With around 7.8% of Americans having moved slightly less than the year before, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best States to Live in. The experts compared cost of living with job opportunities, quality of education and whether or not it's residents considered their state a safe place to live. They also looked at attractions, recreational opportunities and the weather.
To help Americans settle down in the best and most affordable place possible, 51 key indicators of livability were compared. Indicators range from housing costs and income growth to the education rate and quality of hospitals.
Top 20 States to Live in America
1. Massachusetts
2. Idaho
3. New Jersey
4. Wisconsin
5. Minnesota
6. Florida
7. New Hampshire
8. Utah
9. New York
10. Pennsylvania
11. Wyoming
12. Iowa
13. Maine
14. Virginia - overall we looked pretty good to make it into the top 20. Our only downfall, really, was our Quality of Life score which was brought down when the expert compared hours we work with commute times, public transportation options, the quality of our roads and other factors.
15. Montana
16. North Dakota
17. Illinois
18. South Dakota
19. Colorado
20. Nebraska
Best vs. Worst
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.
For the second year in a row, South Carolina saw the greatest population growth thanks to lower taxes.
Overall, we may not be #1 but we love living here! What about you? If you have something nice to say, or you want to air an grievance, make sure to leave a comment on our FB page where you probably started reading this article.