Kansas ranks as 9th best state to retire

For the past seven years, a personal finance website has been analyzing the best and worst states for retirement. Money-rates.com says their

is an objective, quantitative process based on statistics across five major categories. Those are a healthy environment, personal security, local economy, weather conditions and popularity with older residents. Money-watch.com averages each state's ranking of those five categories to find the worst and best states fore retirement.

Kansas ranked 9th in the nation, tying with Virginia. Money-watch says the Sunflower State has the eight-highest number of any clear dates out of any state. Kansas is also favorable to retirees economically, with a cost of living that is nearly 10 percent lower than the national average.

Iowa, Hawaii and Arizona were ranked as the top three best states to retire. Alaska, Nevada and Louisiana were ranked as the worst.