Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans 60 and over pack up and start over somewhere new. The latest migration data shows where they're headed and the dollars-and-cents reasons driving those moves.
The winners
Not surprisingly, Florida is still king of the hill here, gaining a net 44,504 residents aged 60+ in a single year, according to SmartAsset. Love for the Sunshine State is double what the wannabees are seeing as new residents. North Carolina (+20,369) and Arizona (+20,203) which ran a close race for second.
Here's the interesting part of this race: the fastest relative growth is in places that weren't on retirement radars a decade ago. South Carolina and Delaware led the nation in net in-migration as a share of population, followed by Idaho, Maine and Tennessee, per Placer.ai's 2026 analysis. The draw: these places have much of Florida's appeal — mild winters*, low taxes on retirement income — at housing prices Florida can no longer match. *Even Delaware has a mild winter because of the state's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, average daytime temperatures typically range in the upper 40s to low 50s °F.
The asterisk most don't give Florida: United Van Lines now classifies Florida (and Texas) as "balanced," meaning that about as many people move out as move in. Soaring home insurance, hurricane risk and housing costs are squeezing the middle class out, and Zillow shows Florida home values down 4.1% year-over-year. Retirees are still coming. If Florida is still your fave, run the full numbers first.
Gary P Guthrie
The losers
You can probably guess where the exodus continues. New York City alone lost a net 17,084 retirees in a year. California has the worst net migration of every age group (everyone's leaving, not just retirees, headed to Texas, Colorado, and Washington state). New Jersey has led the nation in outbound moves for eight straight years, and Illinois lost more than 56,000 residents in the past year.
It's not the weather or earthquakes, either. California, New York and New Jersey share a punishing profile for fixed incomes: state income taxes of 8–13% that hit retirement income (including 401(k) withdrawals), property taxes of $5,000–$15,000+, and living costs 40–80% above the national average. That's a recipe for home-owning Hara-kiri.
New Jersey? A retiree there who has $70,000 in retirement income pays roughly $12,000–$18,000 a year in combined state income and property taxes, per SafeMoney's 2026 analysis. Move to Florida or Tennessee — neither taxes income — and over a 20-year retirement the savings can run well into six figures.
Try our calculator below to see what a move could mean for your own budget.
Smart Senior Daily Staff
One last thing: this is NOT about just money
The top reason Americans gave for moving was family — 29% in United Van Lines' latest survey, ahead of job changes (26%). The spreadsheet matters, but despite leaving friends behind, being 20 minutes from the grandkids instead of two flights away wins.
Before you load the truck: compare your total annual costs (insurance and sales taxes can claw back income-tax savings), rent a season before buying, check the Medicare-friendly healthcare map, and count the cost of flying home for holidays.
Sources: SmartAsset "Where Retirees Are Moving" study; Placer.ai 2026 migration report; United Van Lines 2025 National Movers Study; SafeMoney 2026 retirement migration statistics; PODS 2026 Moving Trends Report; Retirement Living analysis of U.S. Census data.
