Here's How Long $1 Million In Retirement Savings Will Last In Your State (2024)

Here's How Long $1 Million In Retirement Savings Will Last In Your State (1)

kali9 via Getty Images

It’s the question that keeps older people up at night: Will the recommended $1 million in retirement savings actually be enough?

The answer depends in part on where you live, according to a new GOBankingRates study.

The $1 million figure is thrown around by AARP and others as the amount of savings needed to replace between 70% and 80% of a person’s work income. But that’s a rough estimate and there are a lot of variables in retirement planning: How large is that income you hope to replace? How long will you live? Should you count your home equity as part of your savings if you’re not planning on selling your home? How will taxes and investment returns affect your retirement income? How will inflation affect your expenses? What happens if you suffer a sudden or long-term incapacitating illness?

Advertisem*nt

The reality is that few retirees have saved anything close to $1 million. The latest Retirement Survey of Workers conducted by the TransAmerica Center for Retirement Studies found that baby boomers have just $152,000 saved for retirement, on average.

That means many people will need to stretch their savings and maybe relocate to the states where their money could last the longest.

GOBankingRates, a personal finance website, pegged Mississippi at the top of the list: In that state, $1 million could cover the needs of the average retiree for 23 years, 2 months and 2 days. Hawaii is where you’re likely to blow through those savings the fastest ― in 10 years, two months and 29 days.

Advertisem*nt

The website determined the average total annual expenses for people 65 and older (counting groceries, housing, utilities, transportation and health care) and then multiplied total expenses by each state’s cost-of-living index to calculate the state-specific yearly cost. Housing is generally the big-ticket item.

The U.S. Census puts the average retirement age at 63. At age 65, Americans’ average life expectancy is about 19 more years. So that leaves you with two decades during which savings, pensions, home equity and Social Security become your principal means of financial support.

If you’ve managed to sock away $1 million, here are the five states where GOBankingRates says it will last the longest:

  • Mississippi (23 years, 2 months, 2 days)

  • Oklahoma (22 years, 8 months, 17 days)

  • Arkansas (22 years, 6 months, 22 days)

  • New Mexico (22 years, 3 months, 10 days)

  • Tennessee (22 years, 2 months, 4 days)

And the seven states where it will disappear the fastest:

  • Hawaii (10 years, 2 months, 29 days)

  • New York (14 years, 3 months, 22 days)

  • California (14 years, 3 months, 7 days)

  • Oregon (14 years, 7 months, 29 days)

  • Massachusetts (15 years, 1 month, 6 days)

  • New Jersey (15 years, 10 months, 18 days)

  • Alaska (15 years, 3 months, 24 days)

How did your state fare? Check it out on the map above.

Support HuffPost

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

Your Loyalty Means The World To Us

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.

Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.

Dear HuffPost Reader

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Dear HuffPost Reader

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circ*mstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost

Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.

Before You Go

Here's How Long $1 Million In Retirement Savings Will Last In Your State (2)

6 Up-and-Coming Retirement Destinations

Here's How Long $1 Million In Retirement Savings Will Last In Your State (2024)

FAQs

Here's How Long $1 Million In Retirement Savings Will Last In Your State? ›

For retirees in California, the annual cost of living expenses would be $72,319.57, meaning a $1 million retirement fund would last for about 14 years. Retirement can often last 25 years or more, according to Fidelity.

How long will $1 million last in retirement by state? ›

For instance, in California, an average retiree requires approximately $100,965 to lead a comfortable life, whereas in Kansas, that figure is just above $63,000. Retirees in certain states can enjoy between 15 and 16 years of life if they save one million dollars.

How many people have $1,000,000 in retirement savings? ›

However, not a huge percentage of retirees end up having that much money. In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings. The majority of retirees, however, have far less saved.

How long will $10000000 last in retirement? ›

While $10 million is a lot of money, retiring at 50 means you can plan on approximately 40 years of retirement if you expect to live to around the average age. Even if nothing catastrophic happens to you or the economy in the meantime, inflation alone can make a dent in what you can expect from your savings.

How long will a million dollars last in Florida? ›

GoBankingRates used the latest available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey and the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. In Florida, $1 million would last you about 18 years, per GoBankingRates' December study.

How many Americans retire with $1000000? ›

Only a small fraction of retirees — around 8% to 10% — have successfully saved $1 million or more.

How much money do most people retire with? ›

The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940 according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.

Can you live off interest of $1 million dollars? ›

Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.

What net worth is considered rich? ›

While having a net worth of about $2.2 million is seen as the benchmark for being rich in America, it's essential to remember that wealth is a subjective concept. Healthy financial habits and personal perspectives on money are crucial in defining and achieving wealth.

How much does the average 70 year old have in savings? ›

According to the data, the average 70-year-old has approximately: $60,000 in transaction accounts (including checking and savings) $127,000 in certificate of deposit (CD) accounts. $17,000 in savings bonds.

What is the average 401k balance for a 65 year old? ›

$232,710

How long will $500,000 last year in retirement? ›

According to the 4% rule, if you retire with $500,000 in assets, you should be able to withdraw $20,000 per year for 30 years or more. Moreover, investing this money in an annuity could provide a guaranteed annual income of $24,688 for those retiring at 55.

How many years will $300 000 last in retirement? ›

$300,000 can last for roughly 26 years if your average monthly spend is around $1,600. Social Security benefits help bolster your retirement income and make retiring on $300k even more accessible. It's often recommended to have 10-12 times your current income in savings by the time you retire.

How long can $1 million dollars last in California? ›

How Long Will $1 Million In Retirement Savings Last In Your State? A 65-year-old retiree living in California can expect $1 million in savings to last under 14 years, while that amount will last almost 21 years in Texas.

What is the average retirement savings in the US? ›

Median retirement savings: $87,000

The median retirement savings for American households has been growing since 1989 with few exceptions. Americans are saving more for retirement than they did 30 years ago in spite of economic challenges. Data source: Federal Reserve (2023). Values are in 2022 dollars.

How much does an average American need to retire? ›

Americans have lofty goals for their retirement, with the typical worker believing they need $1.46 million to retire comfortably — a jump of 53% from their savings target in 2020, according to a new survey from Northwestern Mutual.

How many people have $2000000 in savings? ›

Among the 47 million households headed by someone age 60 or older, 7% had household investable assets of at least $2 million, Drinkwater said. Only 6% of the 89 million households in the U.S. headed by someone 40 to 85 years old has that amount, Drinkwater said.

How much money do you need to retire comfortably at age 65? ›

For a 25-year retirement, you'd need just over $2 million in Hawaii — the most of all states by far. That's followed by Massachusetts, California and New York, along with 12 other states where you'd need at least $1 million saved up to retire.

Can you retire $1.5 million comfortably? ›

Retiring in comfort at 45 with $1.5 million is likely doable as long as your retirement living expenses are no more than average, your investments generate a typical return and you have good health. Challenges include waiting 17 years for Social Security and 20 years for Medicare.

How much money to retire at 65? ›

Since higher earners will get a smaller portion of their income in retirement from Social Security, they generally need more assets in relation to their income. We estimated that most people looking to retire around age 65 should aim for assets totaling between 7½ and 13½ times their preretirement gross income.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

Last Updated:

Views: 5623

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

Birthday: 1992-08-21

Address: Apt. 237 662 Haag Mills, East Verenaport, MO 57071-5493

Phone: +331850833384

Job: District Real-Estate Architect

Hobby: Skateboarding, Taxidermy, Air sports, Painting, Knife making, Letterboxing, Inline skating

Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.