Living Your Best Life?
Do you think your state is the best place to live in the country? Plenty of people do. But according to WalletHub, there’s officially one BEST state to live in, one WORST—and 48 others somewhere in between. Let’s see where everyone lands.
If you're curious about the methodology:
The rankings were determined based on a state's scores in five key categories:
Affordability: Cost of living, Median Annual Household Income, Housing Affordability
Economy: Unemployment rate, Population Growth, Wealth Gap, Job Opportunities
Education & Health: Quality of Public Schools, Quality of Public Hospital System, Life Expectancy
Quality of Life: Average Hours Worked per Week, Access to Public Transportation, Weather
Safety: Violent and Property crime rate, Total Law-Enforcement Employees per Capita
Okay, now let's see the ranking from worst to best...
Krakenimages.com, Shutterstock Images
50: Louisiana
Total Score: 41.31
Affordability Rank: 23
Economy Rank: 50
Education & Health Rank: 48
Quality of Life Rank: 37
Safety Rank: 44
Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
49: New Mexico
Total Score: 41.81
Affordability Rank: 25
Economy Rank: 26
Education & Health Rank: 47
Quality of Life Rank: 31
Safety Rank: 49
MARELBU, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
48: Arkansas
Total Score: 43.26
Affordability Rank: 8
Economy Rank: 45
Education & Health Rank: 42
Quality of Life Rank: 47
Safety Rank: 46
47: Alaska
Total Score: 43.41
Affordability Rank: 42
Economy Rank: 9
Education & Health Rank: 37
Quality of Life Rank: 50
Safety Rank: 43
Alan Wu, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
46: Nevada
Total Score: 44.06
Affordability Rank: 39
Economy Rank: 46
Education & Health Rank: 43
Quality of Life Rank: 22
Safety Rank: 37
45: Mississippi
Total Score: 44.56
Affordability Rank: 9
Economy Rank: 44
Education & Health Rank: 49
Quality of Life Rank: 49
Safety Rank: 21
44: Oklahoma
Total Score: 45.21
Affordability Rank: 19
Economy Rank: 34
Education & Health Rank: 50
Quality of Life Rank: 35
Safety Rank: 33
Urbanative, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
43: South Carolina
Total Score: 46.94
Affordability Rank: 10
Economy Rank: 38
Education & Health Rank: 40
Quality of Life Rank: 27
Safety Rank: 45
42: Oregon
Total Score: 47.55
Affordability Rank: 41
Economy Rank: 28
Education & Health Rank: 26
Quality of Life Rank: 14
Safety Rank: 47
41: Arizona
Total Score: 48.06
Affordability Rank: 22
Economy Rank: 21
Education & Health Rank: 44
Quality of Life Rank: 23
Safety Rank: 40
40: West Virginia
Total Score: 48.15
Affordability Rank: 2
Economy Rank: 40
Education & Health Rank: 45
Quality of Life Rank: 43
Safety Rank: 23
F McGady, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
39: Hawaii
Total Score: 48.48
Affordability Rank: 50
Economy Rank: 12
Education & Health Rank: 6
Quality of Life Rank: 42
Safety Rank: 42
38: Alabama
Total Score: 48.55
Affordability Rank: 1
Economy Rank: 39
Education & Health Rank: 46
Quality of Life Rank: 41
Safety Rank: 25
DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
37: Kentucky
Total Score: 49.03
Affordability Rank: 11
Economy Rank: 48
Education & Health Rank: 34
Quality of Life Rank: 46
Safety Rank: 20
Christopher Boswell, Adobe Stock
36: Texas
Total Score: 49.17
Affordability Rank: 34
Economy Rank: 36
Education & Health Rank: 38
Quality of Life Rank: 8
Safety Rank: 34
35: Washington
Total Score: 49.75
Affordability Rank: 36
Economy Rank: 10
Education & Health Rank: 13
Quality of Life Rank: 9
Safety Rank: 50
Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
34: Delaware
Total Score: 50.74
Affordability Rank: 16
Economy Rank: 35
Education & Health Rank: 25
Quality of Life Rank: 48
Safety Rank: 31
Tim Kiser, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
33: Tennessee
Total Score: 50.97
Affordability Rank: 5
Economy Rank: 27
Education & Health Rank: 39
Quality of Life Rank: 33
Safety Rank: 32
Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
32: Michigan
Total Score: 51.17
Affordability Rank: 15
Economy Rank: 42
Education & Health Rank: 35
Quality of Life Rank: 10
Safety Rank: 35
Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
31: Missouri
Total Score: 51.42
Affordability Rank: 7
Economy Rank: 31
Education & Health Rank: 29
Quality of Life Rank: 24
Safety Rank: 41
Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
30: Ohio
Total Score: 51.71
Affordability Rank: 24
Economy Rank: 47
Education & Health Rank: 36
Quality of Life Rank: 15
Safety Rank: 18
29: California
Total Score: 51.84
Affordability Rank: 49
Economy Rank: 17
Education & Health Rank: 20
Quality of Life Rank: 2
Safety Rank: 39
Noah Friedlander, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
28: Rhode Island
Total Score: 51.99
Affordability Rank: 45
Economy Rank: 14
Education & Health Rank: 23
Quality of Life Rank: 44
Safety Rank: 8
Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
27: Indiana
Total Score: 52.01
Affordability Rank: 4
Economy Rank: 43
Education & Health Rank: 32
Quality of Life Rank: 26
Safety Rank: 22
26: Maryland
Total Score: 52.18
Affordability Rank: 38
Economy Rank: 37
Education & Health Rank: 16
Quality of Life Rank: 34
Safety Rank: 17
high limitzz, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
25: Georgia
Total Score: 52.50
Affordability Rank: 14
Economy Rank: 19
Education & Health Rank: 41
Quality of Life Rank: 18
Safety Rank: 19
Paul Brennan, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
24: Nebraska
Total Score: 53.06
Affordability Rank: 33
Economy Rank: 29
Education & Health Rank: 17
Quality of Life Rank: 29
Safety Rank: 30
Hanyou23, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
23: North Carolina
Total Score: 53.12
Affordability Rank: 17
Economy Rank: 16
Education & Health Rank: 33
Quality of Life Rank: 17
Safety Rank: 38
22: Connecticut
Total Score: 53.42
Affordability Rank: 46
Economy Rank: 33
Education & Health Rank: 3
Quality of Life Rank: 20
Safety Rank: 14
John9474, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
21: Colorado
Total Score: 53.76
Affordability Rank: 28
Economy Rank: 8
Education & Health Rank: 7
Quality of Life Rank: 12
Safety Rank: 48
Jguy10218, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
20: Kansas
Total Score: 53.92
Affordability Rank: 27
Economy Rank: 18
Education & Health Rank: 27
Quality of Life Rank: 21
Safety Rank: 28
19: Vermont
Total Score: 54.52
Affordability Rank: 43
Economy Rank: 1
Education & Health Rank: 5
Quality of Life Rank: 45
Safety Rank: 26
Sdkb, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
18: South Dakota
Total Score: 54.87
Affordability Rank: 20
Economy Rank: 7
Education & Health Rank: 30
Quality of Life Rank: 40
Safety Rank: 16
17: North Dakota
Total Score: 55.02
Affordability Rank: 31
Economy Rank: 4
Education & Health Rank: 21
Quality of Life Rank: 36
Safety Rank: 24
16: Illinois
Total Score: 55.63
Affordability Rank: 37
Economy Rank: 49
Education & Health Rank: 22
Quality of Life Rank: 5
Safety Rank: 6
Andrew Horne, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
15: Montana
Total Score: 56.02
Affordability Rank: 26
Economy Rank: 3
Education & Health Rank: 10
Quality of Life Rank: 32
Safety Rank: 36
tyler craft, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
14: Maine
Total Score: 56.52
Affordability Rank: 35
Economy Rank: 5
Education & Health Rank: 14
Quality of Life Rank: 28
Safety Rank: 13
Tye dye 9205, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
13: Minnesota
Total Score: 57.43
Affordability Rank: 13
Economy Rank: 30
Education & Health Rank: 11
Quality of Life Rank: 7
Safety Rank: 29
Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
12: Iowa
Total Score: 57.51
Affordability Rank: 21
Economy Rank: 32
Education & Health Rank: 15
Quality of Life Rank: 16
Safety Rank: 12
Iowahwyman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
11: Virginia
Total Score: 57.93
Affordability Rank: 18
Economy Rank: 20
Education & Health Rank: 12
Quality of Life Rank: 19
Safety Rank: 15
10: Wyoming
Total Score: 57.99
Affordability Rank: 12
Economy Rank: 22
Education & Health Rank: 28
Quality of Life Rank: 39
Safety Rank: 2
Bradlyons, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
9: New York
Total Score: 58.17
Affordability Rank: 47
Economy Rank: 24
Education & Health Rank: 18
Quality of Life Rank: 1
Safety Rank: 5
8: Wisconsin
Total Score: 58.19
Affordability Rank: 32
Economy Rank: 23
Education & Health Rank: 8
Quality of Life Rank: 13
Safety Rank: 11
Isaac Rowlett, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
7: Pennsylvania
Total Score: 58.32
Affordability Rank: 29
Economy Rank: 41
Education & Health Rank: 19
Quality of Life Rank: 3
Safety Rank: 9
Bobak, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
6: Idaho
Total Score: 58.76
Affordability Rank: 6
Economy Rank: 6
Education & Health Rank: 31
Quality of Life Rank: 25
Safety Rank: 4
5: New Hampshire
Total Score: 59.13
Affordability Rank: 40
Economy Rank: 2
Education & Health Rank: 2
Quality of Life Rank: 38
Safety Rank: 3
Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
4: Utah
Total Score: 59.58
Affordability Rank: 3
Economy Rank: 13
Education & Health Rank: 4
Quality of Life Rank: 30
Safety Rank: 27
Invictus323, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
3: New Jersey
Total Score: 59.65
Affordability Rank: 48
Economy Rank: 25
Education & Health Rank: 9
Quality of Life Rank: 11
Safety Rank: 1
Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2: Florida
Total Score: 59.82
Affordability Rank: 30
Economy Rank: 11
Education & Health Rank: 24
Quality of Life Rank: 4
Safety Rank: 10
Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB, Shutterstock
1: Massachusetts
Total Score: 60.52
Affordability Rank: 44
Economy Rank: 15
Education & Health Rank: 1
Quality of Life Rank: 6
Safety Rank: 7
Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock
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