Jan 30, 2025
The Best States for Raising a Family in 2025 👨👩👧👦
What We're Showing
This graphic shows the best U.S. states for raising a family in 2025, based on data from WalletHub.
Methodology
States were scored out of 100 based on 50 indicators including:
- Median family income
- Educational quality
- Housing affordability
- Health care quality
- Paid family leave
Key Takeaways
- Ranking first overall is Massachusetts, known for the nation's best public school system, water quality, and job security conditions.
- Following next in line is Minnesota, which ranks second in median family income in addition to having one of the highest life expectancy rates in the country.
- New Mexico falls in last place due to the state having high crime rates, low median family incomes, and the second-highest child care costs nationally.
Dataset
| Rank | State | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 69 |
| 2 | Minnesota | 63 |
| 3 | North Dakota | 62 |
| 4 | Nebraska | 61 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 60 |
| 6 | New York | 60 |
| 7 | Illinois | 59 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 59 |
| 9 | Maine | 59 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 58 |
| 11 | Colorado | 58 |
| 12 | Iowa | 58 |
| 13 | Washington | 57 |
| 14 | Vermont | 57 |
| 15 | South Dakota | 57 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 57 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 57 |
| 18 | New Jersey | 56 |
| 19 | Maryland | 55 |
| 20 | Utah | 55 |
| 21 | Virginia | 54 |
| 22 | Oregon | 54 |
| 23 | Montana | 54 |
| 24 | Ohio | 53 |
| 25 | Hawaii | 53 |
| 26 | Wyoming | 53 |
| 27 | Missouri | 52 |
| 28 | California | 52 |
| 29 | Kansas | 51 |
| 30 | Texas | 51 |
| 31 | Tennessee | 50 |
| 32 | Kentucky | 50 |
| 33 | Florida | 49 |
| 34 | Idaho | 49 |
| 35 | Indiana | 48 |
| 36 | Delaware | 48 |
| 37 | North Carolina | 48 |
| 38 | Michigan | 47 |
| 39 | Alaska | 45 |
| 40 | Georgia | 45 |
| 41 | Arizona | 44 |
| 42 | South Carolina | 43 |
| 43 | Louisiana | 42 |
| 44 | Arkansas | 41 |
| 45 | Alabama | 41 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | 41 |
| 47 | Nevada | 39 |
| 48 | West Virginia | 37 |
| 49 | Mississippi | 35 |
| 50 | New Mexico | 32 |
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