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In a ranking of the best state capitals to live in, Boston gets a meh
Four New England cities landed in the top 20, and one was named the worst in the US.
It’s time to freshen up your knowledge of the state capitals, because one of them may be a ideal for your next move.
A Feb. 17 study from WalletHub ranked all of the nation’s capitals from best to worst to live in based on economic and cultural factors, including quality of life, affordability, education, health care, and more.
The top-spot honors on the financial website went to Austin, Texas. According to the report, it has the highest median household income (after adjusting for the cost of living), a great educational system, attractions, high life expectancy, and more.
The worst state capital distinction went to Augusta, Maine, which ranked 47th for affordability, 43rd for economic well-being, 31st for quality of education and health care, and 44th for quality of life. Hartford wasn’t far behind. It landed at No. 48, ranking 48th on affordability, 48th on economic well-being, 29th on quality of education and health care, and 18th for quality of life.
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Four New England cities landed in the top 20: Concord, N.H., at 11, Montpelier at 14, Boston at 19, and Providence at 20.
See the full rankings below:
| Overall Rank* | City | State Capital Index | Affordability Rank | Economic Well-Being Rank | Quality of Education & Health Rank | Quality of Life Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin, TX | 64.75 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 2 | Madison, WI | 61.15 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | Raleigh, NC | 60.33 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| 4 | Boise, ID | 59.86 | 25 | 2 | 9 | 4 |
| 5 | Atlanta, GA | 59.22 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 6 |
| 6 | Lincoln, NE | 57.15 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
| 7 | Salt Lake City | 56.08 | 35 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
| 8 | Denver | 56.08 | 27 | 10 | 10 | 17 |
| 9 | St. Paul | 55.94 | 12 | 28 | 16 | 13 |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | 55.76 | 14 | 25 | 26 | 7 |
| 11 | Concord, NH | 55.20 | 5 | 18 | 27 | 30 |
| 12 | Nashville | 54.84 | 23 | 3 | 21 | 22 |
| 13 | Bismarck, ND | 54.73 | 2 | 23 | 20 | 36 |
| 14 | Montpelier | 54.70 | 31 | 12 | 4 | 25 |
| 15 | Oklahoma City | 54.49 | 3 | 19 | 37 | 27 |
| 16 | Des Moines | 53.87 | 6 | 29 | 19 | 31 |
| 17 | Pierre, SD | 53.68 | 1 | 39 | 32 | 39 |
| 18 | Helena, MT | 53.04 | 24 | 21 | 8 | 33 |
| 19 | Boston | 52.52 | 49 | 24 | 2 | 2 |
| 20 | Providence | 52.15 | 46 | 9 | 18 | 5 |
| 21 | Phoenix | 52.01 | 26 | 5 | 34 | 24 |
| 22 | Olympia, WA | 51.57 | 44 | 17 | 13 | 19 |
| 23 | Sacramento | 51.30 | 45 | 7 | 24 | 9 |
| 24 | Jefferson City, MO | 50.90 | 8 | 27 | 40 | 34 |
| 25 | Tallahassee | 50.79 | 36 | 34 | 14 | 15 |
| 26 | Albany, NY | 50.12 | 42 | 40 | 15 | 10 |
| 27 | Annapolis, MD | 50.10 | 34 | 36 | 12 | 23 |
| 28 | Richmond | 50.03 | 40 | 22 | 38 | 8 |
| 29 | Springfield, IL | 50.01 | 4 | 41 | 30 | 41 |
| 30 | Salem, OR | 49.92 | 37 | 14 | 22 | 28 |
| 31 | Cheyenne, WY | 49.88 | 9 | 26 | 33 | 42 |
| 32 | Columbia, SC | 49.47 | 29 | 47 | 23 | 12 |
| 33 | Santa Fe | 49.20 | 39 | 20 | 25 | 29 |
| 34 | Honolulu | 49.09 | 50 | 15 | 7 | 1 |
| 35 | Harrisburg, PA | 47.62 | 30 | 35 | 41 | 21 |
| 36 | Indianapolis | 47.36 | 19 | 30 | 46 | 32 |
| 37 | Carson City, NV | 46.78 | 32 | 6 | 45 | 47 |
| 38 | Juneau, AK | 46.71 | 28 | 37 | 28 | 35 |
| 39 | Lansing, MI | 46.48 | 16 | 38 | 44 | 40 |
| 40 | Topeka, KS | 46.42 | 13 | 33 | 42 | 48 |
| 41 | Frankfort, KY | 46.03 | 21 | 46 | 43 | 26 |
| 42 | Charleston, WV | 45.76 | 20 | 31 | 35 | 45 |
| 43 | Little Rock, AR | 44.14 | 22 | 32 | 36 | 50 |
| 44 | Montgomery, AL | 43.56 | 17 | 44 | 48 | 43 |
| 45 | Hartford | 42.43 | 48 | 48 | 29 | 18 |
| 46 | Dover, DE | 41.06 | 38 | 42 | 39 | 46 |
| 47 | Baton Rouge, LA | 40.51 | 41 | 45 | 49 | 38 |
| 48 | Jackson, MS | 39.43 | 33 | 49 | 47 | 49 |
| 49 | Trenton, NJ | 39.35 | 43 | 50 | 50 | 37 |
| 50 | Augusta, ME | 39.32 | 47 | 43 | 31 | 44 |
While Boston may have snuck into the Top 20 in the overall rankings, the city comes in dead last out of all the nation’s capitals for affordable housing.
On a more positive note, Boston ranked No. 1 for the lowest debt as percentage of income, and came in the Top 5 for restaurants per capita and attractions. The city also came in third for percentage of millennial newcomers moving to the city.
Montpelier has the lowest percentage of the population in poverty, and Concord landed in the Top 5 as well. The two cities are also in the tTop 5 for the best health among residents and for low crime rates. However, both rank nearly last in restaurants per capita.
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