...
By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
With its warm, sunny weather, inviting beaches, and low-tax environment, Florida remains the state that a majority of retirement-age Americans chose to move to last year, according to a new study by HireAHelper.
However, the Sunshine State also recorded the largest nationwide number of retirement-age residents moving out, according to the online marketplace, leaving another state to triumph as the one with the biggest net gains of retirement-age adults in 2025—South Carolina.
The Context
The U.S., like many other countries across the world, is graying fast. From 2004 to 2024, the share of Americans aged 65 and above surged from 12.4 percent to 18 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Read More on News
This is happening in part because birth rates have declined in the country, and in part because people are living longer. In 11 states and nearly half of all U.S. counties, older adults outnumber children, the Census Bureau reported last year.
The aging of the American population is expected to have profound consequences on the nation’s health and pension systems, as well as the housing sector and the U.S. economy at large.
Already in the short-term, the reshuffling of the retirement population across the country can have a significant impact on affected states’ economies and social structures, shifting tax revenues and care demands from one place to another.
...
Which States Are Retirement-Age Americans Moving To?
South Carolina reported the largest net migration gain of adults aged 65 and older last year, according to HireAHelper, adding 5,427 older residents. This number makes the Palmetto State, with its coastal communities and relatively affordable housing and low tax burden, the fastest-growing retirement destination in the nation, overtaking well-established Florida.
Many of those older Americans moving to the state are coming from nearby and high-cost states, including North Carolina (2,014 moves to South Carolina), Florida (1,862), New York (1,010), Georgia (982), and Pennsylvania (729).
HireAHelper, which helps Americans book movers across all 50 states, used PGM’s movers database to analyze moves of U.S. adults aged 65 and above between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025.
Texas followed with the second-largest net gain, at 5,156, with most older adults coming from California (2,874), Florida (2,048), Ohio (1,714), Arizona (1,183), and Colorado (1,056).
Next were North Carolina (+3,202), Tennessee (+3,191), Arizona (+2,512), Idaho (+1,891), Alabama (+1,828), Wisconsin (+1,815), Georgia (+1,646) and Mississippi (+1,240)—a list reflecting that older Americans are prioritizing affordability when choosing where to retire.
While net gains show where American retirees are moving long-term, inbound move volume shows which states are attracting the greatest number of new retirement-age arrivals. In this field, Florida is still the undisputed winner, recording 45,696 inbound moves among residents ages 65 and older.
It was followed by Texas (24,079), California (21,125), Arizona (17,966), North Carolina (17,231), South Carolina (14,007), Georgia (13,515), Pennsylvania (12,449), Tennessee (12,384), and Virginia (11,671).
Which States Are They Leaving?
California and New York were the number one and number two states for numbers of retirees leaving to relocate elsewhere. In 2025, the Golden State recorded a net loss of 12,963 older adults, while New York lost 8,648—reflecting a long-term trend that has seen residents of the two states leave for more affordable ones.
A majority of retirement-age residents leaving California relocated to Arizona (3,716), Texas (2,874), Nevada (2,526), Washington (2,037), and Florida (1,948). Older residents leaving New York relocated to Florida (4,392), New Jersey (2,284), Pennsylvania (1,433), North Carolina (1,139), and South Carolina (1,010).
Once again, these numbers indicate the share of older adults relocating out of this state in the long-term.
In the short term, however, the highest volumes of outbound interstate moves among retirement-age residents were recorded in Florida (44,881), California (34,088), Texas (18,923), New York (18,862), Arizona (15,454), Pennsylvania (14,127), North Carolina (14,029), Illinois (13,808), Virginia (12,507), and Georgia (11,869).
According to the HireAHelper, these moves reflect older residents’ growing concern over rising housing costs, including homeowners insurance premiums and property taxes, tax burdens, infrastructure strains, and growing natural disaster threats.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines