Massachusetts ranks #1 Best State to Raise a Family according to 2018 study
Whether you're a young couple looking to build a family or a larger family seeking more opportunities, moving to the right place can be an overwhelming decision for anyone. Will there be relatives and friends nearby? How are the public schools for your children? Are there plenty of activities to engage different ages? Is the area you're interested in even affordable?
WalletHub published 2018’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family to address many of these concerns.
The WalletHub study evaluated each state based on 42 indicators of family-friendliness under five main categories—Family Fun, Health & Safety, Education & Childcare, Affordability, and Socio-economics.
The highest average score between the five categories produced the overall rank.
The Results
Massachusetts, followed by Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Vermont are the top five ranking states. The lowest ranking states are Louisiana, West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, and New Mexico. Connecticut (#11) and Maine (#17) were the only other New England states to make the Top 20.
"States can make family life better—or worse—by taking steps to ensure quality childcare and education and by providing economic programs that support families," says Anne L. Alstott, Jacquin D. Bierman Professor in Taxation at Yale Law School. "Families are inevitably affected by the cost of living, by child care, and educational quality, and by policies like family leave and mandated sick leave. And facilities like public transportation, public parks, and affordable housing can all improve the quality of family life."
In addition to earning the top spot, Massachusetts ranked #3 for having the lowest infant mortality rate. However, Massachusetts was recognized as one of the least affordable childcare costs in the country at #48.
Review the full WalletHub study to see the complete list of rankings, methodology and expert panel.
In 2017, Boston ranked #8 on The 25 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for its strong job market opportunities, low unemployment rate, and high desirability to live in the New England city.