The State Reverse-Mortgage Suitability Index scores all 50 states and DC on four public measures: the share of residents aged 65 and older, median home value against the federal HECM lending limit, the state tax levied on the mortgage instrument at closing, and how many HUD-approved HECM counseling agencies are based in the state. The four are combined into a single weighted composite between 0 and 100.
This is an informational comparison, not financial advice and not a recommendation for any individual. A high score does not mean a reverse mortgage is right for a given homeowner, and a low score does not rule one out — it reflects how the standard HECM program lines up against state-level conditions, nothing about a specific home or borrower. The band labels are deliberately neutral; there is no “winning” state. Read the full methodology
All 51 jurisdictions, ranked by suitability index
States are ordered by composite score. Each name links to its detail page, which breaks the score into its four inputs and adds a short read on what drives it.
| Rank | State | Index (/100) | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 73 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 2 | Oregon | 69 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 68 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 67 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 5 | Maine | 66 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 6 | Montana | 65 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 7 | Idaho | 64 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 8 | Washington | 62 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 9 | Delaware | 61 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 61 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 11 | Vermont | 61 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 12 | Wyoming | 61 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 13 | Arizona | 60 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 14 | Colorado | 60 | Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh |
| 15 | Connecticut | 59 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 16 | New Jersey | 59 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 17 | California | 58 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 18 | Nevada | 58 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 58 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 20 | West Virginia | 57 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | 56 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 22 | New Mexico | 55 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 23 | South Carolina | 55 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 24 | South Dakota | 55 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 54 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 26 | Florida | 53 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 27 | Michigan | 52 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 28 | Minnesota | 52 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 29 | North Carolina | 52 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 30 | Illinois | 51 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 31 | Missouri | 51 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 32 | Arkansas | 49 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 33 | Iowa | 49 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 34 | Ohio | 49 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 35 | Utah | 49 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 36 | Tennessee | 47 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 37 | Virginia | 47 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 38 | Kansas | 46 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 39 | Indiana | 45 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 40 | Kentucky | 45 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 41 | North Dakota | 45 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 42 | Nebraska | 45 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 43 | Alabama | 44 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 44 | Louisiana | 44 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 45 | Mississippi | 43 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 46 | Alaska | 42 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 47 | Oklahoma | 41 | Mixed — jumbo or HELOC may compete |
| 48 | Georgia | 39 | Standard HECM is constrained — compare alternatives |
| 49 | Maryland | 39 | Standard HECM is constrained — compare alternatives |
| 50 | New York | 39 | Standard HECM is constrained — compare alternatives |
| 51 | Texas | 39 | Standard HECM is constrained — compare alternatives |
Composite scores are computed from public data, not lender quotes, and are estimates of program fit rather than offers. Estimatehow this number is calculated
How to read the four bands
The bands group composite scores into four plain-language ranges. They describe how the standard HECM lines up against state conditions; none of them is a verdict on an individual’s situation.
- 80–100 — Standard HECM fits most homeowners.
- 60–79 — Standard HECM fits, with cost factors to weigh.
- 40–59 — Mixed; jumbo or a HELOC may compete.
- Below 40 — Standard HECM is constrained; compare alternatives.
What this index does not tell you
The score is built from state-level averages. It does not know an individual’s home value, age, or financial picture, and it cannot say whether a reverse mortgage is a sound choice for any household. For a number tied to a specific age and home value, use the reverse mortgage calculator. The methodology page documents every input, the formula, the federal data sources, and the index’s limitations.