Best States to Live In

Choosing where to live is one of the biggest decisions you'll make. From housing costs and job opportunities to education, safety and overall quality of life, there are many factors to weigh. Lifestyle preferences matter, too, whether you're looking for outdoor recreation, cultural attractions or a climate that suits you.

With 50 unique states to choose from, each offering its own advantages and challenges, finding the right fit isn't always easy. To identify the best places to call home, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 51 key indicators of livability, including housing affordability, income growth, educational attainment and hospital quality.

Top 5 States to Live In

1. Idaho
2. New Jersey
3. Wisconsin
4. Massachusetts
5. New Hampshire

Main Findings

Top States to Live in

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

In-Depth Look at the Best States to Live In

Idaho

Idaho is the best state to live in, boasting one of the lowest median real estate tax rates in the country, at just 0.5%, along with the eighth-highest homeownership rate. It also has the fourth-lowest tax rates overall and the highest median household income growth, making it a great place to build and grow wealth.

In addition, the Gem State has the seventh-lowest share of urban interstates experiencing congestion during peak hours. This naturally leads to some of the lowest average commute times in the country.

To top things off, Idaho is a pretty safe state. It has the 14th-lowest violent crime rate and the lowest property crime rate in the country.

New Jersey

New Jersey is the second-best state to live in, and it has the third-highest median household income in the country, at nearly $104,000. In addition, New Jersey residents have the second-lowest median debt, the equivalent of around 27% of what they earn in a year. The Garden State has done a good job of tackling poverty, too, with the fifth-lowest share of the population below the poverty line and the fifth-lowest food insecurity rate.

When it comes to health, New Jersey residents have the second-lowest premature death rate in the nation, the third-lowest obesity rate, and the third-best overall life expectancy. One reason for the low obesity rate in particular is the fact that the state has the sixth-most miles of trails and the fifth-most fitness centers per capita, which gives people plenty of opportunities to stay active.

Finally, New Jersey has the ninth-lowest violent crime rate and 17th-lowest property crime rate, due in part to the fact that it has the highest number of law enforcement employees per capita.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is the third-best state to live in, thanks to its affordable housing market, where the ninth-highest housing affordability helps make homeownership more attainable for residents.

Wisconsin has the 15th-lowest premature death rate in the country and the 16th-lowest share of live birth with low weight. It also has the ninth-highest share of residents with health insurance coverage, at 94.8%.

The Badger State also ranks sixth for the quality of its school systems. It has the best high school graduation rate in the country, too, over 96%. Good-quality education has helped the state’s residents find employment, contributing to the seventh-lowest unemployment rate in the country.

Finally, Wisconsin offers a safe environment for residents, with the sixth-lowest property crime rate in the country and has the 18th-lowest traffic fatality rate in the country.

The methodology can be found on the full version of the article on WalletHub.