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

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

By Elizabeth Napolitano

/ MoneyWatch

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 percentage of Americans retire with $1 million dollars? ›

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.

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.

What percentage of retirees have $4 million dollars? ›

According to a 2020 working paper from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, the top 1% of retirees—which a retiree with $4 million in assets would fall into—can expect to pay about 22.7% in state and federal taxes.

How long can $1 million dollars last in California? ›

How Long Will $1 Million In Retirement Savings Last In Your State? A 65-year-old retiree living in California can expect $1 million in savings to last under 14 years, while that amount will last almost 21 years in Texas.

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 ...

How much does the average 75 year old have in savings? ›

Savings by Age
AgeAverage Account BalanceMedian Account Balance
45 to 54$48,200$6,400
55 to 64$57,670$5,620
65 to 74$60,410$8,000
75 and older$55,320$9,300
2 more rows
Sep 19, 2023

How long will $1 million last in retirement by state? ›

For retirees in California, the annual cost of living expenses would be $72,319.57, meaning a $1 million retirement fund would last for about 14 years. Retirement can often last 25 years or more, according to Fidelity.

How much money do most people retire with? ›

Average retirement savings balance by age
Age groupAverage retirement savings balance amount
45-54$313,220.
55-64$537,560.
65-74$609,230.
75 and older$462,4100.
2 more rows
May 7, 2024

What percentage of retirees have $2 million dollars? ›

According to EBRI estimates based on the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million in their retirement accounts, while just 0.1% have $5 million or more.

Do most people retire a millionaire? ›

One in six Americans retire a millionaire, but those savings didn't happen overnight. The key to saving for retirement is to start early and take advantage of compound interest (also known as interest on interest).

What is the maximum social security benefit? ›

The maximum Social Security benefit you can receive in 2024 ranges from $2,710 to $4,873 per month, depending on the age you retire. "Maximum benefits can be received by delaying the start of benefits until age 70 since benefits increase by about 8% for each year you delay beyond full retirement age.

What is a good net worth to retire? ›

Typical Net Worth at Retirement
Age RangeMedian Net WorthAverage Net Worth
55-64$212,500$1,175,900
65-74$266,400$1,217,700
75+$254,800$977,600
Oct 5, 2023

How many people have $1,000,000 in retirement savings? ›

How Many People Have $1,000,000 in Retirement Savings? According to Fidelity's Q3 2023 report, about 378,000 people had more than a million dollars in their 401(k)s.

How long can you live off the interest of 1 million dollars? ›

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.

Can you keep millions of dollars in the bank? ›

The standard insurance amount provided for FDIC-insured accounts is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category, in the event of a bank failure.

What is the net worth of the top 1 percent? ›

In the U.S., it may take you $5.81 million to be in the top 1%, but it takes a minimum net worth of $30 million to be considered among the ultra-high net worth crowd. As of the end of 2023, this ultra-high net worth population is on the rise, reaching 626,000 globally, up from just over 600,000 a year earlier.

How much wealth does the average American retire with? ›

Household net worth by age
Age of head of familyMedian net worthAverage net worth
45-54$247,200$975,800
55-64$364,500$1,566,900
65-74$409,900$1,794,600
75+$335,600$1,624,100
2 more rows

What is a high net worth in retirement? ›

What is Considered a High Net Worth in Retirement? A high-net-worth individual or HNWI is generally anyone with at least $1 million in cash or assets that can be easily converted into cash, including stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares and other investments.

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

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Tyson Zemlak

Last Updated:

Views: 6133

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tyson Zemlak

Birthday: 1992-03-17

Address: Apt. 662 96191 Quigley Dam, Kubview, MA 42013

Phone: +441678032891

Job: Community-Services Orchestrator

Hobby: Coffee roasting, Calligraphy, Metalworking, Fashion, Vehicle restoration, Shopping, Photography

Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.