These Is the Best State for Working in Retirement

For most people, retirement means spending all their days relaxing, traveling, and enjoying their hobbies. But not everyone is prepared to fully put the brakes on a career.

Earlier this year, Seniorly, a resource platform for older adults, released a list of the best states for older workers in 2025. According to the website, a “record 11.2 million Americans ages 65 and older are currently in the workforce,” with that number set to climb to 14.8 million by 2033. “While financial necessity plays a role in keeping many seniors employed, others choose to extend their careers for personal fulfillment, mental stimulation, and the social connections their jobs provide,” Seniorly added.

That’s why the platform identified the top states for older workers and provided information on age-related discrimination, labor force participation, income, and remote work among older adults. Seniorly also included income taxes and new business growth to “shed light on how easy it is to do business in a state.” 

And Washington topped the ranking.

“Washington ranked first due to its strong business environment, with no personal income tax and the highest rate of new business growth last year (88.6 percent),” the website explained. “It also has a high median income for senior households ($63,963) and a strong work-from-home culture (22.4 percent of older adults are remote).”

Joining Washington at the top of the list are New Hampshire at No. 2, followed by Alaska (third), Maryland (fourth), and Colorado (fifth). “They tended to score highly on labor force participation, remote work, and household income, implying that many older adults are in senior, versatile roles,” Seniorly added. “Notably, two also have no personal income tax (New Hampshire and Alaska), and two saw new business growth in the past year (Alaska at 4.9 percent and Colorado at 3.1 percent).”

The company also reported that New England is a top destination for senior workers, with Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont also ranking among the top 10.

As for states seniors may want to avoid, the platform named Mississippi the worst state for older workers, explaining it has the “highest rates of age-related discrimination reported in the workplace, as well as low labor force participation among older adults. Arkansas and Alabama are also at the bottom of the ranking.

See the full report at seniorly.com.