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WalletHub names Mass. the best state to raise a family — again

Three other New England states made the top 10. The Bay State was named No. 1 in affordability, too. Here's why.

The state got high marks in education, health and safety, affordability. For family fun — a metric that looks at the number of attractions, fitness and recreational centers, and share of children who live near a park or playground — the state ranked 11th. Adobe Stock

By Eileen Woods

January 13, 2025

2 minutes to read

In 2021, Massachusetts supplanted Minnesota in WalletHub’s annual rankings of the best state to raise a family.

And the Bay State never looked back.

The personal finance website again named Massachusetts the best state for families, based on five weighed metrics: family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability, and socio-economics. The information is based on data from the Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and several other organizations.

Why the Bay State?

“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,” WalletHub writer Adam McCann reported. “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. 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.”

The state’s health care and educational systems also played roles.

“When it comes to health and overall well-being, Massachusetts has the best water quality in the country, the highest rate of children with health insurance, and the lowest infant mortality rate,” McCann wrote. “It also has the second-highest overall life expectancy and third-lowest property crime rate.

“Education is also one of the most important factors when raising a family. Massachusetts isn’t just famous for universities like Harvard and MIT — it also ranks first among the states with the best public school systems for children.”

Four New England states made the top 10:

RANK	STATE	GOT HIGH MARKS FOR
1.	Massachusetts	Education & child care (1st), affordability (1st), and health & safety (5th)
2.	Minnesota	Affordability (2nd)
3.	North Dakota	Education & child care (2nd) and socio-economics (1st)
4.	Nebraska	Education & child care (3rd), socio-economics (7th), and health & safety (9th)
5.	New Hampshire	Health & safety (2nd), socio-economics (4th), and education & child care (5th)
6.	New York	Family fun (4th) and affordability (5th)
7.	Illinois	Family fun (2nd)
8.	Wisconsin	Socio-economics (8th) and education & child care (9th)
9.	Maine	Health & safety (4th), socio-economics (5th), and education & child care (6th)
10.	Connecticut	Affordability (3rd) and education & child care (7th)

Source: WalletHub

Vermont, which took No. 1 in the health and safety category and third in socio-economics, landed at No. 14 overall. Rhode Island, which landed at third best in health and safety and ninth in affordability, came in 16th.

These states were named the 10 worst:

RANK	STATE	GOT LOW MARKS FOR
50.	New Mexico	Education & child care (50th), affordability (44th), health & safety (47th), socio-economics (47th)
49.	Mississippi	Health & safety (50th), family fun (49th), and affordability (42nd)
48.	West Virginia	Family fun (50th), education & child care (42nd), and affordability (47th)
47.	Nevada	Education & child care (49th), socio-economics (50th), health & safety (45th), and affordability (50th)
46.	Oklahoma	Health & safety (46th) and education & child care (45th)
45.	Alabama	Family fun (47th) and education & child care (43rd)
44.	Arkansas	Family fun (48th), health & safety (44th), and affordability (40th)
43.	Louisiana	Health & safety (49th), socio-economics (49th), and education & child care (46th)
42.	South Carolina	Education & child care (44th) and affordability (45th)
41.	Arizona	Health & safety (40th), education & child care (48th), and health & safety (48th)