The decision we make on where to live is one of the biggest ones of our lives (and luckily, we can pick up and move if it isn’t right). That dictates what kind of lifestyle we can have, how close we’ll be to others we care about, whether there’s a good airport nearby for traveling and what kind of weather may cause trouble for us. Financial company WalletHub compiles an annual list of the best states to live in, using factors such as job opportunities, educational quality, safety and even the cost of groceries. The company used 51 different comparison points to rank all 50 states. Here are the findings for 2024.
This year, the best state to live in is Massachusetts. It’s the best overall and also best in the category of education and health. This state has the lowest rate of premature death—and also the lowest percentage of adults who live with fair or poor health. A full 97.3 percent of residents have health insurance. It has a high rate of students graduating from high school and the country’s third-highest median household income, $94,000. Seems like this state might be a great one to set down roots in… it’s got a robust four seasons as well.
Florida is in second place. Given recent circumstances, we might worry about climate change in this state, but if we set that aside, Florida keeps its residents employed with only a 2.9 percent unemployment rate. Adding to that is its low tax rates and the sixth highest median income growth for households in the nation. It ranks fourth for quality of life: we think those powder-sand beaches may have something to do with it!
In third place is New Jersey. It has the highest median household income in the nation, $96,000, and its residents have very little debt (the second lowest median debt in the country). However, it’s ranked 48th (out of 50) for affordability, so temper that income with what you can spend it on. Life expectancy is high here (10th in the country), and the state’s incredible trail systems may explain part of that—there are plenty of opportunities for hiking and a high prevalence of fitness centers.
Here are the top 10 best U.S. states to live in:
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.