Just looked at some data on realistic retirement ages across the US and honestly it's pretty eye-opening. Most people say they want to retire around 66, but the actual average age of retirement in America is way lower—around 61. What's wild is that depending on where you live, the average age of retirement could be drastically different.

So here's how they calculated it: they took median income by state, assumed people save 20% of their income starting at 22 (following that 50/30/20 budget rule), put 14% into savings and 6% into a 401k with employer match, and figured out when someone would hit their retirement target. The average age of retirement varies crazy amounts—some states show people could potentially retire in their mid-50s, while others it's closer to late 60s or beyond.

The biggest factor? Cost of living. Low cost-of-living states like Kansas, Iowa, and Oklahoma show realistic retirement ages in the early to mid-50s if you stick to the plan. Meanwhile, expensive states like Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New York push that average age of retirement into the late 60s or even 70s. You need roughly 4% of your total savings annually to cover expenses, which is why someone in a cheap state needs way less saved than someone on the coasts.

The methodology assumes no major emergencies and consistent 5% returns on your 401k, which obviously doesn't always happen. But if you actually do save 20% from age 22 onward, the numbers show retirement is possible sooner than most people think—or at least it was based on 2023 data. Curious what your state looks like, honestly.