Relocation by Numbers

How Much Do I Need to Retire?

Calculate Your Retirement Number Based on Spending, Returns & Withdrawal Rate

The amount you need to retire depends mostly on your yearly spending, your withdrawal rate, and how long your money needs to last. A common starting point is the 4% rule, which suggests you need about 25× your annual expenses.

Assumptions updated: October 2026
See methodology and data sources
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Estimates the portfolio you need to cover your full lifestyle at your chosen withdrawal rate, with the spending adjusted for inflation each year.

FIRE at age 61 · 31 years away

Calculator inputs
Enter your income, spending, and investing assumptions.
ABOUT YOU
SAVINGS AND INVESTING
Using defaults: filing single, 401(k) 8%, moderate returns, 4% withdrawal, 2.5% inflation. Saving is estimated from your after-tax income less spending.
How moving could change your timeline
Geography may be one of the most powerful levers in a FIRE plan. Same income, same returns, different cost of living.
Annual: $48,000
Starts equal to your spending now, so a move shows no gain until you enter what you expect to spend in the new place. Pick a state or enter your own figure.
MOVE IMPACT
Current FIRE age61
FIRE number after move (at that age, future dollars)$2,580,008
FIRE age after move61
Same timeline
Show dollar amounts in:

Example results from sample inputs. Change any field to see your own numbers.

Your FIRE milestone

At your current pace you could reach financial independence at age 61, in about 31 years, around 2057.

FIRE Number
$1,200,000
Based on 4% withdrawal rate, in today's dollars (spending grows with inflation).
Years Until FIRE
31 yrs
Est. FIRE year: 2057
Estimated FIRE Age
61
Savings Rate
28.0%
$59,460 est. net · 25.9% tax rate
Progress to FIRE
6%
$75,000 invested · Projected under these assumptions: FIRE at 61

FIRE at age 61 · 31 years away

How this estimate works
Estimates the portfolio you need to cover your full lifestyle at your chosen withdrawal rate, with the spending adjusted for inflation each year.Returns use your selected volatility preset. Inflation and salary growth compound annually, and take-home pay is recalculated each year through the tax engine, with pay growing at the salary-growth rate and the tax brackets, deductions and 401(k) limit indexed to inflation. Each year's saving is added as twelve monthly end-of-month deposits. This is a planning estimate, not financial or tax advice.
Assumptions behind this result

Replace sample values with your own numbers. Planning assumptions are the site's starting estimates; change them in the settings if you have a view.

  • Age30Sample value
  • Annual gross income$90,000Sample value
  • StateNYSample value
  • Monthly spending now$4,000Sample value
  • Invested portfolio$75,000Sample value
  • Withdrawal rate4%Planning assumption
  • Inflation2.5%Planning assumption
  • Salary growth3%Planning assumption
  • Investment returnsmoderate (7% then 5.5%)Planning assumption

Planning assumption · Sample value. Planning assumptions are the site's starting estimates, not quotes or forecasts. Sample values are placeholders until you enter your own.

Where to go next
  1. Step 1
    Compare a move

    See what a city or state change does to rent, taxes and take-home pay.

    Compare cities →
  2. Step 2
    See the FIRE impact

    Rank cities by how much sooner they could get you to FIRE.

    Best cities for FIRE →
  3. Step 3
    Plan it in detail

    Model withdrawals, taxes and Social Security year by year (Beta).

    Complete Retirement Plan →
Decision engine

Your fastest path to financial independence

You're currently projected to reach your goal in 31 yrs. Here are the changes that would get you to financial independence fastest.

Biggest lever
Raise savings rate to 38%

A higher savings rate means more capital compounding every year, the most direct lever on any FIRE timeline.

Estimated improvement8 years sooner
What would move the needle most

1. Raise savings rate to 38%

8 yrs sooner

More of your income working for you sooner.

FIRE age
53
Years to FIRE
23 yrs

2. Lower spending by 10%

6 yrs sooner

A smaller target means compounding has less ground to cover.

FIRE age
55
Years to FIRE
25 yrs

3. Add $5,000/year to investments

3 yrs sooner

More capital compounding each year builds a meaningful head start.

FIRE age
58
Years to FIRE
28 yrs

These are planning estimates, not guarantees. Small changes in return assumptions, taxes, and future spending can materially change the result.

How retirement numbers are usually calculated

The simplest version is: annual spending ÷ withdrawal rate = retirement number.

If you expect to spend $50,000 a year and use a 4% withdrawal rate, your target is about $1.25 million. If you expect to spend $80,000, the same rule gives you a target of $2 million.

That is why spending matters so much. A lower annual spending target does not just reduce your monthly needs, it directly lowers the size of portfolio required to retire.

But your retirement number also depends on where you live. Lower taxes and a lower cost of living can reduce annual spending, shrink the portfolio you need, and shorten your timeline by years.

What changes your retirement number most

Annual spending

Spending is the biggest driver. Lower annual expenses mean a lower retirement target.

Withdrawal rate

A lower withdrawal rate means you need a larger portfolio. A higher rate lowers the target, but with more risk.

Location

Where you live changes taxes, housing costs, and everyday spending, which can materially change your number.

Retirement age

Earlier retirement usually requires more caution because the portfolio needs to last longer.

Why location matters more than people think

Your retirement number is based on annual spending, not just investment returns. That means moving to a lower-cost city or lower-tax state can reduce the amount your portfolio needs to support every year.

In practice, a relocation decision can sometimes improve the math more than a small raise or a slightly higher investment return assumption.

What this calculator includes, and what it does not

Included

  • Retirement number estimate
  • 4% rule and withdrawal-rate planning
  • Location-aware spending and tax comparison
  • Timeline testing through the FIRE calculator

Not fully modeled

  • Every tax edge case or deduction
  • Sequence-of-returns risk in full detail
  • Healthcare and long-term care with precision
  • Guaranteed future returns

This is a planning tool, not a guaranteed retirement forecast.

Frequently asked questions about retirement numbers

How much money do I need to retire?
A common starting point is 25 times your annual expenses, based on the 4% rule. The exact number depends on your withdrawal rate, timeline, taxes, and expected spending.
What is the 4% rule for retirement?
The 4% rule is a planning guideline suggesting a portfolio can support withdrawals of roughly 4% per year over a traditional retirement horizon. That implies a retirement number of about 25 times annual spending.
How does where I live affect how much I need to retire?
Significantly. Lower spending and lower taxes reduce the size of portfolio your retirement must support.
How much do I need to retire at 50?
Retiring at 50 usually requires a more conservative plan than retiring later because the portfolio may need to last 40 years or more. Many early retirees use a withdrawal rate lower than 4%.
Does Social Security reduce how much I need to save?
Yes. Any reliable outside income reduces the amount your portfolio needs to cover each year.
What investment return should I assume for retirement planning?
Many people use 5% to 7% nominal return assumptions for planning, but the right number depends on how conservative you want to be.

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