According to a new WalletHub study, New York barely made the top 10 best states to live in—and was even outranked by places like New Jersey and Idaho.
WalletHub took a closer look at five key dimensions across the 50 states to determine the best states to live in. These five factors span affordability, economy, education & health, quality of life, and safety.
Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst, said:
When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability. 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.
Each dimension was evaluated based on 51 metrics that were assigned a corresponding weight to give each state an overall score out of 100 (100 being the most favorable living conditions).
Massachusetts took home the title as the best U.S. state to live in, primarily due to its strong health care system and standout education. As for New York, we barely held onto a spot in the top 10 best states to live in, coming in ninth for another year in a row. Meanwhile, states like New Jersey and Massachusetts kept a spot in the top five, while Idaho leapt from sixth place last year all the way up to second.
10 best U.S. states to live in
- Massachusetts
- Idaho
- New Jersey
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
- Florida
- New Hampshire
- Utah
- New York
- Pennsylvania
So why are our friends across the river supposedly living in a better state than us? According to the research found, New Jersey has the third-highest median household income in the country, residents have the second-lowest median debt, the sixth-lowest share of the population below the poverty line and the 10th-lowest food insecurity rate.
You can read the full study for yourself on WalletHub.
