How much do you need to retire early in your state? FIRE number calculated using the 4% rule for all 50 states.
| # | State | FIRE Number ▲ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Virginia | $561,000 | $48,000 | 84 | A+ | |
| #2 | Mississippi | $565,500 | $46,500 | 83 | A+ | |
| #3 | Arkansas | $582,300 | $52,100 | 84 | A+ | |
| #4 | Kentucky | $604,800 | $55,600 | 87 | A+ | |
| #5 | Oklahoma | $620,850 | $55,800 | 86 | A+ | |
| #6 | New Mexico | $627,450 | $53,000 | 91 | A+ | |
| #7 | Alabama | $631,050 | $56,200 | 87 | A+ | |
| #8 | Louisiana | $637,950 | $52,300 | 91 | A+ | |
| #9 | Ohio | $642,150 | $59,300 | 89 | A+ | |
| #10 | Iowa | $643,050 | $63,200 | 90 | A+ | |
| #11 | Indiana | $645,000 | $58,600 | 90 | A+ | |
| #12 | Missouri | $647,400 | $61,000 | 88 | A+ | |
| #13 | South Dakota | $649,950 | $62,100 | 91 | A+ | |
| #14 | Kansas | $656,250 | $62,100 | 89 | A+ | |
| #15 | North Dakota | $660,300 | $64,800 | 93 | A | |
| #16 | Nebraska | $661,200 | $66,500 | 91 | A | |
| #17 | Michigan | $669,600 | $63,400 | 89 | A | |
| #18 | Wyoming | $670,350 | $65,000 | 95 | A | |
| #19 | Wisconsin | $680,850 | $64,800 | 93 | A | |
| #20 | Montana | $689,850 | $60,600 | 103 | A | |
| #21 | South Carolina | $697,650 | $56,200 | 92 | A | |
| #22 | Idaho | $706,200 | $62,300 | 97 | A | |
| #23 | Tennessee | $706,350 | $59,700 | 91 | A | |
| #24 | Pennsylvania | $727,050 | $67,600 | 94 | A | |
| #25 | North Carolina | $733,950 | $61,000 | 95 | A | |
| #26 | Illinois | $755,100 | $72,200 | 93 | A | |
| #27 | Minnesota | $755,400 | $77,700 | 97 | A | |
| #28 | Maine | $757,050 | $63,200 | 109 | A | |
| #29 | Georgia | $770,850 | $63,400 | 93 | B+ | |
| #30 | Delaware | $776,850 | $69,100 | 102 | B+ | |
| #31 | Texas | $778,800 | $67,300 | 93 | B+ | |
| #32 | Vermont | $780,150 | $63,400 | 110 | B+ | |
| #33 | Utah | $784,200 | $75,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #34 | Nevada | $806,250 | $64,200 | 104 | B+ | |
| #35 | Rhode Island | $814,050 | $71,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #36 | Arizona | $816,750 | $65,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #37 | Oregon | $840,150 | $71,200 | 113 | B+ | |
| #38 | Virginia | $852,300 | $80,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #39 | Florida | $874,350 | $63,100 | 103 | B | |
| #40 | New Hampshire | $880,800 | $83,300 | 112 | B | |
| #41 | Colorado | $903,300 | $80,200 | 105 | B | |
| #42 | Connecticut | $910,650 | $83,800 | 121 | B | |
| #43 | Alaska | $920,250 | $77,800 | 127 | B | |
| #44 | Washington | $928,500 | $82,100 | 115 | B | |
| #45 | New York | $932,550 | $75,900 | 139 | B | |
| #46 | New Jersey | $934,050 | $87,700 | 121 | B | |
| #47 | Maryland | $942,450 | $90,200 | 118 | B | |
| #48 | Massachusetts | $1,033,800 | $89,700 | 135 | C | |
| #49 | California | $1,051,050 | $84,900 | 142 | C | |
| #50 | Hawaii | $1,217,700 | $84,900 | 190 | F |
Based on our analysis of financial independence across all 50 states, West Virginia ranks #1 with $561,000, while Hawaii ranks last at $1,217,700. The national average is $762,708.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: $656,700. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your financial independence. Use our fire calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
West Virginia ranks #1 with $561,000. Mississippi and Arkansas round out the top 3.
Hawaii ranks last (#50) with $1,217,700. California and Massachusetts are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is $762,708. The median is $755,100.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.