Retirement Fit: Compare States for Retiring on a Fixed Income

How each state taxes Social Security, pensions and your home.

Use the tool

Moving to the country on Social Security or a pension? The state you choose decides how much of that income you keep. Some states tax neither Social Security nor pensions; others tax most retirement income. Property tax and senior exemptions add another layer.

Compare up to three states side by side. The tool shows the rules for tax year 2025 or 2026, the property tax on the home you want to buy, and the senior property tax breaks, including the ones a newcomer cannot use because they require years of residency.

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Retirement Fit

On a fixed income, the state you move to matters as much as the house. Compare up to three states: how they tax Social Security and pensions, the property tax on your home, and the senior breaks a newcomer can actually get.

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Social Security plus pension or savings withdrawals.
Where these rules come from
  • State rules for tax year 2025 or 2026, from the AARP state tax guides (2026), cross-checked with state revenue departments, Kiplinger and the Tax Foundation 2026 income tax rates. Each state’s row links to its sources. Checked October 23, 2026.
  • Property tax on the home uses the state’s average effective rate (Tax Foundation 2026, 2024 data). Your county may differ.
  • Many senior property-tax breaks require years of living in the state or owning the home first. We point that out when we know it. Local towns and counties often add their own programs.

A summary of state rules, not tax advice. Confirm with the state department of revenue, the county assessor, or a tax professional before you decide.

Good to know

Tax rules change often. Every row links to its sources, so confirm the details with the state revenue department or a tax professional before you decide.

This tool is part of the free AHO Buyer’s Toolkit, a set of tools for people buying an affordable home with land in the United States. For the full checklist before you make an offer, get our free Rural Property Buyer’s Field Guide.