6 Great Places to Retire in New England

If you're ready to make that move to New England for your own retirement, we suggest you consider the following spots.

A retired couple sit on the side of a dock on a lake and watch the sun set.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Turning leaves for fall. Blankets of snow for winter. Popping blooms for spring. White-sand beaches for summer. Every season brings a new reason to love New England—but the area's typically high costs, unfavorable tax policies and harsh winters are common deterrents for retirees.

Still, a couple of New England states seem to have overcome those turn-offs and have drawn an influx of newly retired residents. In 2022, Vermont and Rhode Island were among the top 10 states people moved to for retirement, according to United Van Lines' annual national movers study

If you're ready to make that move to New England for your own retirement, we suggest you consider the following spots. We highlighted one great retirement destination in every state, taking into account living costs, safety, median incomes and poverty rates for retirement-age residents, as well as residents' sense of well-being and the availability of recreational and health care facilities. These are our six choices in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Disclaimer

The list is ordered alphabetically by state. See "How We Picked the Best Places to Retire" at the end of the list for details on our data sources and methodology.

Stacy Rapacon
Online Editor, Kiplinger.com

Rapacon joined Kiplinger in October 2007 as a reporter with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and became an online editor for Kiplinger.com in June 2010. She previously served as editor of the "Starting Out" column, focusing on personal finance advice for people in their twenties and thirties.

Before joining Kiplinger, Rapacon worked as a senior research associate at b2b publishing house Judy Diamond Associates. She holds a B.A. degree in English from the George Washington University.

With contributions from