If you're thinking of starting a family and are looking for good places to raise kids, you could do a lot worse than New England
In fact, Massachusetts was named the best state in the U.S. to raise a family, according to a WalletHub study. Comparing categories such as family fun, health & safety, education, affordability and socio-economics, the Bay State ranked first in the nation, beating out Minnesota and New York.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
In all, WalletHub rated what it called "51 key indicators of family-friendliness." Everything from median family income to housing affordability to unemployment rates were used to determine the list, according to the personal finance site.
Massachusetts scored well in education & child care (second), affordability (second) and health & safety (fifth). It also ranked ninth for family fun. The worst category for Massachusetts? Socioeconomics, where the state ranked 22nd.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
While Massachusetts residents might get bragging rights, the rest of the New England finished very high as well, with both Vermont and New Hampshire finishing in the top five. Vermont was fifth, immediately followed by New Hampshire at sixth.
Connecticut and Rhode Island came in at 10th and 11th, respectively, and Maine slotted in at 16th.
Vermont ranked first for health & safety and second for socioeconomics, while New Hampshire was third in health & safety. Connecticut was ranked first for affordability.
Other states in the top 10 include North Dakota, New Jersey, Nebraska and Iowa.
Many of the states toward the bottom of the list are in the south and southwest. Rounding out the bottom of the list were South Carolina, Louisiana, West Virginia, New Mexico and Mississippi.
Here's a look at the whole list, according to WalletHub:
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New York
- North Dakota
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- Connecticut
- Rhode Island
- Washington
- Illinois
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Maine
- Wisconsin
- Pennsylvania
- Maryland
- Colorado
- Virginia
- California
- Hawaii
- Oregon
- Montana
- Texas
- Wyoming
- Missouri
- Kansas
- Delaware
- Ohio
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Indiana
- Idaho
- Michigan
- Kentucky
- Alaska
- North Carolina
- Nevada
- Arizona
- Georgia
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Alabama
- South Carolina
- Louisiana
- West Virginia
- New Mexico
- Mississippi