State rankings

Best States to Raise a Family

Massachusetts has the highest Total Score (66.14), followed by Minnesota (62.07) and New York (61.11). Mississippi has the lowest (30.01).

Culture50 states · 6 metricsUpdated Aug 19, 2023Original page
2 sources
50 of 51 states
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Total Score

Darker green is better (higher is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 50 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
50.1
Middle half 44.91 – 55.48
Average
49.33
50 states
Highest
66.14
Massachusetts
Lowest
30.01
Mississippi

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

50 states · # = rank by Total Score
#
1Massachusetts66.142nd2nd9th5th22nd
2Minnesota62.077th12th13th8th5th
3New York61.116th14th2nd9th46th
4North Dakota59.616th1st32nd16th1st
5Vermont59.2726th7th46th1st2nd
6New Hampshire58.1722nd5th36th3rd8th
7New Jersey58.143rd3rd23rd13th25th
8Nebraska57.9524th6th19th10th6th
9Iowa57.059th9th31st14th10th
10Connecticut57.031st8th29th7th31st
11Rhode Island56.954th19th27th4th27th
12Washington56.35th31st8th23rd19th
13Illinois55.4911th25th4th29th45th
14South Dakota55.4525th11th30th12th7th
15Utah55.2533rd15th18th19th4th
16Maine55.0132nd4th45th2nd14th
17Wisconsin54.8613th13th21st25th11th
18Pennsylvania53.8917th24th11th21st20th
19Maryland53.398th10th25th17th36th
20Colorado53.3419th32nd7th31st15th
21Virginia52.620th17th28th15th17th
22California52.0421st45th1st32nd40th
23Hawaii51.3640th33rd15th6th23rd
24Oregon50.5514th40th10th20th26th
25Montana50.4946th18th34th24th3rd
26Texas49.7135th29th3rd47th44th
27Wyoming49.645th16th37th11th12th
28Missouri49.2127th23rd22nd34th16th
28Kansas49.2118th22nd38th35th13th
30Delaware47.9112th21st44th22nd38th
31Ohio47.6915th36th16th28th42nd
32Florida47.2850th30th6th39th35th
33Tennessee46.1730th26th20th40th24th
34Indiana45.7723rd27th33rd38th18th
35Idaho45.7444th43rd39th18th9th
36Michigan45.5110th41st41st26th28th
37Kentucky45.428th20th43rd30th34th
38Alaska44.7437th44th17th27th21st
39North Carolina43.1139th37th24th37th29th
40Nevada41.4149th49th5th42nd48th
41Arizona40.448th48th12th36th33rd
42Georgia40.2441st35th26th46th41st
43Oklahoma38.4831st39th40th48th43rd
44Arkansas38.4734th28th48th45th32nd
45Alabama37.3829th38th47th44th37th
46South Carolina37.1638th46th42nd41st39th
47Louisiana36.836th47th14th49th49th
48West Virginia34.8643rd42nd50th33rd30th
49New Mexico30.7847th50th35th43rd47th
50Mississippi30.0142nd34th49th50th50th

What correlates with Total Score?

Pearson r against 2,111 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Total Score tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Education and Health (WalletHub)Best States to Live InA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.87 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. Education and Health RankQuality of Life by StateA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.87 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  3. Male Life ExpectancyLife Expectancy by State
    r = +0.86 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Smartest / Dumbest States Index (Penn Stakes)Dumbest States in the United States
    r = +0.86 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. Male Life Expectancy (HALE)Life Expectancy by State
    r = +0.84 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Life Expectancy, Both SexesLife Expectancy by State
    r = +0.83 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Total Score tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Premature Deaths Per 100kHealthiest States
    r = −0.87 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. ScoreMost Stressed States
    r = −0.86 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  3. Pain Reliever Misuse Past MonthDrug Use by State
    r = −0.85 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Teen Birth RateTeen Pregnancy Rates by State
    r = −0.81 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. % Of Population Below Poverty LevelPoverty Rate by State
    r = −0.81 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Gun Deaths per 100kPolymer80 Legal States
    r = −0.81 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Total Score?
Massachusetts has the highest Total Score, at 66.14, followed by Minnesota (62.07) and New York (61.11).
Which state has the lowest Total Score?
Mississippi has the lowest Total Score, at 30.01.
What is the median Total Score across US states?
The median is 50.1 across the 50 US states with data.
Where does this best states to raise a family data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Best & Worst States to Raise a Family; Best States to Raise a Family - Money Rates.

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