When it comes to your golden years, do you want to spend them where you are or are you up for adventuring to a new city?
If you don't have your heart set on a particular location yet, a new state-by-state analysis might help you decide.
Researchers at Bankrate recently ranked the best and worst states for retirement by analyzing dozens of data points, such as living costs, health care costs, overall well-being and more. States were then ranked based on five broad categories: affordability (40%), overall well-being (25%), the cost and quality of health care (20%), weather (10%) and crime (5%).
The rankings show that the best and worst states for retirees are split geographically. The Midwest and the South claim the top five states, while the Northeast and West claim the bottom five states -- primarily because of differences in cost of living, Bankrate noted.
On top of the list as the best state to retire is Delaware, followed by West Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina and Missouri rounding out the top five.
"While Delaware is a pricier state to live in, the state's high-quality healthcare, light tax burden, affordable homeowners insurance and good weather propelled it to the top spot this year," Bankrate Analyst Alex Gailey said in a statement. "Delaware also scored well in diversity, wellness and culture and it has one of the nation's highest percentages of residents 62 and older."
On the flip side, Alaska, New York, Washington, California and North Dakota landed at the bottom of the rankings.
Among the states that ranked first overall in each category: West Virginia ranked first in affordability, Idaho in quality/cost of healthcare, Hawaii in overall well-being and weather, and New Hampshire for least crime.
"The reality is that most Americans feel behind on saving for retirement, which means affordability is critical," said Gailey. "A move to a more affordable location could be an effective way for soon-to-be retirees to stretch their retirement savings in this economy."
Best states for retirees, ranked 1-50
1. Delaware
2. West Virginia
3. Georgia
4. South Carolina
5. Missouri
6. Mississippi
7. Pennsylvania
8. Florida
9. Iowa
10. Wyoming
11. Alabama
12. Nebraska
13. Kansas
14. Idaho
15. Virginia
16. Illinois
17. Hawaii
18. Oregon
19. Tennessee
20. Wisconsin
21. Kentucky
22. South Dakota
23. Indiana
24. Arkansas
25. New Mexico
26. Ohio
27. North Carolina
28. Montana
29. Maine
30. Rhode Island
31. Connecticut
32. Utah
33. Louisiana
34. Oklahoma
35. New Jersey
36. Arizona
37. Michigan
38. New Hampshire
39. Vermont
40. Nevada
41. Minnesota
42. Texas
43. Maryland
44. Colorado
45. Massachusetts
46. North Dakota
47. California
48. Washington
49. New York
50. Alaska