The Average Retirement Age in Every State

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Retiring early seems to be on everyone's minds these days. The growing popularity of the so-called FIRE movement -- short for financial independence, retire early -- is a testament to how much everyone seems to be craving a slice of "the easy life." The good news is that in many U.S. states, what most people would call an "early" retirement is within reach. Although "full retirement age" for Social Security purposes isn't until age 67, the average retirement age in every single state -- with the exception of the District of Columbia -- is below 67. On average, retirees in the U.S. hang up their work boots at age 64, according to Money Talks News.

Read More: Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments Aren’t Enough to Pay Higher Costs for Seniors
Find Out: Here’s Exactly How Much Savings You Need To Retire In Your State

Of course, to truly live a comfortable retirement takes more than desire -- it also takes a large chunk of cash.

If nothing else, this study proves two things. First, the state in which you live can play a big role in how early you can retire, as evidenced by the low average retirement ages across wide swaths of the South and Midwest. Next, it takes more than $1 million to have a comfortable retirement in any state in America -- or over $2 million in the case of Hawaii and the District of Columbia -- so it's important to work with a retirement advisor or the best 401(k) providers to help boost your savings as much as possible.

Check out when you can expect to retire, based on your state of residence.

Last updated: June 28, 2021

Birmingham, Alabama, USA downtown city skyline.

Alabama

• Average retirement age: 62

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $49,099
  

• Retirement savings needed: $883,790

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Alaska, USA - August 12, 2016: Downtown Juneau with flowers in the foreground with painted wooden storefront buildings and the Red Dog Saloon.

Alaska

• Average retirement age: 61

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $79,249
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,505,740

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Tucson, Arizona, USA downtown skyline with Sentinel Peak at dusk.

Arizona

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $58,327
  

• Retirement savings needed: $991,560

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Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA - May 23, 2014: Historic Bath House Row at sunrise.

Arkansas

• Average retirement age: 62

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $47,836
  

• Retirement savings needed: $861,053

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA -31 AUG 2017- The Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco is the oldest Chinatown in the United States and the largest Chinese community outside Asia.

California

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $83,279
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,332,457

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Centennial Colorado aerial view

Colorado

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $60,357
  

• Retirement savings needed: $905,350

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Hartford Connecticut in the fall

Connecticut

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $70,817
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,062,257

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State Capitol Building of Delaware.

Delaware

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $58,418
  

• Retirement savings needed: $993,101

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Washington's city street and post office tower at sunrise, Washington, DC, USA.

District of Columbia

• Average retirement age: 67

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $94,248

• Retirement savings needed: $1,225,222

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Naples, Florida, USA downtown skyline at dusk.

Florida

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $56,382
  

• Retirement savings needed: $902,116

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Helen, Georgia, USA - May 7, 2013: The square in the Appalachian town of Helen.

Georgia

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $50,066
  

• Retirement savings needed: $851,122

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Palm tree silhouette at sunset, Hawaii, USA.

Hawaii

• Average retirement age: 66

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $120,909
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,692,722

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City of Idaho Falls in Idaho State showing famous landmark church in autumn, USA.

Idaho

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $52,962
  

• Retirement savings needed: $847,388

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Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois - Image.

Illinois

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $54,657
  

• Retirement savings needed: $874,507

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Indianapolis, Indiana canal walk

Indiana

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $50,697
  

• Retirement savings needed: $861,848

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Morning in Des Moines, Iowa.

Iowa

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $52,399
  

• Retirement savings needed: $785,982

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Wichita, Kansas, USA - Augusst 31, 2018: The confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas River at the Keeper of the Plains near downtown Wichita at dawn.

Kansas

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $50,223
  

• Retirement savings needed: $753,339

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Frankfort, Kentucky, USA town skyline on the Kentucky River at dusk.

Kentucky

• Average retirement age: 62

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $51,082
  

• Retirement savings needed: $919,469

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The St.

Louisiana

• Average retirement age: 62

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $52,695
  

• Retirement savings needed: $948,503

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Dawn At The Burnt Island Lighthouse - Image.

Maine

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $66,752
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,134,778

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Annapolis Maryland capitol

Maryland

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $73,111
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,096,666

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Lobster Pot Restaurant in Province Town.

Massachusetts

• Average retirement age: 66

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $77,122
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,079,710

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Capitol park in Detroit downtown Summer.

Michigan

• Average retirement age: 62

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $51,356

• Retirement savings needed: $924,415

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Minneapolis Minnesota cityscape view

Minnesota

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $56,869
  

• Retirement savings needed: $853,040

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Biloxi, Mississippi, USA at Biloxi Lighthouse.

Mississippi

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $46,993
  

• Retirement savings needed: $798,874

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Columbia, Missouri, USA downtown city skyline at twilight.

Missouri

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $50,247
  

• Retirement savings needed: $854,197

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Barn near Helena Montana - Image.

Montana

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $55,711
  

• Retirement savings needed: $891,368

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Downtown Omaha skyline with the Heartland of America Park (with a lake and fall colored trees) in the foreground.

Nebraska

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $52,439
  

• Retirement savings needed: $786,583

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yacht

Nevada

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $63,300
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,076,107

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Laconia is a city in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States.

New Hampshire

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $62,011
  

• Retirement savings needed: $930,159

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Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA - September 22, 2013: People walking the Atlantic City Boardwalk in NJ on September 22, 2013.

New Jersey

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $67,764
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,016,461

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Old Town Albuquerque New Mexico

New Mexico

• Average retirement age: 62

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $51,556
  

• Retirement savings needed: $928,181

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Buffalo is the second largest city in the state of New York and the 81st most populous city in the United States.

New York

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $77,911
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,246,578

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The historic Market House in downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina was built in 1838.

North Carolina

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $54,687
  

• Retirement savings needed: $929,686

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Fargo, North Dakota, USA - June 12, 2017: Daytime view of the Fargo Theatre along Broadway N in the Downtown Historic District.

North Dakota

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $57,060
  

• Retirement savings needed: $855,904

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The Roebling Bridge in Cincinnati in the summer

Ohio

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $51,817
  

• Retirement savings needed: $880,889

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Tulsa skyline with a park, pond, and fountains in the foreground.

Oklahoma

• Average retirement age: 62

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $48,716
  

• Retirement savings needed: $876,879

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The barn on my family ranch in Pendleton, Oregon at dusk.

Oregon

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $78,439
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,333,467

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View of Erie Pennsylvania from Dobbins Landing.

Pennsylvania

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $57,941
  

• Retirement savings needed: $927,056

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Providence, Rhode Island, USA park and skyline.

Rhode Island

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $67,594
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,013,904

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Downtown Charleston, South Carolina in the early evening.

South Carolina

• Average retirement age: 63

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $53,207
  

• Retirement savings needed: $904,527

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Rapid City, South Dakota, USA - October 06, 2018: Street scene of downtown Rapid City with buildings and businesses.

South Dakota

• Average retirement age: 66

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $56,178
  

• Retirement savings needed: $786,497

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Tennessee

Tennessee

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $50,186
  

• Retirement savings needed: $802,977

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Austin Texas USA sunrise skyline cityscape over Town Lake or Lady Bird Lake with amazing reflection.

Texas

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $52,341
  

• Retirement savings needed: $785,109

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Diminishing perspective on a high-angle view of towers and streets in the centre of Utah's State Capital, Salt Lake City.

Utah

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $54,363
  

• Retirement savings needed: $815,449

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The village of South Peacham nestled in the hill side of Vermont.

Vermont

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $67,651
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,014,762

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High angle view of Roanoke Virginia with famous church in the background -- St Andrews Catholic Church.

Virginia

• Average retirement age: 65

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $58,120
  

• Retirement savings needed: $871,793

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Seattle, Washington, USA - July 6, 2018: Pike Place Market or Public Market Center in summer season, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Washington

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $64,636
  

• Retirement savings needed: $1,034,174

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West Virginia

West Virginia

• Average retirement age: 61

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $49,439
  

• Retirement savings needed: $939,341

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MADISON, WISCONSIN, USA - JULY 29, 2017.

Wisconsin

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $56,434
  

• Retirement savings needed: $902,942

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downtown Jackson Hole Wyoming

Wyoming

• Average retirement age: 64

• Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $52,330
  

• Retirement savings needed: $837,287

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Methodology: GOBankingRates looked at the average retirement age in every state, as reported by Money Talk News on Sep. 29, 2019, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest American Community Survey and compared it with the cost to retire in each state. To find the cost of a comfortable retirement in each of the respective states, GOBankingRates analyzed consumption expenditures of Americans aged 65 and older, based on data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Consumer Expenditure Survey 2019: (1) annual spending on groceries, defined as "food at home" by the BLS; (2) annual spending on housing, defined as "shelter" by the BLS; (3) annual spending on transportation, defined as ""Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil" + "other vehicle expenses" by the BLS; (4) annual spending on healthcare; (5) annual spending on utilities, defined as "uilities, uels and other services" by BLS. These were then adjusted to every state's itemized cost-of-living index, sourced from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center's 2020 Quarter 3 average annual cost-of-living index. After calculating total necessities expenditures, an additional savings buffer was calculated by assuming that total expenditures covers 80% of one's budget (50% for necessities and 30% for discretionary spending), with 20% left over for savings. All of GOBankingRates original data and analyses was conducted on Dec. 14, 2020.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Average Retirement Age in Every State