The 10 Best States To Raise a Family, Revealed

If you think homeownership is expensive, just try raising a family.

It can cost well over $300,000 to raise a child to age 18, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics.

“Raising a family has become significantly more expensive in recent years as the cost of living has risen quickly,” says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

And, with homeownership at all-time highs (the national median list price is now $402,502), it has become even more imperative to find an affordable state when raising your clan.

Of course, factors such as high-quality schools, safety, and child-friendly amenities like parks are important, too.

WalletHub’s new report ranks the best states to raise a family, comparing the 50 states across 50 key indicators of family-friendliness. Its data set includes factors such as the median annual family income, housing affordability, health care quality, crime rate, and school quality.

Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for family life. WalletHub then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Given that home affordability is heavily weighted in the report, it’s quite surprising that the state that comes out on top—Massachusetts—is also one of the most expensive.

The median list price in this New England state for December 2024 is an eye-popping $985,000, more than double the national median. It also comes in at No. 4 in the Realtor.com® list of the states with the highest cost of living.

So, why is Massachusetts the best state to raise your family?

“It’s not the cheapest state as housing and child care costs are relatively high compared to most of the nation, but residents make up for this with fairly high incomes,” says Lupo.

In other words, unless you’ve already got the income to go with your brand-new Patriots jersey, don’t pack up and move to the Bay State because it’s family-friendly.

Read on for the top 10 states to raise a family.

Massachusetts

Total score: 68.88

“Massachusetts is the best state to raise a family, in large part because it provides a good blend of economic opportunities and safe conditions for children,” says Lupo.

A family-friendly state is about much more than housing affordability.

“In light of the expensive nature of being a parent and the responsibility it entails, it’s important to live in a city that is affordable while still providing quality health care, education, safety, and opportunities for enrichment,” says Lupo.

The Bay State has the best job security in the country and the 10th-lowest poverty rate, which increases the likelihood that parents will be able to provide for their children.

Coming in at No. 5 in the health and safety ranking, the Bay State has the best water quality in the country, the highest rate of children with health insurance, and the lowest infant mortality rate. It also has the second-highest overall life expectancy and third-lowest property crime rate.

The state isn’t just famous for universities such as Harvard and MIT—it also ranks first among the states with the best public school systems for children, making it No. 1 in the education and child care ranking.

As for the family fun ranking, the state comes in a bit lower. Sure, it’s got world-famous beaches in Cape Cod, but you need a pretty penny to enjoy them in high season.

Don’t forget that while the price is generally high in the top state, if you’re willing or able to move to less-coveted towns, deals can be had.

The report’s affordability rank weighs more than just home prices: Massachusetts does well in median credit scores, has a high metric of “Share of People Who Save Money for their Children’s College Education,” and a low metric of “Share of Children Aged 0 to 17 Whose Family Had Problems Paying Medical Bills.”

The state is well-known for having one of the best and most affordable health care insurance markets in the country.

Minnesota

Total score: 63.36

“Minnesota is the second-best state to raise a family, at least if you’re not averse to its harsh winters,” says Lupo. “It’s a great place to find a job to support your family, as it has the second-highest median family income, at over $104,000, adjusted for the cost of living.”

It also has the second-lowest poverty rate for families and the ninth-lowest wealth gap between the lowest and highest earners.

In addition to good pay, residents also receive reliable long-term benefits, as Minnesota ranks 11th in the country for employer-based retirement plan access and participation.

Coming in at No. 10 on the health and safety ranking, the state has the third-highest life expectancy at birth, the sixth-best public hospitals in the country, and the fifth-highest percentage of children who live in neighborhoods with a park or playground.

No doubt, an intact family is beneficial to a child’s overall well-being, and families tend to stay together in Minnesota, as it has the fifth-lowest separation and divorce rate in the country.

North Dakota

Total score: 61.87

“North Dakota claims third place among the best states for families, offering significant savings on rent,” says Lupo. “The average annual rent for a two-bedroom apartment costs just 16.5% of the median income in the state, the lowest percentage in the country.”

If renting isn’t your thing, no worries. The Canada-bordering state has the 13th-cheapest median home price. It also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and the sixth-lowest poverty rate for families.

If you want to make sure your family stays together, North Dakota seems to be a good place for it, boasting the second-lowest separation and divorce rate in the country.

Finally, it ranks No. 2 in education and child care with the second-most day cares per capita and the third-highest day care quality in the nation.

Plus, it has the 10th-best school system and the eighth-highest share of parents who say their children go to safe schools.

Nebraska

Total score: 61.03

Ranking at No. 3 in education and child care, Nebraska has high scores for public schools, coming in at No. 7 in WalletHub’s rankings of states with the best school systems.

It also ranks high in public high school graduation rates, child day care services per capita, and quality of day care services. Child care costs are lower than the average, and parental leave policies are typically generous.

The state’s metric of “Share of Children Aged 6 to 17 Who Participate in Community Service or Volunteer Work” is also high.

New Hampshire

Total score: 61.03

The Boston-adjacent metro of Manchester-Nashua, NH, routinely tops the Realtor.com list of the hottest markets in the country, but the rest of the state is great for raising families, too.

This state in the Northeast ranks at No. 2 for health and safety, No. 5 for education and child care, and No. 4 for socioeconomics.

Reflecting its high socioeconomics ranking, the Granite State ranked low in divorce and separation, high in the share of two-parent families, low in the share of families living in poverty and on food stamps, and high in job security.

Where the state stumbled was in job stress. Included in the report is Plushcare’s analysis of “Share of Work-Related Stressed Tweets,” and New Hampshire surprisingly came in at No. 1 for career-related stress tweets.

New York

Total score: 59.97

So New York is pricey and has high crime? Fuhgeddaboudit, says WalletHub’s report. If you’re willing to look beyond New York City, the state is huge with plenty of affordable and safe places to raise your family.

For one, Buffalo and Rochester routinely make the Realtor.com list of the most affordable cities. Buffalo, Albany, and Rochester recently placed in the top 10 cities for affordable investment properties that are likely to pay off.

So affordability is high (New York City notwithstanding). It’s so high that it ranks No. 5 for that metric on this list. It also comes in at No. 4 in the family fun ranking, with plenty of attractions, parks, playgrounds, and children under 17.

Illinois

Total score: 59.17

Pushing Illinois up in the rankings is its No. 2 spot in the family fun category.

The state has a large percentage of families with young children, ranks high for “Share of Children Aged 0 to 17 Who Live in Neighborhoods with a Park or Playground,” and ranks high for “Fitness & Recreational Sports Centers per Capita.”

Weighted heavily for this category is “Number of Attractions,” and Illinois, helped along by the world-class city of Chicago, has plenty: children’s museums, beaches, sports centers, the Brookfield Zoo, and of course, Wrigley Field.

Where the state stumbles is its low socioeconomics ranking: 45. Like New York (48), the capital city’s crime rate brings the overall rank down.

Wisconsin

Total score: 58.85

The state’s highest-ranking category is socioeconomics, where it comes in at No. 8. With a low separation and divorce rate, a high share of two-parent families, and a low share of families living in poverty, this state offers kids a good chance of escaping the trauma of a fractured family.

The state also ranks high (No. 9) in education and child care and comes in at No. 5 in states with the best public school systems.

It also ranks high in other metrics for this category, including the high school graduation rate, the number of child day care services and their quality, and the number of child care workers per child.

Maine

Total score: 58.62

Maine has several high-ranking categories: health and safety (No. 4), education and child care (No. 6), and socioeconomics (No. 5).

Oddly, despite the state’s plentiful beaches, stunning seaport towns, and rugged, wild terrain, it ranks only at No. 44 for family fun.

Connecticut

Total score: 58.15

This commuter state is another shocker when it comes to the affordability ranking. Despite being one of the more expensive states in the country, it comes in at No. 3 in this category.

Keep in mind that not all of Connecticut is considered equal in affordability. Greenwich, for example, has a median list price of $3.67 million. But the capital, Hartford, is a steep discount, at $249,950.

Much of this has to do with how close your town is to New York City and how easy the commute is.

The state also ranks high in education and child care (No. 7) and came in at No. 2 in WalletHub’s list of states with the best school systems.

Add in beaches, plenty of parks, homes with big backyards, and spectacular fall foliage, and the Nutmeg State is a great place to raise a family.