Living Your Best Life?
Do you love your state? Do you think it's the best state to live in in the country? Well, according to WalletHub, there is a BEST state to live in and a WORST—and 48 in between. So, let's check 'em out.
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...
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
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}