Just came across some interesting research on how much you actually need to retire at 40, and the numbers are pretty eye-opening depending on where you live. Turns out Oklahoma is the most affordable with around $2.14 million needed to cover 40 years, but Hawaii? That's another story entirely - you'd need over $4.5 million. That's more than double. The gap between states is wild.

Looking at the broader picture, most of the top 10 affordable states hover around $2.2 million minimum if you want to retire at 40. We're talking Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Kansas - basically lower cost-of-living areas. But if you're in Maryland, New York, California, or Massachusetts, you're looking at $3+ million just to hit 80. And that's before factoring in inflation or if you want to live past 90.

The research is based on 2025 cost-of-living data, so it's pretty current. Makes you wonder - how much do you actually need to retire at 40 where you live? Seems like location is almost as important as the savings number itself.