Montana’s Senior Citizens Are The Most Active in the Nation

Southern states with warm climates may be the most popular places for retirees to enjoy their sunset years, but those old timers in Florida and Arizona can't hold a candle to our senior citizens in the Treasure State when it comes to staying active.

According to a new study by SmartAsset.com, Montana's aging Baby Boomers are the most active in the United States. 

The study calculated the average daily time people ages 65 and older spend on four activities: exercise, gardening, travel, and volunteering.  Then, they ranked states based on the totals.

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Old folks in Montana aren't just sitting around watching TV.

Montana retirees easily nabbed the top spot in the study, clocking 109.96 minutes of daily activity spread over the four categories in the report. They spend an average of 18.4 minutes exercising, 48.4 minutes gardening, 7.6 minutes traveling, and 35.6 minutes volunteering per day.

Wyoming, Utah, Vermont, and Washington round out the top five states with the most active seniors. Meanwhile, the popular snowbird state of Arizona ranked 27th, while retiree-heavy Florida came in at 30th place for active seniors.

Is Montana a good place to retire?

That question largely depends on the individual. As a current Montanan (who isn't fond of cold and snow), I hope to spend my later years somewhere warmer. That's just me.

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However, some retirement experts say Montana is a good spot to set your rocking chair for the following reasons:

• Natural environment
• Small towns
• Cultural scene (???)
• Cost of living (????????)

The not so good? They cite limited part-time employment opportunities for retirees, harsh winters, and unfavorable tax breaks for seniors.