How Much Does a Comfortable Retirement Cost for a Couple in Every State?

Learn about retirement cost by state and safe money retirement strategies at SafeMoney.com.

Quick answer: For a retired couple, this 2025 model estimates that a comfortable annual budget ranges from $37,562 in West Virginia to $109,863 in Hawaii. “Comfortable” means estimated necessities plus a 20% buffer. These are statewide planning estimates, not personalized budgets; housing, healthcare, taxes, debt, lifestyle, and metro area can materially change a household’s actual cost.

Retirement Cost for a Couple in All 50 States

State	Necessities	Comfortable annual	Comfortable monthly	Gap after assumed couple SS
Alabama	$34,811	$41,773	$3,481	$6,242
Alaska	$53,296	$63,955	$5,330	$28,424
Arizona	$48,377	$58,052	$4,838	$22,521
Arkansas	$33,162	$39,795	$3,316	$4,264
California	$75,091	$90,110	$7,509	$54,579
Colorado	$56,528	$67,833	$5,653	$32,303
Connecticut	$53,223	$63,868	$5,322	$28,337
Delaware	$47,138	$56,566	$4,714	$21,036
Florida	$46,005	$55,206	$4,601	$19,676
Georgia	$41,978	$50,374	$4,198	$14,843
Hawaii	$91,553	$109,863	$9,155	$74,333
Idaho	$50,299	$60,359	$5,030	$24,828
Illinois	$39,772	$47,726	$3,977	$12,195
Indiana	$36,732	$44,078	$3,673	$8,547
Iowa	$35,190	$42,228	$3,519	$6,697
Kansas	$36,309	$43,571	$3,631	$8,040
Kentucky	$34,273	$41,127	$3,427	$5,597
Louisiana	$33,464	$40,156	$3,346	$4,626
Maine	$49,763	$59,716	$4,976	$24,186
Maryland	$50,894	$61,073	$5,089	$25,543
Massachusetts	$69,506	$83,407	$6,951	$47,876
Michigan	$36,687	$44,025	$3,669	$8,494
Minnesota	$43,696	$52,436	$4,370	$16,905
Mississippi	$32,040	$38,448	$3,204	$2,917
Missouri	$36,428	$43,714	$3,643	$8,183
Montana	$50,100	$60,120	$5,010	$24,590
Nebraska	$37,894	$45,473	$3,789	$9,943
Nevada	$49,785	$59,742	$4,979	$24,212
New Hampshire	$55,788	$66,945	$5,579	$31,415
New Jersey	$58,914	$70,697	$5,891	$35,167
New Mexico	$40,789	$48,946	$4,079	$13,416
New York	$53,234	$63,881	$5,323	$28,350
North Carolina	$42,732	$51,278	$4,273	$15,747
North Dakota	$39,334	$47,201	$3,933	$11,670
Ohio	$36,771	$44,125	$3,677	$8,594
Oklahoma	$33,755	$40,506	$3,376	$4,976
Oregon	$55,691	$66,829	$5,569	$31,299
Pennsylvania	$39,406	$47,287	$3,941	$11,757
Rhode Island	$54,352	$65,223	$5,435	$29,692
South Carolina	$39,794	$47,753	$3,979	$12,222
South Dakota	$41,511	$49,813	$4,151	$14,283
Tennessee	$40,036	$48,043	$4,004	$12,513
Texas	$39,982	$47,978	$3,998	$12,447
Utah	$53,713	$64,455	$5,371	$28,925
Vermont	$49,156	$58,987	$4,916	$23,456
Virginia	$47,596	$57,115	$4,760	$21,584
Washington	$62,192	$74,631	$6,219	$39,100
West Virginia	$31,302	$37,562	$3,130	$2,032
Wisconsin	$42,212	$50,654	$4,221	$15,124
Wyoming	$43,578	$52,293	$4,358	$16,762

The source model describes a retired couple. The comfortable estimate equals necessities plus a 20% buffer. The final column subtracts an illustrative $35,532 annual married-couple Social Security benefit; it is not a household-specific benefit quote.

Methodology and Sources

GOBankingRates used Q1 2025 MERIC cost-of-living indexes, 2023 Census ACS data, BLS expenditures for retired consumer units, July 2025 Zillow home values, and an August 27, 2025 FRED mortgage rate. See the source methodology and state estimates.

Limits of a Statewide Estimate

The source includes an estimated mortgage expense, and statewide averages hide metro differences. Healthcare, long-term care, taxes, debt, housing status, and lifestyle can materially change actual spending. Use the table as a comparison, then build a local household budget before making a retirement or relocation decision.

About this page

Written by Brent Meyer, Founder, SafeMoney.com.

Financial review record: A prior review was reported for this page, but the reviewer’s identity and review date are not available in the records provided. This page is not presented as newly reviewed.

Source reference date: August 27, 2025. This is the date associated with the linked source data, not the date of a qualified financial review.

Existing source check date: Not recorded. No separate source-check date is recorded for this page.

Methodology and assumptions

The table uses the linked GOBankingRates state model for a retired couple and keeps the source categories comparable across all 50 states.
Comfortable annual cost equals the displayed necessities estimate multiplied by 1.20; the monthly figure is that annual amount divided by 12 and rounded.
The final column subtracts the source model’s illustrative $35,532 annual married-couple Social Security amount. It is a funding-gap illustration, not a benefit quote or a withdrawal recommendation.
The estimates are for a retired couple, not a single retiree, and include the source model’s estimated mortgage expense.
Statewide averages do not capture local housing, healthcare, long-term-care, tax, debt, or lifestyle differences.
Replace the source inputs with a local household budget and your actual Social Security, pension, and other income before making a decision.

Sources

GOBankingRates 2025 state retirement-cost analysis — Primary source model, state estimates, and methodology
Complete syndicated state table — Cross-check for the complete 50-state table
Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey — Retired-consumer-unit expenditure context used by the source
MERIC Cost of Living Data Series — Q1 2025 state cost-of-living index referenced by the source
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis mortgage-rate series — Mortgage-rate reference used in the source model
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey — Housing and demographic data context used by the source

Educational purpose: This page provides general financial education, not personalized financial, tax, legal, insurance, or investment advice. It does not create an advisor-client relationship.

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