Finding a place to call your home is something that is extremely important and not a decision to take lightly. We all love our own states, but are there states that are better to live in than others? The answer is yes.

Let’s break down what are the best and worst United States states to live in, thanks to a study by WalletHub.

Before we get into a debate about which state is the best, let’s discuss the factors WalletHub took into account when determining the best (and worst) states to live in. They compared the 50 states across five key dimensions – liveability, cost of living, education rate, quality of healthcare, and income growth. Finally, they evaluated over 51 different metrics that you can find here.

Here are the worst states to live in based on these findings:

  1. Mississippi

  2. Louisiana

  3. New Mexico

  4. Arkansas

  5. Alabama

  6. Alaska

  7. South Carolina

  8. West Virginia

  9. Oklahoma

  10. Kentucky

Here are the best states based on these findings:

  1. Massachusetts

  2. Minnesota

  3. New Hampshire

  4. New Jersey

  5. Colorado

  6. Wisconsin

  7. Virginia

  8. Iowa

  9. Utah

  10.  Idaho

Want to know more? Here’s a few more interesting breakdowns, again, complements of WalletHub. 

Lowest housing costs:

  1. Iowa

  2. Nebraska

  3. North Dakota

  4. South Dakota

  5. Kansas

Highest housing costs:

  1. California

  2. Hawaii

  3. New York

  4. Oregon

  5. Florida

Lowest crime rate:

  1. Maine

  2. Vermont

  3. New Hampshire

  4. New Jersey

  5. Idaho

RELATED: The Best (& Worst) States For Women, According To A Recent Study

Highest crime rate:

  1. New Mexico (tied for 1st)

  2. Alaska (tied for 1st)

  3. Louisiana

  4. Tennessee

  5. Arkansas

Lowest Income Growth

  1. New Mexico

  2. Louisiana

  3. Nevada

  4. Delaware

  5. Wyoming

Highest Income Growth

  1. North Dakota (tied for 1st)

  2. Colorado (tied for 1st)

  3. Oregon

  4. Washington

  5. Hawaii

Caroline C.
FFL Cabinet Member
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