These Are The 10 Worst States To Retire In

Beware of the beach! Watch out for historic neighborhoods, vineyards, sweeping verandas -- especially if you're about to retire. These places will steal your heart and get you thinking about a permanent move before you've considered all the angles.

And there are many. Bankrate analyzed a variety of data, including state taxes, local crime rates, access to medical care and cost of living. We found that some of the prettiest, most touristy states in the nation are also some of the toughest on retirees.

Here, in descending order, are 10 of the lowest-ranking states for retirement based on our criteria.

10. Delaware

Delaware is home to excellent beaches, hiking trails and other natural beauties. It's also a shopper's haven since it doesn't levy sales taxes on consumers. Yet, despite relatively low state and local taxes and a temperate climate, The First State can be tougher on retirees than many other states. Its cost of living is higher than average, according to data from the Council for Community and Economic Research, and access to medical care is below average.

Delaware's crime rate also is among the highest in the nation, with 3,970 property and violent crimes per 100,000 people, according to the FBI's 2011 Uniform Crime Report.

9. Minnesota

Garrison Keillor and the denizens of Lake Wobegon may disagree with this ranking, but the statistics are clear. Minnesota is a tough place for retirees.

Not only does it have a high cost of living; the weather is among the coldest in the nation. And the Tax Foundation estimates that state and local taxes amount to 10.8 percent of income, which includes sales, property and other taxes -- the seventh highest in the country.

Minnesota does provide residents good access to medical care, and its crime rate is well below the national average.

7-8. Maryland and Vermont

There's a two-way tie for this spot. Maryland and Vermont rank among the worst places to retire on Bank rate's list for a variety of reasons.

Both have relatively high costs of living and high state and local taxes. Maryland's crime rate also is worse than the national average, and Vermont's weather could be tough on a lot of retirees. Temperatures have been an average of 43.1 degrees in Vermont from 1981 to 2010, making it one of the coldest states in the country.

Of course, those drawbacks may not be enough to dissuade lovers of Maryland crab cakes or Vermont's rolling blue-green hills.