Retirees Be Warned: Bankrate Says This Southern State Is One Of The Worst For Retirement

You'd think that the Sun Belt would be a great place to retire, given its reputation for warm weather and few — if any — blizzards. But, according to a recent report by Bankrate, eight of the 10 worst states for people to retire in happen to be located in the Sun Belt. These included Alabama, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and, very near the bottom of the list, Oklahoma. Ranked at No. 48 on Bankrate's list, Oklahoma is counted as the third-worst state to retire in. That's even lower than Arkansas, which Bankrate ranks as the fourth worst for retirement.

Why did Oklahoma rank so poorly? Bankrate's report analyzed a range of weighted data points to come to its conclusions, and the state received very poor ratings in categories such as "people of a similar age" (No. 44), "safety" (No. 37), "healthcare" (No. 41), and "affordability" (No. 45). Only Texas and Louisiana fared worse overall.

Retirees who'd like to hang out with people their own age should be aware that, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2023 (via America's Health Rankings), people aged 65 and older make up around 16.6% of Oklahoma's population. This is compared to the national average of 17.7%.

As for safety, 2024 statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, published by USAFacts.org, revealed that violent crime rates in Oklahoma were 17.7% higher than the national average, while property crime rates were 12.4% higher than the national average. Why so much crime? Probably because, per the Oklahoma Policy Institute, Oklahoma was the eighth poorest state in 2024, with a poverty rate of 14.9% compared to the national average of 12.1%. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Fund ranked Oklahoma at No. 49 out of 51 (a number that included the District of Columbia) for the state's healthcare system. The organization found that, per 1,000 beneficiaries, there were 182 potentially avoidable emergency department visits for people aged 65 and older in 2023. 

Yet it's affordability that Bankrate gives the most weight to when it comes to its overall rankings. This makes sense, given that most Americans are worried about their retirement funds running out. Per Bankrate, Oklahoma is the sixth-least affordable for retirees. In contrast, New York, a state where retiring can really cost you, was the 12th least affordable.

So, how can Oklahoma be so expensive? According to Zillow, average house price in Oklahoma in September 2025 was $216,292, which is $147,640 cheaper than the national average. Per Zillow Rentals, Oklahoma's monthly average listed rent of $1,450 (as of October 26, 2025) was 28% lower than the national average.

But these relatively affordable housing rates are wrecked by insurance premiums that, according to Quadrant Information Services (via Bankrate), are the third-highest nationwide; they average $4,623 versus the national average of $2,329. The insurance crisis has grown so bad that Oklahoma's legislature is even looking at ways to introduce consumer protections.

Oklahoma's rising property values, inflation, and higher property values have been blamed for causing the state's insurance rates to rise nearly 51% since 2019. Yet another cited cause for higher insurance rates is an uptick in severe weather events, such as hailstones and tornadoes. Indeed, a large chunk of Oklahoma happens to be in Tornado Alley, a region along the Central Great Plains where tornados and powerful thunderstorms often occur. Ironically, though, it was weather where Bankrate awarded Oklahoma its highest ranking of No. 13, due to the state's purported abundance of sunshine.