Florida is no longer the best place to retire in the United States

Shark swims close to paddle boarder at Florida beach

A shark was seen swimming a New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Florida's beautiful coastlines, beaches, golf courses, enjoyable winters, and senior discounts are no longer enough for the "Sunshine State" to maintain its premiere status as the best state in the United States to retire.

Surprisingly, Florida didn't even make the top 5 of best places to retire in Bankrate's listing of "The best and worst states to retire in 2023, ranked."

In 2021, Florida ranked #2 and was slightly bested by Georgia. In 2022, Florida overtook Georgia to clinch the #1 spot after Bankrate changed how it evaluated states, adding racial diversity and the state's LGBTQ population (Florida ranked high with both metrics).

So, what happened for 2023?

Bankrate said on its website that it "crunched a bevy of statistics on costs of living, public health and other metrics to create a comprehensive ranking of the best and worst states to retire in the U.S" and broke those down into five broad categories: affordability, overall well-being, cost and quality of healthcare, ether, and crime.

It said affordability held the heaviest weight and focused on the housing market, home prices, borrowing costs, as well as inflation.

Florida falls hard

Florida ranked eighth in the country – seven spots lower than it did in 2022 – and behind Pennsylvania (#7), Wyoming (#6), Mississippi (#5), Missouri (#4), West Virginia (#3), Delaware (#2), and Iowa (#1).

On the flip side, the five worst states for retirement were Alaska, New York, California, Washington, and Massachusetts.

Bankrate said Iowa's cost of living, affordable and high quality healthcare, and low crime rate boosted it to the top.

"With its vast farmlands, peaceful countryside and friendly locals, Iowa offers a unique retirement experience for many Americans seeking a more relaxed and affordable lifestyle with access to the outdoors and retirement-age communities," Bankrate's website said.

Not to mention – Iowa is home to the Iowa State Fair, which is home to the famous Butter Cow.