Study: Georgia named best state to retire in 2021

If you're looking to retire, a new study finds there's no better place than the Peach State.

Financial publication Bankrate has named Georgia the best state to retire for 2021.

This year, Georgia took the top spot from its neighbors Florida and Tennessee. Missouri and Massachusetts round out the top 5 on the list.

In its analysis, Bankrate says Georgia ranked extremely high on affordability - saying its low cost of living and "light tax burden" helped make it take the top spot. Home prices also help the state. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median home price in metro Atlanta was $279,300 during the first quarter of 2021, thousands of dollars less than the $319,200 national median price and $325,000 in metro Orlando.

The study also looked at Georgia's weather and pointed to the average tornado risk, low earthquake risk, and warm average temperature.

Georgia ranked in the middle of the study's evaluation of wellness and crime. The state did place low in the study's culture category due to its low low percentages of over-65 residents, but that wasn't enough to drop it out of the top spot.

As for the worst state to retire, the study says Maryland ranks the lowest in the country.

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