A new study has analyzed Census Bureau data to determine in which states the typical retiree is living a “healthy” retirement – that is, a retirement where one earns at least 70 percent of their pre-retirement income.
The study found there was only one state where the median retiree had enough retirement income: Nevada.
From Time.com:
Financial advisers generally agree you need at least 70% of pre-retirement income to maintain your lifestyle after calling it quits. Many say 80% to 85% is a more appropriate target.
But even using the lower bar, Nevada is the only state where the typical retiree has sufficient income to live comfortably in retirement, according to a study from Interest.com, a division of Bankrate, a financial information provider. The District of Columbia also makes the cut. But every other jurisdiction in the nation falls short, underscoring the scope of the retirement income crisis in America.
Nationally, the median income for those who are 65 and older equals just 60% of the median income for those aged 45 to 64, the study found. In Nevada, median income for those past 65 is 71%. In Washington D.C., the figure is 74%. States that get close to the minimum retirement income level are Hawaii (69%), Arizona (68%) and Mississippi (68%). At the bottom are Massachusetts (49%) and North Dakota (49%).
The national rate represents a jump of 10 percentage points over the past decade. But that is not as encouraging as it may appear, reflecting trends where older Americans stay on the job longer and young workers fail to see significant wage gains. The share of Americans working past 65 has been increasing for 20 years and reached 18.9% this May, one of the highest levels in the last half century.
Just below Nevada were Mississippi and Arizona, state where retirees benefit low costs of living, as well as Hawaii, a state that carries a “strong pension culture”.
Near the bottom of the list was Massachusetts.