There’s a lot to consider when deciding where you want to live when starting a family and some states make it easier than others. Some parents prefer to stay in the area they grew up in, while others like to move somewhere new and a new report reveals which states they may want to consider.
- WalletHub has just come out with a new list of the Best and Worst States to Raise a Family in 2024.
- They compared all 50 states on 50 key indicators of family-friendliness, in the categories of family fun, health and safety, education and childcare, affordability, and socioeconomics.
- States were rated on everything from housing affordability to quality of local schools to median annual family income and the unemployment rate.
- Based on all of this, Massachusetts is the best state to raise a family in 2024.
- It comes in first for education and childcare, third for affordability and fifth for health and safety.
- California, 27th overall, is number one for family fun, while North Dakota, second overall, is first for socioeconomics, and Minnesota, third overall, is number one for affordability.
- At the other end of the list is New Mexico, making it the worst state in the country to raise a family, as it lands near the bottom in every category.
10 Best States to Raise A Family In 2024
- Massachusetts
- North Dakota
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- New York
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- South Dakota
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
10 Worst States To Raise A Family In 2024
- New Mexico
- Mississippi
- West Virginia
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- Nevada
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Arizona
(Check out the full list here)