Choosing the best retirement state involves many factors. Be careful if you base your choice on one criteria.

Five states do not have sales tax, seven states do not tax income. One state has neither tax…that is Alaska. If warm weather is a deciding factor you may not care about Alaskan taxes…or lack thereof.

Due to its location, Alaska has to truck in most consumer goods. That makes the cost of consumer goods higher. Alaska therefore has a high cost of living. The fact that it has no taxes helps but it is still not among the cheapest states to retire.

High income retirees will be very interested in states that do not tax income. It is not a coincidence that Florida and Texas, have a high number of wealthy retirees. They are among the seven states that do not tax income at the state level.

In 34 states your Social Security income is free from taxes. If Social Security is your sole source of income it would be important for you to know if your best place to retire excludes SS from the income they tax.

For those who will not make a choice solely on taxes there are other criteria to examine:

1) Is the health care sufficient for your particular needs?

2) Proximity to family…could be too far, could be too close

3) Does it have the arts and culture you enjoy?

4) Outdoor and recreational opportunities

5) Is it secure?

You see there are many things to consider before picking a place to retire. You should approach your decision making with two things in mind:

1) First do not rush making this decision. You have probably worked all your life…take some time in finding your best place to retire.

2) Try before you buy…How does a area feel when you are not on vacation? Some places may be great to visit on vacation, but feel totally different when you live there. Rent a place for a few months before you look to buy.

Choosing the best retirement state should be a fun, wonderful experience and everyone is different. Get all the information, taxes and otherwise, you can on each state you are considering for retirement. Here’s how…

For more help on the best retirement states. Gary Pierce freely gives help on how to retire on less at best retirement states. It is loaded with free help on retirement lifestyles you may not have considered.