Experts Say These Are the Best States to Live In

What’s the best state to live in? It can be a heated and lively debate—many people are passionate about their home states and can’t imagine living anywhere else. But it’s also a big country and everyone has their own preferences, so an ideal state for one person might not be perfect for another.

WalletHub is trying to settle the debate once and for all with its 2025 Best States to Live in report, which they recently unveiled. The experts at the personal finance company compared the 50 states based on 51 key indicators of livability, including housing affordability, cost of living, homeownership rate, unemployment rate, income growth, wealth gap, quality of public school system, life expectancy, crime rates, access to public transportation, and number of attractions (restaurants, bars,  movie theaters, museums, and more).

“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability,” says Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst. “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.” 

The state that came out on top was Massachusetts because of its strong health care system, high-quality education, and good health stats (the lowers premature death rate in the country and highest share of residents with health insurance). The state also has the third-lowest property crime rate in the country and third-best access to public transportation.

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Coming in second was the West’s very own Idaho, which has one of the lowest median real estate tax rates in the country and the seventh-highest homeownership rate. The Gem State has the fourth-lowest tax rate, highest median household income growth, 13th-lowest violent crime rate, and the lowest property crime rate. Residents also benefit from the lowest average commute time in the country, low congestion, and the third-smallest proportion of major roads in poor or mediocre condition.

Idaho wasn’t the only Western state that made the top 10—Utah ranked number 8 on the list. Check out the top 10 below and see the full list at WalletHub.

1. Massachusetts
2. Idaho
3. New Jersey
4. Wisconsin
5. Minnesota
6. Florida
7. New Hampshire
8. Utah
9. New York
10. Pennsylvania