Every city was selected based on its cost of living, health care, community, and climate—factors important to retirees. Every city was evaluated using a combination of state, county, and city-level data. We gathered data on these factors and criteria from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Investopedia
January 5, 2026
Ismael Cid Martinez, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said the people who qualify for SNAP are likely working low-wage jobs that tend to be less stable because they are more tied to the nation’s macroeconomics. That means when the economy weakens, it’s the low-wage workers whose hours are cut and jobs are eliminated, which in turn heightens their need for government support. Restricting such benefits could threaten their ability to get back to work altogether, Martinez said.
“These are some of the matters that tie in together to explain the economy and (how) the labor market is connected to these benefits,” Martinez said. “None of us really show up into an economy on our own.”
Associated Press
January 5, 2026
The big picture: More than 8.3 million workers across the country saw their pay go up on Jan. 1, according to an estimate from the progressive Economic Policy Institute.
Stunning stat: For the first time, there are more workers in states with a minimum wage of $15 an hour or higher than those with the federal minimum of $7.25.
Axios Richmond
January 5, 2026
On New Year’s Day, workers in 19 states received a pay increase as new minimum wage laws took effect. These changes are expected to benefit more than 8.3 million workers, adding an estimated $5 billion in earnings nationwide, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute.
iHeart Radio
January 5, 2026
According to the Economic Policy Institute, with these changes, more workers across the country will have a baseline of more than $15 an hour than those that abide by the federal wage of $7.25, a number that has not changed since 2009.
Spectrum News
January 5, 2026
The pay increases will affect about 8.3 million workers, who will gain a combined $5 billion over the course of 2026, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, or EPI.
Beginning next year, the number of workers living in a state that guarantees a $15 minimum wage will exceed the number living in a state that offers the federal wage floor of $7.25 per hour, the EPI found.
ABC News
January 5, 2026
More than 8.3 million workers are expected to benefit from minimum wage hikes in 19 states, which will collectively add an estimated $5 billion in earnings nationwide, according to a December report by the Economic Policy Institute.
CNBC
January 5, 2026
When the calendar turns to 2026, workers who earn the minimum wage in more than a dozen states will see a bump in pay, according to a count from the Economic Policy Institute. And by the end of 2026, more states will have a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour than those where workers will continue to receive the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Some of those minimum wage increases will be big.
Marketplace
January 5, 2026
Features interview with Nina Mast.
CNBC
January 5, 2026