These Are the Best and Worst States to Raise a Family in 2026

Raising a family brings all sorts of challenges, but where you live can play a big role—and that includes what state you choose to settle down in. While every family has different individual reasons for living where they live—including proximity to a job, being near family and attending specific schools—a few considerations are universal. These include safety, cost of living, healthcare and education. And since raising a family has become much more expensive in recent years, affordability is at the forefront of many people’s minds.

A report from WalletHub, a personal finance website, has evaluated the best states to raise a family—and certain states stand out over others. The annual report determined which states were best for families by comparing the 50 states across 50 important indicators of family-friendliness, including school system quality, housing affordability, crime rates, healthcare availability and more. The indicators were housed under five key dimensions: family fun, health and safety, education and childcare, affordability and socioeconomics. WalletHub then ranked the states based on their overall score.

The best state to raise a family according to the report? Massachusetts, rated number one for the fifth year in a row. Its economic opportunities, health outcomes and quality of education helped the New England state make the top of the list.

“Massachusetts is the best state to raise a family, with the third-best job security in the country and the ninth-lowest poverty rate, which increases the likelihood that parents will be able to provide for their children. When it comes to health and overall wellbeing, Massachusetts has the fifth-best water quality in the country, the highest rate of children with health insurance, and the third-lowest infant mortality rate. It also has the second-highest overall life expectancy and fourth-lowest property crime rate. In addition, Massachusetts ranks first in the country for the quality of its public school system,” says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

Minnesota ranks as the second-best state to raise a family. It boasts the second-highest median family income, at over $109,000, the second-lowest poverty rate for families, and the eighth-lowest wealth gap between the lowest and highest earners. The state also has the fifth-highest life expectancy at birth and the sixth-best public hospitals in the country. Top scores in cost of living, child care and education help North Dakota make the third spot. One notable change from last year’s list: Wisconsin moved up to the fourth spot from eighth place.

The list of worst states to raise a family includes New Mexico (#50), West Virginia (#49), Mississippi (#48), Nevada (#47) and Alabama (#46). In other interesting news, the report found that Utah has the lowest separation and divorce rate, 1.7 times lower than in New Mexico, which has the highest rate. New Hampshire has the lowest share of families living in poverty, 3.3 times lower than in Mississippi, which has the highest share. When it comes to early childcare, South Dakota has the lowest average annual cost, 2.7 times lower than in New York, which has the highest.

Check out the full list of best states to raise a family, here:

Top 10 Best States to Raise a Family

1. Massachusetts
2. Minnesota
3. North Dakota
4. Wisconsin
5. Nebraska
6. New York
7. Connecticut
8. New Hampshire
9. Illinois
10. Maine

For a detailed breakdown of how each state was scored and to see all 50 states ranked, check out the full online report.