RALEIGH—North Carolina is not always known for its retirement opportunities; however, a new report may change that. Bankrate.com has released “The Best and Worst States for Retirement: All 50 States, Ranked,” and North Carolina is ranked at number seven, along with Kansas.

The list was built on several different factors.

“Bankrate looked at five categories,” said Bankrate data analyst Adrian Garcia. “The first and most heavily-weighted thing: affordability. That was followed by wellness, which is access to good doctors, hospitals, and healthcare facilities. Also included was the rankings of weather, culture, and crime. Those are the five categories that retirees say matter most to them when deciding where to live, right behind being near family and friends.”

North Carolina's affordability helped it secure its impressive spot on the list.

“It’s in the top fifteen for affordability,” said Garcia. “That’s looking at the cost of living, including housing and groceries. There’s definitely more expensive places to live in the country.”

Coming in at number one and two on the list are Nebraska and Iowa, due to the low cost of living. Meanwhile, Maryland landed at the very bottom of the list, due to the fact that it placed the worst in affordability and wellness.

Retirement can be a stressful process, and reports like these aim to assist with some of the big decisions that retirees often deal with.

“I think the number one thing is, if you haven’t reached retirement yet, if you’re young, you need to start saving,” said Garcia. “If you’re now getting closer, if you can play catch-up, that’s the best thing to do, but also take stock of your assets. A lot of retirees are home-owners, so maybe the best thing to do is look at staying in your neighborhood or moving somewhere that works for you.”

According to a recent Charles Schwab survey, people should have approximately $1.7 million saved when retiring. Additionally, Garcia says that people retiring nowadays should expect to pay more than $200,000 in health costs.