With around 7.8 percent of Americans having moved, according to the latest data, slightly less than the year before, the personal-finance website WalletHub recently released its report on “2025’s Best States to Live In.”
To help Americans settle down in the best and most affordable place possible, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 51 key indicators of livability. They range from housing costs and income growth to the education rate and quality of hospitals.
The “Top 20” states to live in America were, in order, Massachusetts, Idaho, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida, New Hampshire, Utah, New York, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Iowa, Maine, Virginia, Montana, North Dakota, Illinois, South Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska.
Best versus worst takeaways from the survey were:
- Maine has the fewest violent crimes (per 1,000 residents), which is 7.3 times less than in New Mexico, the state with the most.
- New Hampshire has the lowest share of residents living in poverty, which is 2.7 times lower than in Mississippi, the state with the highest.
- South Dakota has the shortest average commute time, which is 1.9 times shorter than in New York, the state with the longest.
- Alabama has the highest quality of roads, which is 7.4 times higher than in Rhode Island, the state with the lowest.
“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability,” WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said. “Many states have strong economies, though, so you should also consider a wide variety of other factors, such as how where you live will impact your health and safety, and whether you will have adequate access to activities that you enjoy. If you have children, a robust education system is also key.
“Massachusetts is the best state to live in, due in large part to its strong health care system and high-quality education,” he added. “Massachusetts has the lowest premature death rate in the country and the fifth-lowest share of adults in fair or poor health. The Bay State also ranks first in the nation for the quality of its school systems. In addition, Massachusetts has the second-highest median household income, at over $101,000.”