{"id":463349,"date":"2026-09-14T13:26:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T13:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/463349\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T13:26:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T13:26:13","slug":"how-long-will-1-million-last-for-ca-retirees-see-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/463349\/","title":{"rendered":"How long will $1 million last for CA retirees? See years"},"content":{"rendered":"

The cost of living<\/a> in California can make saving for retirement a challenge.<\/p>\n

From gas<\/a> and housing<\/a> to groceries and other everyday expenses, retirees can quickly see their savings disappear.<\/p>\n

According to a recent study by personal finance website GoBankingRates, California is one of the most expensive states in the country for retirees<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How long does $1 million in retirement savings last in California in 2026?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how many years you can expect that money to cover your living expenses:<\/p>\n

BEHIND THE STORY MORE <\/a> Why we did this story <\/p>\n

Our community-driven series \u2014 How to California \u2014 is here to answer your questions<\/a> about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel in the Golden State. <\/p>\n

McClatchy\u2019s service journalism team, focused on helping our readers navigate daily life, works in communities across the state, including San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Merced, Modesto and Sacramento. <\/p>\n

Ask us your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 by emailing howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a> or filling out a form here. <\/a><\/p>\n

\"The The cost of living in California can make saving for retirement a challenge. ARCHIVO DEL MIAMI HERALD How long can you live in California on $1 million in savings?<\/p>\n

In California, $1 million in retirement savings would last about 12 years<\/a> in 2026, making the Golden State the third-most expensive state for retirees in the nation, according to GoBankingRates.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s longer than the previous year\u2019s estimate.<\/p>\n

In 2025, GoBankingRates estimated that retirees would spend through $1 million in savings in about 9.2 years<\/a> in California, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.<\/p>\n

Annual retirement expenditures totaled<\/a> $101,718 in 2025, according to GoBankingRates.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how those annual costs break down in California<\/a> in 2026, according to the personal finance website:<\/p>\n

Groceries: $5,645 per yearHousing: $23,625Transportation: $6,815Utilities: $6,492Health care: $8,119Total annual expenditures: $83,978Where does $1 million in savings last the longest in US?<\/p>\n

If you want $1 million in retirement savings to last<\/a> you longer than it would in California, you should consider moving to the Midwest or the South, according to GoBankingRates.<\/p>\n

The personal finance site said \u201cthis amount goes the distance\u201d \u2014 or at least 20 years \u2014 in those regions.<\/p>\n

\"The The cost of living in California can make saving for retirement a challenge. Courtesy: Pexels <\/p>\n

These were the 10 states where $1 million in retirement savings lasts<\/a> the longest in 2026, according to GoBankingRates:<\/p>\n

Oklahoma: 19.3 yearsMississippi: 19 yearsAlabama: 18.5 yearsWest Virginia: 18.5 yearsKansas: 18.3 yearsMissouri: 18.3 yearsArkansas: 18.2 yearsIowa: 18 yearsTennessee: 18 yearsIndiana: 18 yearsWhat are most expensive US states to retire?<\/p>\n

Hawaii was the most expensive state to retire<\/a> in 2026, according to GoBankingRates.<\/p>\n

It also ranked as the priciest state for retirees<\/a> in 2025.<\/p>\n

With annual retirement expenditures totaling $110,393 in 2026, it\u2019d take just 9 years to use up $1 million in retirement savings in the Aloha State, according to the personal finance website.<\/p>\n

These were the top 10 most expensive states for retirees<\/a>, including how long it\u2019d take to spend $1 million in retirement savings:<\/p>\n

Hawaii: 9 yearsMassachusetts: 10.8 yearsCalifornia: 11.9 yearsAlaska: 12.8 yearsNew York: 12.9 yearsMaryland: 13.7 yearsNew Jersey: 14.2 yearsMaine: 14.3 yearsConnecticut: 14.3 yearsWashington state: 14.3 yearsHow did GoBankingRates come up with findings?<\/p>\n

To compare how long $1 million in retirement savings<\/a> would last in each state, GoBankingRates said it calculated the national average annual expenditures for people 65 and older in all 50 states.<\/p>\n

Data was collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center on Jan. 22.<\/p>\n

Have a question about life in California?<\/p>\n

How to California \u2014 a guide to help you live, work and enjoy life in the Golden State, is here to help.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll answer your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel.<\/p>\n

Ask your questions in the form below (can\u2019t see it? Click here<\/a>) or email howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Loading\u2026<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez<\/a><\/p>\n

The Modesto Bee<\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez is a service journalism reporter for The Bee. She is a graduate of Sacramento State with a bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism. During her time there, she worked on the State Hornet covering arts and entertainment.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The cost of living in California can make saving for retirement a challenge. From gas and housing to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463350,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8],"class_list":["post-463349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463349\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/463350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}