The Best States for Raising a Family in the U.S.

What are the best states for raising a family? WalletHub’s recent study has the answer. The personal finance website compared “50 states across 52 key indicators of family-friendliness,” including median annual family income, housing affordability, unemployment rates, childcare costs, crime rates and divorce rates – among many others. Several interesting tidbits that WalletHub’s study found included:

  • Minnesota had the highest median annual family income when cost of living was taken into account.
  • Iowa had the most affordable housing.
  • Utah had the lowest separation and divorce rate of any state.
  • New Hampshire had the lowest percentage of families living in poverty and the lowest infant mortality rate.
  • South Dakota had the lowest annual early childcare costs.
  • Maine had the fewest violent crimes per 1,000 residents.

Curious where the overall best states are for raising a family? Here are WalletHub’s 10 best states to raise a family – along with data from the U.S. Census and AreaVibes.

10 best states for raising a family

Massachusetts

Minnesota

North Dakota

New York

Vermont

New Hampshire

New Jersey

Washington

Connecticut

Utah

What are the worst states for raising a family?

According to WalletHub, these are the 10 worst states for raising a family (ranked from worst to best).

  1. New Mexico
  2. Mississippi
  3. West Virginia
  4. Louisiana
  5. Oklahoma
  6. Arkansas
  7. Alabama
  8. South Carolina
  9. Arizona
  10. Nevada

Ready to move to one of these states?

To learn more about cities within these states, check out Moving.com’s City Profile Report feature. Our reports include city demographics, real estate, economic makeup, income, education, and residential information. Simply enter the zip code or the state and city of your potential move, and get a free report at the click of a button. If you think you want to make one of these cities your new home, you may need to hire professionals to handle your relocation. To find a trustworthy moving company, check out Moving.com’s extensive network of reputable and reliable movers – all licensed and insured. Best of luck and happy moving!