The number crunchers at WalletHub are back with yet another list, this time with the 2024 edition of The Best States to Live In.
For this study, WalletHub compared the 50 states across five key dimensions: housing affordability, the state economy, education and health, quality of life and public safety. WalletHub determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.
Massachusetts was ranked as the best state to live in, with WalletHub praising the Bay State’s “strong health care system and high-quality education” coupled with the nation’s third-highest median household income at over $94,000, the third-lowest property crime rate in the country and the third-best access to public transportation.
Florida ranked second due to a 2.9% unemployment rate, high job opportunities per capita and the nation’s seventh-lowest tax rates. New Jersey ranked third with the highest median household income in the country at over $96,000 and what WalletHub cited as “the sixth-lowest violent crime rate and ninth-lowest property crime rate, due in part to the fact that it has the highest number of law enforcement employees per capita.”
Utah and New Hampshire rounded out the top five states on the list, while on the flip side Louisiana ranked 50th on the list. New Mexico, Arkansas, Alaska and Nevada completed the bottom five.
Within a specific focus on housing criteria, Iowa was cited for the lowest housing costs while California had the highest. West Virginia had the highest homeownership rate and New York had the lowest.
“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub analyst. “Many states have strong economies, though, so you should also consider a wide variety of other factors, such as how where you live will impact your health and safety, and whether you will have adequate access to activities that you enjoy. If you have children, a robust education system is also key.”
Photo: Holyoke, Massachusetts, courtesy Peeterv / iStock
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“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub analyst. What does she know about what we should first consider? This study is nonsense. There’s a reason people call Massachusetts, Taxachusetts.
Utter nonsense… Massachusetts & New Jersey in the top 3 is laughable at best
Your credibility is now in question
Hey, we’re just reporting the news, Bob! This is a WalletHub survey!
I think Boston should be renamed, WalletHub!
Florida? Really? Best for whom? Why do you even quote Florida’s number when the gov doesn’t believe in keeping tabs on anything? Healthcare for women is not good to non-existent. Banning books? Nazism. The gov tells schools what they may teach.
Florida’s governor picks fights with major businesses like Disney. I’ve renamed Florida “DeSantistan” and told all of my clients there are better places to invest. Clients that have property there have sold. Did I mention Florida can’t fight the rising sea due to climate change? Invest in Florida at your own risk.
I am in Las Vegas and for 50 years I have heard folks refer to “the communist state of Massachusetts ” as a place to never return.
The weather, alone makes Nevada a place to be, certainly not in the bottom five. We seem to have more cops than people, education and medical facilities everywhere, and apartments and free benefits for the homeless and sanctuary folks.
I would be interest in knowingt voters for your survey and their ages.