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.? ›

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.

How many Americans have $1 million saved for retirement? ›

In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings. The majority of retirees, however, have far less saved.

How long will $1.5 million last in retirement? ›

The 4% rule suggests that a $1.5 million portfolio will provide for at least 30 years approximately $60,000 a year before taxes for you to live on in retirement. If you take more than this from your nest egg, it may run short; if you take less or your investments earn more, it may provide somewhat more income.

How much does the average American have saved for retirement? ›

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.

What is the new magic number to retire comfortably? ›

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.

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.

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

$232,710

What is the average Social Security check? ›

Social Security offers a monthly benefit check to many kinds of recipients. As of December 2023, the average check is $1,767.03, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient. In fact, retirees typically make more than the overall average.

How long will $1 million last a couple in retirement? ›

How long will $1 million in retirement savings last? In more than 20 U.S. states, a million-dollar nest egg can cover retirees' living expenses for at least 20 years, a new analysis shows.

How much do most Americans retire with? ›

The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940 according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. Taken on their own, those numbers aren't incredibly helpful. There are a variety of decent retirement savings benchmarks out there, but how much money other people have isn't one of them.

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

The Federal Reserve also measures median and mean (average) savings across other types of financial assets. According to the data, the average 70-year-old has approximately: $60,000 in transaction accounts (including checking and savings) $127,000 in certificate of deposit (CD) accounts.

What is the golden number for retirement? ›

As a general rule, though, financial services firm Fidelity recommends saving 10 times your final salary to retire at 67. Another strategy is to save enough so that you'll have 80% of your pre-retirement income each year in retirement.

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 magic age for retirement? ›

Overall, the average age most people expect to retire is 65. Boomers said they started saving at age 37, while Millennials began at 27 and Gen X at 31. Gen Z expects to retire at age 60, a dozen years earlier than Boomers, four years earlier than Millennials and seven years sooner than Gen X.

How many people have over $1 million in their 401k? ›

Fidelity Investments, one of the largest administrators of workplace plans, said it had 422,000 401(k) millionaires at the end of 2023, a nearly 21 percent increase from the third quarter. The number of IRA millionaires hit a record 391,562 in the fourth quarter, about 40 percent higher than a year earlier.

How many US citizens have over $1 million dollars? ›

Do you know how many millionaires there are across the country? According to a recent study, almost 24.5 million millionaires live in the U.S. today. To put that into perspective, that's more people than the entire population of Florida! And that number is growing.

What percentage of Americans have a net worth of over $1000000? ›

Additionally, statistics show that the top 2% of the United States population has a net worth of about $2.4 million. On the other hand, the top 5% wealthiest Americans have a net worth of just over $1 million. Therefore, about 2% of the population possesses enough wealth to meet the current definition of being rich.

What percent of US citizens have 1 million dollars? ›

Top 2% wealth: The top 2% of Americans have a net worth of about $2.472 million, aligning closely with the surveyed perception of wealth. Top 5% wealth: The next tier, the top 5%, has a net worth of around $1.03 million. Top 10% wealth: The top 10% of the population has a net worth of approximately $854,900.

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