Map Shows Best and Worst States To Raise a Family in 2025

A study has revealed the best—and worst—states in the U.S. to raise a family in 2025, with Massachusetts coming out on top.

The study, by WalletHub, conducted an in-depth analysis of what it is like to live in each of the 50 states when raising a family, combining 50 relevant metrics to calculate a score out of 100.

Published January 13, the state named the best in which to raise a family, Massachusetts, had the highest score on the list at 68.88.

States along the East Coast were among the highest-ranked in the country, including New York and New Hampshire.

Among the metrics used to measure these states include “family fun”, which looked at aspects like the number of attractions for families, sports centers and more.

Additionally, one metric was “health and safety”, which examined aspects like pediatricians per capita, the number of children’s hospitals, infant mortality rate, air pollution and violent crimes.

Other categories in which states were scored were “socioeconomics”, “education and childcare,” and “affordability”.

Massachusetts—home of Ivy League Harvard University—scored high in a number of areas, ranking first for the latter two categories.

Taking second place on the list of best states to raise a family is Minnesota, with a score of 63.36. Meanwhile, North Dakota is in third place with 61.87 and Nebraska is in fourth place with 61.03. And making up the top five was New Hampshire with 60.03.

When selecting somewhere to settle down, Daniel Puhlman, Ph.D., assistant professor in the human development and family studies program at the University of Maine, was quoted by the study, saying: “Families should consider hundreds of factors when choosing a place to settle down. Things like proximity to extended family, job possibilities, school options, community resources, cost of living, and the list goes on and on…

“States looking to attract young families need to implement policies that are family-friendly and supportive to the needs of those families. Most young families care about child-related matters such as education, childcare options/cost, access to extracurricular activities, and child-friendly options for recreation.”

Newsweek has contacted Puhlman for comment via email.

Of the top three most populous states, according to the US Census Bureau, California came in at number 28, with a score of 51.90, while Texas was 30th with 51.02 and Florida came in 33rd place, with a score of 49.04.

Meanwhile, the worst state to raise a family, according to the study, is New Mexico, receiving the lowest overall score of 32.40. Just ahead of that, in 49th place, is Mississippi with a score of 35.46.

West Virginia was ranked third-worst, with a score of 37.22. Next worst on the list was Nevada with 39.33 and then Oklahoma with 41.14.

When evaluating the best state for families, Puhlman said his top five indicators are: “Family-friendly laws, policies and regulations that align with the family belief/value system.

“High-quality education and early child care options, both public and private.

“High-quality job market representing multiple fields with diverse career options.

“High-quality recreational options that make use of a state’s unique characteristics, both natural and manmade.

“Safe and affordable housing options with community resources and supports readily available for families with different needs.”

WalletHub considered 50 metrics to come up with the results of the study, giving each state a carefully calculated score and corresponding rank. The full results can be viewed here.

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