The Safest States For Retirement And The Tax Risk Most Rankings Miss

CareScout’s new 2026 analysis reframes retirement planning by ranking states on “retirement security,” citing risks beyond taxes, housing costs, and healthcare. The report ranks the safest and most challenging states for retirement using seven measures, including elder fraud, violent and property crime against adults 60+, police staffing, fall-related deaths, traffic fatalities for older drivers, and hospital capacity. Fraud stands out as a growing threat: property crimes involving seniors rose from 473.7 incidents per 100,000 in 2015 to 769.8 in 2025, and violent crime rose from 23.3 to 91.4 per 100,000 over the same period. In 2025, the FBI received more than 201,000 fraud complaints from people age 60+, a 37% increase over 2024, with average losses above $38,000. Arizona ranked worst, with 501.2 elder-fraud complaints per 100,000 seniors; Mississippi was lowest at 131.8, followed by Maine at 163.0.