If you have a choice, where do you want to retire? How much of where you retire will depend on how much you will have to retire on.The cost of living will be a major factor in figuring out how much you will need to retire with. Cost of living can vary dramatically from city to city, state to state and even country to country.The decision on where to retire takes into consideration many things like how close you are to family, the weather, your health and how much you want to spend. Should you settle by the beach or in the mountains? Do you prefer golf or cross-country skiing? Those are deeply personal questions.To determine the best and worst states for retirement in 2021, personal finance website Bankrate ranked each U.S. state across five key areas: affordability, wellness, culture, weather and crime. The two factors weighed most heavily were affordability (40%) and wellness (20%). I think taxation should have been included in their survey!According to Bankrate’s study, Georgia is the best state to retire, followed by Florida, Tennessee, Missouri. Arizona was the 7th best while California was only the 37th best place to live.Below, check out the 11 worst states to retire in the U.S. this year, according to Bankrate. But keep in mind that this data is only meant to be used as a reference point for Americans looking to map out their retirement plans.11. WashingtonAffordability rank: 36Wellness rank: 8Culture rank: 27TIE: IdahoAffordability rank: 22Wellness rank: 39Culture rank: 30TIE: ConnecticutAffordability rank: 49Wellness rank: 7Culture rank: 9AlabamaAffordability rank: 8Wellness rank: 44Culture rank: 43TIE: ArkansasAffordability rank: 19Wellness rank: 49Culture rank: 42TIE: MaineAffordability rank: 40Wellness rank: 29Culture rank: 1AlaskaAffordability rank: 25Wellness rank: 23Culture rank: 20MontanaAffordability rank: 33Wellness rank: 33Culture rank: 3KansasAffordability rank: 24Wellness rank: 26Culture rank: 38MinnesotaAffordability rank: 39Wellness rank: 15Culture rank: 34MarylandAffordability rank: 47Wellness rank: 4Culture rank: 39In order to rank each state, Bankrate gathered data from a number of sources. Here are the sources it used for each metric, as well as how heavily each factor was weighed.Affordability (40%): Council for Community and Economic Research and the Tax FoundationWellness (20%): Sharecare Community Well-Being IndexCulture (15%): U.S. Census BureauWeather (15%): National Oceanic Atmospheric AdministrationCrime (10%): FBI’s 2019 Crime in the United States reportFor you internationally minded listeners, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Colombia, and Portugal are 2021's top five countries for retirees. Things to consider for wanting to retire outside of the US:Ease of buying and owning property and the value of property investmentsCost of rentingBenefits and discounts on things such as healthcare and entertainmentVisa and residency requirementsCost of livingFitting in and how easy it is to make friendsEntertainment and amenitiesHealthy livingDevelopment and infrastructureClimateStability of the country’s political situationWhere you finish in a race is one of the most important factors of why we race. Where you finish living during your retirement will also be one of those factors that should bring you joy and fulfilment. Prepare wisely to finish strong!