We didn't need a whole study to tell us this, but people really seem to like living in Florida. As someone born and raised here (and who moved and came back twice), I can comfortably say it's a pretty great place to call home. (Especially Miami, though I am admittedly a little biased there). However, a new analysis by WalletHub actually confirms it: Florida is the second-best state to live in the nation.
The personal finance company compiles a list of the best states to live in each year, taking into consideration factors such as job opportunities, educational quality, safety and even the cost of groceries. For its 2024 study, WalletHub used 51 different comparison points to rank all 50 states, and Massachusetts was the only one to out-awesome Florida. Here's what they had to say about the Sunshine State:
- It boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, at just 2.9%, plus the sixth-most job opportunities per capita.
- It has the seventh-lowest tax rates and the sixth-highest median household income growth, making it a great place to build and grow wealth.
- It offers an abundance of leisure activities per capita, especially restaurants, beaches, fitness centers and theaters.
- It is a pretty safe state. It has the ninth-most law enforcement employees per capita, the 13th-lowest violent crime rate and the 15th-lowest property crime rate.
Across the metrics categories, Massachusetts and Florida are pretty evenly squared, except when it comes to one: Education & Health. Mass ranks No. 1 in the country in education and health metrics, while Florida sits way down at No. 24. No one's perfect, but this is one area where we'd definitely love to see some improvement, Florida.
Sitting just below the Sunshine State is New Jersey at No. 3, which is significantly more affordable than Florida and has a higher score in the Education & Health category (though their economy seems to be struggling a bit a No. 25). Interested to see how the other United States stacked up? Find the top 10 below.
Top 10 best U.S. states to live in, according to WalletHub
1. Massachusetts
2. Florida
3. New Jersey
4. Utah
5. New Hampshire
6. Idaho
7. Pennsylvania
8. Wisconsin
9. New York
10. Wyoming
For the full list, click here.
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