Choosing a family-friendly state can be challenging because a certain area may not meet all your wants and needs.
For instance, one state might offer a low income-tax rate but have an unimpressive education system.
Because there are many factors to consider when deciding where to put down family roots, WalletHub released a report comparing the 50 states to determine how family-friendly each one is.
The report focuses on 51 key indicators of family-friendliness across these dimensions: Family Fun, Health & Safety, Education & Child Care, Affordability and Socio-economics.
Most and Least Family-Friendly States
According to WalletHub, the list of states in the left column, below, are some of the best places for families to call home. And the states listed in the right column are some of the worst.
| Best States for Families | Worst States for Families |
| 1. Massachusetts | 41. Georgia |
| 2. New York | 42. Nevada |
| 3. Vermont | 43. Alabama |
| 4. Minnesota | 44. Arkansas |
| 5. Nebraska | 45. West Virginia |
| 6. New Hampshire | 46. Oklahoma |
| 7. Connecticut | 47. South Carolina |
| 8. Washington | 48. Louisiana |
| 9. North Dakota | 49. New Mexico |
| 10. New Jersey | 50. Mississippi |
Key Takeaways
Best vs. Worst
- Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Kansas and Ohio have the most affordable housing. Colorado, Oregon, New York, Hawaii and California have the least affordable housing.
- Utah has the lowest separation and divorce rate, 15.74 percent, which is 1.7 times lower than in Nevada, where it is highest at 26.07 percent.
- New Hampshire has the lowest share of families living in poverty, 4.60 percent, which is 3.4 times lower than in Mississippi, where it is highest at 15.50 percent.
- South Dakota has the lowest average annual cost of early childcare (as a share of median family income), 7.22 percent, which is 1.8 times lower than in Nebraska, where it is highest at 13.19 percent.
- Maine has the fewest violent crimes (per 1,000 residents), 1.09, which is 7.7 times fewer than in Alaska, the state with the most at 8.38.
View the full report and your state’s rank here.