There’s no doubt that some of us have tamped down our wanderlust during our working years, only to have it come roaring back once our ties to the office are untethered. Whether we have an itch to travel or an aspiration to lead a different type of life, we may want to pick up our belongings and move somewhere else once we’ve entered retirement. However, it appears from survey results that the most important influence on where we hope to live out our days is a much more practical consideration: that is, what can we afford, given the amount of money we have saved for retirement.

According to Retirement Living, a useful research resource for retirees, affordability is the most commonly cited consideration that influences where to retire. Almost half of those who responded to this year’s survey of Best and Worst Retirement States for 2024 said they would be willing to move to a state with a more favorable (i.e., affordable) retirement climate. Accordingly, Retirement Living created a new list for 2024 that focuses on such factors as retirement taxes, access to health care, housing costs, and crime statistics. In particular, their survey addressed 3 categories: cost of living, quality of life, and health care. Note that quality of life also factors in expenses and how accessible a comfortable lifestyle is, given the costs and taxes of the area. The state that was rated the #1 for retirement? New Hampshire. And the state that rates worst for retirement? California. To find out the status of all other states rated, grab a map and click here.

Other surveys and analyses also rate retirement options and come up with some slightly different recommendations. For example, continuing with the theme of affordability, GOBankingRates recently developed a list of the best places to retire if you won’t have $1 million saved for retirement (and many of us fall into that category). Of course, the cost of living, tax rates, and other expenses vary from state to state (you can find out here how much it costs to retire in every state), but according to GOBankingRates, the best place to live, based on affordability, along with “liveability” and percentage of the population over 65, is Boise, Idaho. This analysis lists 10 different cities and how long your money would last in each city, depending on whether you had saved $850,000, $750,000, or $650,000 for retirement. By the way, looking for a list of the states with the oldest population on average (perhaps thinking that you will feel more comfortable or there will be more services available for older adults)? USA Today says if that’s your criteria, Maine is your state.

If you’re in the market for a cheap but aesthetically beautiful place to live, then the list is slightly different. Among the places that appear to keep costs low but are eye-catching as well are southern cities like Athens, Georgia, and Greensboro, North Carolina, and midwest options such as Toledo, Ohio, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. For the full list of 25 cities to consider, gas up the car and click here.

Finally, if you have your sights set on an international retirement, International Living just released their updated list of The Best Places to Retire in 2024: The Annual Global Retirement Index. With places that range from South and Central America to Europe and Asia, you’re sure to find something that suits your desires (if not your wallet). What’s number one on their list? Click here to find out why Costa Rica may be your perfect forever place.