Takeaways
- Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona might be popular retirement destinations – but they are not the happiest locations for seniors.
- Caring.com’s 2025 Senior Happiness Index identifies states where seniors are most content, connected, and live longest.
- Utah is ranked as the happiest state for older adults due to high volunteer rates, good health, and excellent health care access.
- Idaho is the second happiest, with seniors maintaining strong community connections and access to senior services and outdoor recreation.
- Connecticut and Delaware tie for third, both offering strong health care access, cultural opportunities, and affordable living.
- Hawaii is also a happy state for seniors, known for community engagement, long life expectancy, and a high percentage of multigenerational households.
While states such as Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona have seen the largest influx of retirees as of 2023, these states are not necessarily among the very happiest places for older adults in the United States, according to new data.
Caring.com released its 2025 Senior Happiness Index, which sheds light on the states where seniors are the most content, enjoy the most connection with others, and live the longest.
The findings could help those approaching retirement age decide where in the United States to enjoy their later years.
To identify the happiest states for older adults, Caring.com looked at several factors, including:
- Wallethub’s baseline happiness levels per state
- Rates of seniors in good health
- The number of senior centers per state
- Rates of seniors living with others
Common among the top-ranked states are strong health care services or ample opportunities for social or cultural engagement.
Utah Ranks as the Happiest State for Seniors
The data pointed to Utah as the happiest state for older adults. This state in the Western U.S. boasts the highest happiness score on the index: 7.69/10.
One reason that Utah is cited as the happiest state for older adults is its high number of elders who engage in volunteering. In Utah, 44 percent of older adults volunteer, which is above the national average. Volunteering helps older adults stay connected to their community, preventing loneliness and cognitive decline, and offers a sense of fulfillment.
Utah is also the healthiest state for older adults, with overall low rates of smoking and drinking. As the state stands among the top 15 states with the best clinical care, residents typically enjoy good health care access as well.
In addition, the Beehive state is not only a top five happy state for people of all ages according to WalletHub, but also ranks first in its work and community and environment categories.
Idaho Is the Second-Happiest State
Just behind Utah, Idaho is the second-happiest state for older adults, with a score of 7.38/10.
Older adults in the Gem State tend to remain connected to the community in two major ways. First, over three-quarters of seniors live with others, which can help reduce loneliness. Second, the state has many services and supports for seniors, underscored by its high number of senior centers compared with other states. In Idaho, there are about three senior centers per 100,000 people.
Active older adults in Idaho also have many opportunities to enjoy natural beauty. The state offers 30 state parks with plenty of options for outdoor recreation.
A Tie for Third Place: Connecticut and Delaware
Connecticut ties with Delaware as the third-happiest state, with scores of 7.01/10.
The Constitution State’s high score stems from its health care access and cultural opportunities. Most residents have health insurance and live long lives. Life expectancy in Connecticut is the third-highest among the 50 states. The average life expectancy there is 79.2 years — about a year more than the national average of 78.4.
Many cultural opportunities, such as parks, libraries, art events, and museums, are also available. A third of Connecticut adults 60 and older attend museums, per Connecticut Humanities.
Tying with Connecticut, Delaware ranks in the top three happiest states for seniors for several reasons.
- It ranks in the top 10 for overall senior health and happiest states.
- Out of all the states, Delaware has the most seniors — about 77 percent — living with others.
- Banktree ranks it the number one state for retirement.
- The cost of living is affordable.
Hawaii Also a Happy State
Hawaii is also a great state for older adults. Older residents tend to be happy because they take part in their community and live long lives, enjoying an average life expectancy of 79.9 years. Most older residents live with others, and many are part of multigenerational households. This state has the lowest percentage of seniors 65 and older living alone, at about 20percent.
Finally, the state ranks highly for senior happiness, with a score of 68.71 out of 100.
Interestingly, Finland has had the highest happiness rankings of any country in the world for the past eight consecutive years. The most recent World Happiness Index ranks the United States at 24 for national happiness, just ahead of countries such as Belize, Poland, and Taiwan.
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