the nation for healthcare, according to WalletHub’s metrics.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentucky’s healthcare workforce has struggled to meet the state’s demand.
As of 2022, the Kentucky Hospital Association estimated that 38% of the state’s hospitals were in danger of closure due to poor financial performance.
But Kentucky’s lack of elder-friendly extracurricular activities and poor crime rates ranked the state among the worst for quality of life for retirees.