Where you choose to live is the single biggest factor in how much money you can expect to spend on housing, utilities, groceries, healthcare, transportation and other common budget items. This is true whether you are working or retired.

Learn More: 8 States To Move to If You Don’t Want To Pay Taxes on Social Security

For You: The Surprising Way You Can Get Guaranteed Retirement Income for Life

In retirement, however, location takes on even greater importance because most retirees live on a fixed income that’s no longer bolstered by work raises or bonuses. If you choose to retire in Pennsylvania, you can expect to spend near the national average on living costs.

Pennsylvania landed right in the middle of the pack nationally — No. 25 out of 50 states — in a cost of living study conducted by GOBankingRates. The study determined the annual expenditure cost for a retired person in each state by analyzing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

According to the GBR study, you need a minimum of $664,894 — including Social Security benefits — to retire comfortably in Pennsylvania for 20 years. That’s below the national average of $725,025, though the average skews much higher due to extremely high costs in states like Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, New York and Alaska. Retirees in Pennsylvania need at least $831,118 for 25 years of retirement and just less than $1 million for 30 years of retirement.

Because Pennsylvania landed in the middle, its retirement costs can serve as a median for the entire country. In some spending categories, its costs are higher than average, while in others, its costs are lower.

According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s data series, the Keystone State had a cost of living index score of 94.8 as of the 2023 third quarter. That number rose slightly to 95.6 during the 2024 first quarter. Any score below 100 indicates that living costs are lower than the national average, while any score above 100 means living costs are higher than average.

If you are considering retiring in Pennsylvania, here are six reasons you’ll need a minimum of $665,000 to retire there for 20 years.

1. Overall living costs: You can expect to spend $54,811.46 a year on overall cost of living expenditures in Pennsylvania, which is below the national average of $57,818. When you back out Social Security income, the average total expenses in Pennsylvania are $33,244.70. You’ll need to cover these costs with retirement savings or side gigs.

2. Housing costs: Pennsylvania has a housing cost of living index score of 82.1, meaning you’ll spend much less on rent or home purchases here than in much of the country. Its annual cost of housing averages $9,559.13 vs. the U.S. average of $11,692.

3. Utilities cost: This is one of the categories where you can expect to spend more than the national average if you retire in Pennsylvania, partly because of its cold winters. The Keystone State has a utility index score of 106.6 and an average utility cost of $4,515.58 per year versus the national average of $4,236.

4. Grocery cost: By retiring in Pennsylvania, you can expect to spend a little less than average on groceries. Its yearly cost of groceries averages $4,715.45 compared with the national average of $4,797.

5. Healthcare costs: Healthcare expenses are a major budget item in retirement, and you’ll likely save money by retiring in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State’s healthcare index score is 92.3, with average annual expenditures of $6,959.42. That’s nearly $600 less than the national average of $7,540.

6. Transportation costs: The cost of getting around in Pennsylvania is slightly higher than the national average, with an index score of 104.1. Its average annual cost of transportation is $5,145.66 vs. the national average of $4,943.

Story continues

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Reasons You Need at Least $665K (Plus Social Security) To Retire in Pennsylvania

Donald Trump, the Republican Presidential candidate and former US President, on Monday revealed that his wife, Melania, was “watching live” coverage when multiple shots were fired at his election rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month.

Melania was watching the rally on television and thought, “the worst had happened,” Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham aired on Monday night. 

“She was watching live,” he added. Donald Trump said that his wife “can’t really even talk about it, which is OK,” and “that means she likes me.”

Donald Trump highlighted his wife’s immediate reaction, “When I went down, she thought the worst had happened,” suggesting his hand covered in blood as the reason for her reaction.

“Yeah, I’m going to do rallies [outside],” Donald Trump said. Despite surviving an assassination attempt, the former US President is adamant about holding outdoor election rallies in the future.

The Secret Service has been criticised for failing to guard the roof of a manufacturing plant from which the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, took aim at the US Presidential candidate. The assailant stationed on the roof of the building that was over 130 yards away fired shots, one of which grazed Donald Trump’s right ear. 

Days following Donald Trump’s attempted assassination attempt, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle tendered her resignation.

Following the incident, Donald Trump charged at the Secret Service and alleged, “There should have been communication with the local police, which there wasn’t.” He added, “So that’s a bad thing, and they were seeing this guy – it was a very disturbed person, and they were seeing him around.”

The Secret Service has reportedly urged Trump’s campaign team to refrain from holding any more outdoor events amid security concerns.

Following the shooting at Butler Fair Show grounds, Pennsylvania, on July 13, all of the former US President’s campaign events have taken place indoors.