Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S. (2024)

Retirement saving tips in your 20s and 30s

Americans looking to stretch their retirement savings may want to head to states in the South or the Midwest, a recent analysis suggests.

Around the U.S., a $1 million nest egg can cover an average of 18.9 years worth of living expenses, GoBankingRates found. But where you retire can have a profound impact on how far your money goes, ranging from as a little as 10 years in Hawaii to more than than 20 years in more than a dozen states.

Tapping government data, the personal finance site estimated the number of years retirees aged 65 or older could live off $1 million in savings based on the cost of housing, transportation, utilities, health care and groceries in each of the 50 U.S. states.

The key finding: Retirees can get the biggest bang for their buck in Mississippi, where the combined cost of food, utilities, housing, health care and other essentials is $44,000 per year. Saving of $1 million in the state would last you nearly 23 years, the personal finance site said.

By contrast, retirees in Hawaii — where the annual living costs are roughly $97,000, or more than double those of retirees in Mississippi — will burn through $ 1 million in just over 10 years, according to GoBankingRates.

It's worth noting that most Americans are nowhere near having that much money socked away. According to data from financial services firm Credit Karma, Baby boomers have median retirement savings of $120,000, while nearly 30% of people aged 59 or older have saved nothing for their golden years.

That's despite the fact that many retirements now last more than 25 years, according to financial services firm Fidelity. Those meager savings also fall well below the $1.8 million in savings Americans say they need to live out their golden years comfortably, according to a recent Charles Schwab poll.

Elizabeth Napolitano

Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S. (2)

Elizabeth Napolitano is a freelance reporter at CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and technology news. She also writes for CoinDesk. Before joining CBS, she interned at NBC News' BizTech Unit and worked on The Associated Press' web scraping team.

Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S. (2024)

FAQs

Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S.? ›

The key finding: Retirees can get the biggest bang for their buck in Mississippi, where the combined cost of food, utilities, housing, health care and other essentials is $44,000 per year. Saving of $1 million in the state would last you nearly 23 years, the personal finance site said.

What percent of people retire with $1 million in savings? ›

Putting that much aside could make it easier to live your preferred lifestyle when you retire, without having to worry about running short of money. However, not a huge percentage of retirees end up having that much money. In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings.

What is the new magic number to retire comfortably? ›

When it comes to retirement, Americans have a new number in mind — $1.46 million — for how much they think they will need to live comfortably, according to new research from Northwestern Mutual.

What is the average 401k balance for a 65 year old? ›

The data comes from mutual fund giant and retirement plan manager Vanguard. In its 2023 "How America Saves" report, Vanguard says the average balance for its work-based retirement accounts for clients age 65 and up currently stands at $232,710.

How much do most American have saved for retirement? ›

The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940, according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. The median retirement savings for all families is $87,000.

Can you live off interest of $1 million dollars? ›

Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.

Can you really retire on $1 million dollars? ›

Yes, it is possible to retire with $1 million at the age of 65. But whether that amount is enough for your own retirement will depend on factors that include your Social Security benefits, your investment strategy and your personal expenses.

What is the golden number for retirement? ›

Americans' “magic number” for retirement savings is at an all-time high — $1.46 million to retire comfortably, according to responses from Northwestern Mutual's 2024 Planning & Progress Study.

Why wait until 67 to retire? ›

That leads us to the second major reason why holding off until age 67 to collect Social Security benefits makes sense: Your monthly benefit will be higher. SSA will reduce your Social Security benefit by five-ninths of 1% per month for early retirement up to 36 months before your full retirement age.

What is the 33x rule for retirement? ›

For example, if you plan on 3% SWR, your nest egg will need to be 33x your annual expenses to retire. But you're much less likely to deplete your portfolio than 4%. Your time to retirement, then, is how long it will take for you to build your nest egg to sufficient size.

Can I retire at 62 with $400,000 in 401k? ›

If you have $400,000 in the bank you can retire early at age 62, but it will be tight. The good news is that if you can keep working for just five more years, you are on track for a potentially quite comfortable retirement by full retirement age.

Can I retire at 60 with 300k? ›

Yes, you can. As long as you live strictly within your means and assuming certain considerations, such as no significant unexpected costs and no outstanding debts.

How much does the top 1 have in retirement savings? ›

Here is a breakdown of the estimated top 1% retirement savings by age group:
  • 30-34 years: $365,000.
  • 35-39 years: $730,000.
  • 40-44 years: $1,234,600.
  • 45-49 years: $1,397,000.
  • 50-54 years: $2,311,000.
  • 55-59 years: $3,105,000.
  • 60-64 years: $3,550,000.
  • 65-69 years: $4,574,000.
Apr 30, 2024

What is the average social security check? ›

Overall total average payments for the state of California: Total number of beneficiaries: 6,166,205. Total benefits: $9,340,498,000. Average total benefits: $1,515.

What does the average person retire with? ›

The Federal Reserve's most recent data reveals that the average American has $65,000 in retirement savings. By their retirement age, the average is estimated to be $255,200.

What does the average American retire with? ›

Key findings. In 2022, the average (median) retirement savings for American households was $87,000. Median retirement savings for Americans younger than 35 was $18,800 as of 2022.

How many people in US have $1000000 in savings? ›

Let's break it down with a cold splash of truth. There are about 22 million people in the US sitting on a net worth of over $1 million. That might seem like a hefty squad of millionaires to you, but let's put things into perspective. That's less than 7% of the U.S. adult population, my friend.

How many Americans have 1 million in cash? ›

The number of American households with assets of one million U.S. dollars or more has been steadily increasing in the over the last decade. About 6.98 million individuals in North America had financial assets worth at least one million U.S. dollars in 2020, which was an increase of 2.67 million in comparison to 2008.

How much does the average 70 year old have in savings? ›

How much does the average 70-year-old have in savings? Just shy of $500,000, according to the Federal Reserve. The better question, however, may be whether that's enough for a 70-year-old to live on in retirement so that you can align your budget accordingly.

What is considered wealthy in retirement? ›

To be considered wealthy at age 65 or older, you need a household net worth of $3.2 million, according to finance expert Geoffrey Schmidt, CPA, who used data from the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) to determine the household net worth needed at age 65 or older to determine the various percentiles of wealth in ...

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