Best places · Families · schools, safety, costs, and health · official data

Best States to Raise a Family in 2026: All 50 States Ranked

New Hampshire is the best state to raise a family in 2026, scoring 89.6 out of 100 on a family index that weights schools, safety, housing costs, and health. Wyoming and Iowa follow; New Mexico ranks last.

New Hampshire leads Wyoming (86.8) by 2.8 points, and New Mexico trails at 29.1. New Hampshire has 117.6 violent crimes per 100,000 residents (#2 of 50 for safety) and an 87.7% graduation rate and ranks #2 of 50 for schools.

This page ranks the best states for families and shows the numbers behind each rank: what a family of four spends and keeps, what daycare costs, how schools and crime compare, and the best cities to raise kids. Weather and politics are not scored. How the score works →

#1 for families · Grade A+

New Hampshire89.6

Family score out of 100

Schools · safety rank: #2 · #2
Violent crime per 100K: 117.6
Children in poverty: 6.6%

Best cities for families in New Hampshire →

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Pick your state to see where it ranks for families, the numbers behind its rank, and how it compares with the #1 state. We'll remember it on the other ranking pages.

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Raising a Family in America by the Numbers

The national lines every state is measured against: what families earn, what daycare and a family budget cost, and how crime and child poverty compare.

Average family score

65.1

Median state: 64.7

Married couples with kids earn

$132,959

US median family income, Census

Infant care, per child

$15,080

Median state · Mississippi $6,492 to Massachusetts $27,067

Family of four's costs

$91,620

Mississippi $58,041 to Hawaii $143,735

Violent crime

313

Per 100K · lowest Maine (93.2)

Children in poverty

15.5%

US · New Hampshire 6.6% to Louisiana 25.2%

Read the national overview

The typical state scores 65.1 out of 100 for families; 15 states score 75 or higher and 4 fall below 45. A family of four that buys a median-priced home and has two children in daycare spends about $91,620 a year in the typical state, from $58,041 in Mississippi to $143,735 in Hawaii; on $100,000 of income that family runs a deficit in 22 states. The 10 best states average 238 violent crimes per 100,000 residents against 472 in the bottom 10. The Northeast leads with an average score of 72.5; the South trails at 58.5, though a family budget there runs about $33,481 a year less.

Family Score Map: All 50 States

Darker states score higher. Hover, focus, or tap a state to see its family rank, score, and grade in the panel.

Best and Worst States to Raise a Family

The 10 highest and 10 lowest scoring states for families, with each state's schools and safety rank of 50 and a family of four's modeled annual costs. New Hampshire leads; New Mexico is last.

Top 10 states for families

Score · grade

Worst 10 states for families

Score · grade

Why New Hampshire is #1

New Hampshire scores 94.3 for safety and 77.5 for education, two categories that together carry 40% of the family score. Its weakest weighted category is affordability (48.9): it has a typical home value of $516,306, 5.2 times the median household income. Full New Hampshire profile →

Why New Mexico is last

New Mexico scores 6.6 for education and 32.9 for safety. 21.8% of its children live below the poverty line, against 15.5% nationally. Its best weighted category is affordability (81.0). Compare two states →

Cheapest States to Raise a Family

Modeled annual costs for two adults and two young children: a home at the state's typical value with 20% down, two children in center-based infant care, utilities, groceries, transportation, and federal, state, and sales taxes. Mississippi is cheapest at $58,041; Hawaii costs $143,735.

Budget vs. local family income

Share of income

A family of four's modeled costs as a share of the state's median income for married couples with children, lowest first. Lowest raw budget: Mississippi ($58,041 a year).

Keeps the most on $100,000

Income left after costs and taxes. Keeps the least: Hawaii (-$50,406), Massachusetts (-$43,384), and California (-$41,078).

Cheap without giving up schools or safety

Family rank

States in the top 25 for schools, for safety, and for families overall, cheapest budget first. These are the 7 cheapest of the 18 states that clear the bar; South Dakota is the best value. The "Top 25 in both" filter on the full table below lists every state in the top 25 for schools and safety.

On $100,000 of income, a family of four with two children in daycare runs a deficit in 22 states after housing, child care, utilities, groceries, transportation, and taxes; on $150,000 it runs a deficit in 3. The median married couple with children earns $132,959 nationally. The cheapest states are rarely the best: Mississippi ranks #31, West Virginia ranks #36, and Alabama ranks #39 for families. Try your own income and household in the affordability calculator, or see home values in every state.

Household affordability calculator →

Daycare Costs by State

Center-based infant care costs a median of $15,080 a year per child. Two children in care cost more than the mortgage and property tax on a typical home in 36 of the 49 states with a price.

Cheapest infant care

Per child per year, center-based care.

Most expensive infant care

Care for a four-year-old costs less: Massachusetts charges $21,364 a year.

Two in daycare, share of family income

Lowest to highest

Two infants in center care as a share of the state's median income for married couples with children.

Prices are annual averages from Child Care Aware of America's latest state price survey. * Colorado and South Carolina are missing from the latest survey and show their previous reported price. New Mexico reported no price and is left out of these lists; the family budget above uses an older state estimate there. Child care enters the family score only through the affordability category.

Where daycare costs more than the mortgage →

Schools, Safety, and Kids' Well-Being by State

Education and safety are 20% of the family score each. Massachusetts has the best schools and Maine the lowest violent crime rate (93.2 per 100,000). New Hampshire, Iowa, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Kentucky rank in the top 15 for both.

Best schools

Grad rate

Ranked by education score (NAEP math and reading, grades 4 and 8, plus graduation rate).

Lowest violent crime

Violent crimes per 100,000 residents (FBI estimates). Typical state: 313. Florida and North Dakota use the prior year's estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.

Lowest child poverty

Highest: Louisiana (25.2%), Mississippi (25.2%), and New Mexico (21.8%). US: 15.5%. Shown for context, not scored.

Children's health coverage is most complete in Massachusetts (2.1% uninsured), New Hampshire (2.3% uninsured), and Connecticut (2.6% uninsured) and least complete in Texas (13.6%), Arizona (9.3%), and Wyoming (9.0%); nationally 6.0% of children under 19 have no health insurance. Households with children make up 28.5% of US households, from 22.5% in Vermont to 36.1% in Utah. Both figures come from the Census Bureau and are shown for context, not scored.

Education rankings →Safety rankings →

All 50 States Ranked for Families

Every state's family score with its schools and safety ranks, graduation rate, violent crime, home value, daycare price, family budget, what a family of four keeps on $100,000, child poverty, and its top city for families. Click a column header to re-sort, search, or filter. The # column is always the family rank.

SearchRegion

Grade

Schools and safety

50 states

#												Grade	Top family city
1New Hampshire	89.6	#2	87.7%	#2	117.6	$516,306	$16,462	$105,213	-$10,125	6.6%	#1	A+	Dover
2Wyoming	86.8	#16	81.8%	#6	179.9	$371,854	$13,120	$81,300	$13,787	9.5%	#2	A+	Laramie
3Iowa	81.7	#9	89.9%	#12	233.9	$239,547	$13,253	$77,317	$16,820	13.6%	#14	A+	Urbandale
4Wisconsin	81.6	#4	90.3%	#8	240.3	$339,699	$18,604	$95,997	-$2,234	12.2%	#11	A+	Brookfield
5North Dakota	81.1	#17	85.1%	#27	256.7	$292,293	$12,281	$76,122	$18,965	12.8%	#5	A+	West Fargo
6South Dakota	81.0	#25	82.1%	#25	307.5	$321,574	$8,859	$71,445	$23,643	11.2%	#3	A	Aberdeen
7Idaho	80.6	#32	79.9%	#5	217.3	$478,744	$10,887	$86,891	$6,773	11.1%	#4	A	Moscow
8Connecticut	80.0	#6	88.9%	#4	109.6	$450,873	$18,616	$106,415	-$12,453	13.4%	#16	A	West Hartford
9Massachusetts	79.8	#1	90.1%	#19	302.7	$661,896	$27,067	$137,222	-$43,384	11.1%	#13	A	Newton
10Montana	79.4	#12	85.8%	#36	419.1	$471,746	$15,476	$96,152	-$2,540	11.0%	#7	A	Bozeman
11Utah	78.9	#3	88.2%	#20	235.7	$534,582	$14,533	$99,178	-$5,228	8.6%	#6	B+	Riverton
12Nebraska	78.8	#20	87.1%	#16	218.4	$280,673	$15,080	$83,385	$10,440	12.0%	#10	B+	Papillion
13Vermont	78.7	#35	82.8%	#17	214.4	$399,053	$21,670	$107,645	-$13,395	9.1%	#8	B+	Burlington
14Maine	78.6	#36	86.1%	#1	93.2	$415,552	$16,144	$95,271	-$1,691	12.7%	#9	B+	South Portland
15Minnesota	77.9	#19	83.6%	#18	223.5	$350,752	$20,592	$99,536	-$5,961	9.5%	#12	B+	Eden Prairie
16Rhode Island	73.6	#33	83.3%	#3	144.1	$511,233	$18,972	$109,145	-$14,995	16.3%	#19	B+	Warwick
17Virginia	72.9	#14	89.1%	#13	205.9	$414,662	$17,264	$96,950	-$3,300	11.7%	#15	B+	Leesburg
18Indiana	71.9	#7	87.7%	#11	254.4	$260,095	$17,461	$85,175	$9,162	16.4%	#22	B+	Fishers
19Pennsylvania	71.8	#15	87.0%	#15	226.8	$290,401	$15,302	$86,625	$7,695	15.3%	#25	B	Bethel Park
20New Jersey	69.6	#5	85.2%	#7	193.8	$580,353	$17,977	$118,804	-$24,896	11.7%	#28	B	Hoboken
21Ohio	67.5	#11	86.2%	#24	275.6	$248,803	$13,936	$78,317	$16,082	16.5%	#33	B	Dublin
22Colorado	66.1	#18	82.3%	#46	421.7	$532,748	$20,978*	$110,331	-$16,343	11.5%	#18	B	Broomfield
23Illinois	66.1	#13	87.3%	#22	251	$297,573	$19,601	$98,834	-$4,984	14.1%	#39	B	Naperville
24Florida	65.4	#23	87.3%	#23	275.2	$375,470	$14,230	$85,486	$9,601	15.5%	#21	B	Doral
25Kentucky	65.1	#10	90.1%	#10	212.1	$232,577	$13,075	$75,344	$18,744	19.3%	#41	B	Independence
26Kansas	64.2	#21	89.1%	#44	457.2	$249,603	$12,741	$76,492	$17,209	12.8%	#27	B	Leawood
27Hawaii	63.0	#28	86.0%	#21	205.1	$833,340	$25,096	$143,735	-$50,406	11.5%	#17	C+	Cities →
28North Carolina	62.8	#26	86.4%	#33	330.3	$334,773	$13,916	$83,560	$10,465	16.5%	#23	C+	Apex
29New York	62.6	#30	86.7%	#34	368.4	$526,714	$20,978	$118,229	-$24,516	17.9%	#29	C+	White Plains
30Tennessee	62.5	#8	90.4%	#45	492.3	$334,108	$13,926	$80,660	$14,428	19.1%	#24	C+	Franklin
31Mississippi	61.9	#22	88.9%	#14	226.9	$197,606	$6,492	$58,041	$35,946	25.2%	#46	C+	Madison
32Washington	61.0	#29	83.6%	#30	283.9	$591,879	$23,136	$122,893	-$27,806	11.4%	#20	C+	Redmond
33Georgia	60.1	#34	84.1%	#26	296.9	$330,817	$11,066	$77,800	$15,940	16.3%	#26	C+	Roswell
34Missouri	60.0	#27	89.8%	#40	417.8	$267,879	$15,080	$81,087	$12,825	15.4%	#34	C+	Chesterfield
35Texas	57.5	#24	89.7%	#35	344.9	$299,367	$10,894	$75,145	$19,943	17.9%	#32	C	Cedar Park
36West Virginia	57.5	#43	91.2%	#9	241.7	$179,496	$9,339	$64,017	$29,866	21.6%	#44	C	Morgantown
37Delaware	56.9	#42	87.8%	#29	346.9	$406,074	$17,252	$95,350	-$1,912	12.6%	#30	C	Newark
38Maryland	56.3	#31	86.3%	#37	358	$428,308	$20,124	$105,684	-$11,784	10.6%	#31	C	Gaithersburg
39Alabama	56.2	#39	88.2%	#28	348.3	$241,613	$8,859	$66,155	$27,682	20.2%	#37	C	Vestavia Hills
40South Carolina	55.8	#38	83.8%	#38	387.6	$306,323	$10,474*	$72,911	$20,626	18.3%	#36	C	Fort Mill
41Michigan	53.5	#44	81.0%	#31	416.2	$266,292	$14,064	$80,634	$13,391	18.0%	#45	C	Novi
42Oregon	53.3	#46	81.3%	#39	311.2	$496,113	$21,774	$116,836	-$23,936	13.0%	#35	C	Lake Oswego
43Nevada	50.2	#45	81.7%	#42	379.2	$442,027	$15,633	$94,034	$1,053	14.6%	#40	D	Henderson
44Arkansas	49.1	#40	88.2%	#47	531.8	$227,264	$9,727	$66,637	$27,475	20.0%	#48	D	Bentonville
45Arizona	47.8	#47	77.3%	#32	377.9	$417,990	$16,384	$94,573	-$111	14.6%	#38	D	Gilbert
46Oklahoma	47.3	#48	80.0%	#41	407.7	$223,261	$11,012	$69,802	$24,097	18.9%	#43	D	Bixby
47Louisiana	44.5	#41	83.1%	#48	515.1	$217,039	$11,133	$67,708	$26,630	25.2%	#50	D	Slidell
48California	43.1	#37	87.0%	#43	432.7	$764,158	$23,071	$134,997	-$41,078	14.6%	#47	D	Elk Grove
49Alaska	33.6	#49	77.8%	#50	729.3	$398,663	$12,425	$90,458	$4,629	13.0%	#42	F	Juneau
50New Mexico	29.1	#50	76.6%	#49	621.6	$318,241	n/a	$79,461	$14,504	21.8%	#49	F	Rio Rancho

Score re-weights the 11 category scores for families (education 20%, safety 20%, affordability 18%, health 12%, livability 10%, economy 8%, transportation 5%, outdoor access 4%, environment 3%). Schools and Safety are category ranks of 50. Infant care is the center-based price per child per year; * marks a state missing from the latest survey that shows its previous reported price, and n/a a state with no reported price. Family cost and Keeps on $100K come from the household affordability model for two adults and two children in infant care who buy a home at the state's typical value with 20% down. Violent crime is the FBI's state estimate; Florida and North Dakota use the prior year's estimate because their latest year is based on limited data. Child poverty is from the Census American Community Survey and is not scored. Top family city is the tracked city with the highest family score that has a full year of FBI crime reports and scored schools. Sources: NAEP, NCES, FBI, Child Care Aware of America, Census ACS, Zillow Research, BEA, latest releases.

Best Cities to Raise a Family

The highest family scores among the 317 tracked cities of 100,000 or more residents with a full year of FBI crime reports and scored schools. Naperville, IL leads at 73.7.

Best cities of 100,000+ for families
#	City	Score	Violent crime	Grad rate	Home value	Homes with kids	Population
1	Naperville Illinois	73.7	70	n/a	$540,200	38.0%	150,692
2	Fishers Indiana	71.9	78	98.0%	$391,000	41.3%	102,337
3	Carmel Indiana	71.6	51	97.0%	$486,800	35.7%	101,651
4	Olathe Kansas	70.9	230	92.0%	$364,700	38.2%	145,057
5	Cary North Carolina	69.8	75	91.0%	$580,200	34.8%	179,306
6	Overland Park Kansas	69.6	161	92.9%	$413,600	28.7%	200,306
7	Madison Wisconsin	68.5	214	84.0%	$372,900	19.6%	278,001
8	Ann Arbor Michigan	68.4	297	91.1%	$453,400	17.1%	122,036
9	Quincy Massachusetts	68.3	302	93.0%	$618,500	21.0%	102,114
10	Lee's Summit Missouri	67.9	112	92.2%	$340,900	34.7%	103,656
11	Virginia Beach Virginia	67.7	100	91.0%	$382,500	31.5%	456,349
12	Cambridge Massachusetts	67.2	436	89.7%	$1,092,100	17.7%	118,796
13	Yonkers New York	66.7	263	88.0%	$501,600	29.0%	209,978
14	Dearborn Michigan	66.7	249	93.5%	$218,800	35.2%	107,423
15	Cedar Rapids Iowa	66.2	265	91.9%	$187,100	26.7%	137,264

These 15 cities are in 11 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, Virginia, New York, and Iowa. Of the 15, 10 have a larger share of households with children than the US (28.5%).

Best mid-size cities (50,000 to 99,999 residents)

Best mid-size cities for families
#	City	Score	Violent crime	Grad rate	Home value	Homes with kids	Population
1	Newton Massachusetts	78.1	56	96.0%	$1,264,900	33.0%	89,044
2	Brookline Massachusetts	75.1	124	94.0%	$1,246,800	24.0%	63,266
3	Des Plaines Illinois	73.1	108	n/a	$335,600	28.5%	59,156
4	West Hartford Connecticut	72.9	45	93.2%	$411,000	29.4%	63,620
5	Wheaton Illinois	72.7	34	n/a	$455,700	28.9%	53,557
6	Skokie Illinois	72.4	151	n/a	$387,200	31.7%	66,219
7	Evanston Illinois	72.3	115	n/a	$481,200	23.3%	76,340
8	Mount Prospect Illinois	72.1	56	n/a	$397,400	31.3%	55,472
9	Ankeny Iowa	71.9	151	97.0%	$331,000	37.1%	72,615
10	Eden Prairie Minnesota	71.8	54	94.3%	$473,900	32.5%	63,051

City scores apply the family weights to each city's own data (crime from its police agency's FBI reports, its public schools, local health, housing, and commute figures), plus three city-only measures: natural hazard losses, health insurance coverage, and the share of households with children. Outdoor access is not scored for cities. Cities without a full year of FBI reports or without scored schools are left out. Pick a state below to see its best cities for families.

Search all 1,312 cities →

How the Family Score Is Calculated

The same 11 category scores that rank every state on this site, re-weighted for raising children. Here is what counts, how much, and what is left out.

Education

20%

NAEP math and reading results in grades 4 and 8 and the high school graduation rate.

Safety

20%

Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents.

Affordability

18%

Home prices against income, everyday costs, utilities, and the price of child care.

Health

12%

Life expectancy, adult obesity, and the share of residents without health insurance.

Livability

10%

Restaurants, arts venues, and community groups within reach.

Economy

Jobs and income: unemployment, household income, and wages.

Transportation

Commute times and ways to get around besides driving.

Outdoor Access

Parks, public land, and recreation facilities.

Environment

Clean air and low natural-disaster risk.

One scale for every ranking

The weighted total is stretched onto the same 0-100 scale as the overall composite (a weighted 35 maps to 25 and 67 to 87), so a family score of 70 means the same as an overall score of 70. Grades follow rank: A+ for 1-5 down to F for 49-50.

Family budget

From the household affordability model: two adults and two children, a home at the state's typical home value with 20% down on a 30-year mortgage, two children in center-based infant care, utilities, groceries on the USDA low-cost plan scaled by local prices, transportation, and federal, state, FICA, and sales taxes with the child tax credit. Budgets are shown next to the score, not blended into it.

What is not counted

Paid family leave and other state laws, school choice, pediatric care access, weather, and politics. Child poverty, children's insurance coverage, and the share of households with kids are shown for context only.

Always the latest releases

This page is rebuilt from the most recent files each source has published (checked October 2026). Scores change when a new release moves a state up or down.

Read the full methodology →

Key Takeaways

Patterns in the family data that the table alone does not show.

The Midwest and Northeast dominate the top 10
4 of the 10 best states for families are in the Midwest (Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota) and 3 in the Northeast (New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts). The Northeast averages 72.5 out of 100; the South averages 58.5, and 6 of the bottom 10 are there.
Schools and safety carry the ranking
Education and safety are 40% of the family score between them. The 10 best states average 238 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and an 86.2% graduation rate; the bottom 10 average 472 and 81.4%. New Hampshire, Iowa, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Kentucky are the states in the top 15 for both.
Cheap is not the same as family-friendly
A family of four's modeled costs are lowest in Mississippi ($58,041, #31), West Virginia ($64,017, #36), Alabama ($66,155, #39), Arkansas ($66,637, #44), and Louisiana ($67,708, #47). None of the five ranks in the top 20 for families: low costs tend to come with weaker schools or higher crime.
South Dakota is the best value for families
Of the states in the top 25 for schools, safety, and families overall, South Dakota has the lowest family budget at $71,445 a year, and it ranks #6 for families. A family of four on $100,000 with two children in daycare keeps $23,643 there after costs and taxes.
Daycare can cost more than the house
Two children in center-based infant care cost more than the mortgage and property tax on a typical home in 36 of the 49 states with a daycare price. Child care averages $31,169 of a family of four's modeled budget, and on $100,000 of income that family runs a deficit in 22 states. The bill falls away once children start school.
None of the 10 biggest states makes the top 10
Among the 10 most populous states, Pennsylvania is #19, Ohio is #21, Illinois is #23, Florida is #24, North Carolina is #28, New York is #29, Georgia is #33, Texas is #35, Michigan is #41, and California is #48. Most American children grow up in states that rank in the middle or lower half here.
New Mexico is last because of education and safety
New Mexico scores 6.6 for education and 32.9 for safety. It has 621.6 violent crimes per 100,000 residents (#49 of 50 for safety), and 21.8% of its children live below the poverty line. Its strongest suit is affordability (81.0).

Average family score by region

Mean family score of the states in each Census region, with a family of four's average annual costs.

1Northeast11 states · $107,782/yr72.5
2Midwest12 states · $83,695/yr72.1
3West13 states · $103,911/yr59.5
4South14 states · $74,301/yr58.5

The Northeast outscores the South by 14 points, and its states average 225 violent crimes per 100,000 against 344.

Go Deeper

Affordability calculator →

Pick a family of four and your income to see what you would keep in every state.

Daycare vs. the mortgage →

The states where two kids in daycare cost more than the mortgage on a typical home.

Education rankings →

NAEP test scores and graduation rates for every state.

Compare two states →

Schools, safety, housing, and every other category side by side.

Where people are moving →

State-to-state migration from IRS returns, including the income of movers.

Housing market by state →

Home values, rents, and what it takes to afford a home in each state.

Best states forAll lifestyles Retirees Remote Workers Young Professionals Small Business Outdoor Enthusiasts

RankingsEducation Safety Affordability Health Livability

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best state to raise a family?

New Hampshire is the best state to raise a family, with a family score of 89.6 out of 100. It has 117.6 violent crimes per 100,000 residents (#2 of 50 for safety) and an 87.7% graduation rate and ranks #2 of 50 for schools. Wyoming (86.8) and Iowa (81.7) rank second and third. The score re-weights official data toward schools, safety, housing costs, and health.

What are the top 10 best states for families?

The 10 best states for families are New Hampshire (89.6), Wyoming (86.8), Iowa (81.7), Wisconsin (81.6), North Dakota (81.1), South Dakota (81.0), Idaho (80.6), Connecticut (80.0), Massachusetts (79.8), and Montana (79.4). 4 of the 10 are in the Midwest.

What is the worst state to raise a family?

New Mexico ranks last (#50) for families with a score of 29.1. It ranks #50 of 50 for schools and #49 for safety, and 21.8% of its children live in poverty. The five lowest-ranked states are New Mexico (#50), Alaska (#49), California (#48), Louisiana (#47), and Oklahoma (#46).

What are the most family-friendly states?

New Hampshire (#1), Iowa (#3), Wisconsin (#4), Connecticut (#8), Virginia (#17), Indiana (#18), Pennsylvania (#19), New Jersey (#20), and Kentucky (#25) rank in the top 15 for both schools and safety, the two factors that carry the most weight. By the full family score, which also counts housing costs, health, and community amenities, the leaders are New Hampshire, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.

What is the cheapest state to raise a family?

Mississippi is the cheapest state to raise a family of four, with modeled annual costs of $58,041 for housing, child care, utilities, groceries, transportation, and taxes. West Virginia ($64,017), Alabama ($66,155), and Arkansas ($66,637) follow. Hawaii is the most expensive at $143,735. Mississippi ranks #31 of 50 for families overall.

What is the cheapest state to raise a family with good schools and low crime?

Among the 18 states that rank in the top 25 for schools, for safety, and for families overall, the cheapest for a family of four are South Dakota ($71,445 a year, #6 for families), Kentucky ($75,344 a year, #25 for families), Iowa ($77,317 a year, #3 for families), and Ohio ($78,317 a year, #21 for families). South Dakota has 307.5 violent crimes per 100,000 residents (#25 of 50 for safety).

How much does it cost to raise a family of four in each state?

This site's affordability model prices a typical-value home with 20% down, two children in center-based infant care, utilities, groceries on the USDA low-cost food plan, transportation, and federal, state, and sales taxes. The total runs from $58,041 a year in Mississippi to $143,735 in Hawaii, with the typical state at $91,620. On $100,000 of income the family keeps the most in Mississippi ($35,946) and runs a deficit in 22 states. Try your own income at americadashboard.com/affordability

How much does daycare cost in each state?

Center-based infant care costs a median of $15,080 a year per child across the states in the latest Child Care Aware of America survey. It is cheapest in Mississippi ($6,492), South Dakota ($8,859), and Alabama ($8,859) and most expensive in Massachusetts ($27,067), Hawaii ($25,096), and Washington ($23,136). Measured against the median income of married couples with children, two children in infant care take the smallest share in Mississippi (11.9%) and the largest in Hawaii (37.2%). New Mexico reported no price.

Which states have the best schools for families?

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Utah, Wisconsin, and New Jersey have the highest education scores, which combine NAEP math and reading results with the high school graduation rate; they rank #9, #1, #11, #4, and #20 for families. Massachusetts has a 90.1% graduation rate. New Mexico ranks last for schools. Education is 20% of the family score.

What is the safest state to raise a family?

Maine has the lowest violent crime rate at 93.2 per 100,000 residents, followed by Connecticut (109.6), New Hampshire (117.6), and Rhode Island (144.1). The typical state records 313, and Alaska records the most at 729.3. Rates are FBI estimates; Florida and North Dakota show the FBI's prior-year estimate because the FBI flags their latest year as based on limited data. Safety is 20% of the family score, tied with education as the largest factor.

What are the best cities to raise a family?

Among tracked cities of 100,000 or more residents with a full year of FBI crime reports and scored schools, the best for families are Naperville, IL (73.7), Fishers, IN (71.9), Carmel, IN (71.6), Olathe, KS (70.9), and Cary, NC (69.8). City scores use the same family weights over the city's own data, plus natural hazard losses, children's health insurance coverage, and the share of households with children.

Which region is best for families?

The Northeast has the highest average family score at 72.5, followed by the Midwest (72.1), West (59.5), and South (58.5). A family of four's modeled costs average $107,782 a year in the Northeast and $74,301 in the South.

Where do California, Texas, Florida, and New York rank for families?

Among the 10 most populous states, Pennsylvania is #19, Ohio is #21, Illinois is #23, Florida is #24, North Carolina is #28, New York is #29, Georgia is #33, Texas is #35, Michigan is #41, and California is #48. Pennsylvania is the best big state at 71.8; California is the lowest at 43.1.

Is Texas a good state to raise a family?

Texas ranks #35 of 50 for families with a score of 57.5. Its strongest weighted categories are affordability (74.4) and safety (61.8); the categories that cost it the most points, once weights are applied, are education (60.7, 20% of the score) and livability (23.6, 10%). A family of four's modeled costs are $75,145 a year, below the $91,620 typical state, and its best tracked city for families is Cedar Park.

Is Florida a good state to raise a family?

Florida ranks #24 of 50 for families with a score of 65.4. Its strongest weighted categories are safety (73.1) and affordability (61.9); the categories that cost it the most points, once weights are applied, are education (61.1, 20% of the score) and livability (26.9, 10%). A family of four's modeled costs are $85,486 a year, below the $91,620 typical state, and its best tracked city for families is Doral.

Which states have the lowest child poverty?

New Hampshire has the lowest child poverty rate at 6.6%, followed by Utah (8.6%), Vermont (9.1%), and Wyoming (9.5%). Louisiana has the highest at 25.2%; the national rate is 15.5%. Child poverty is shown for context and is not scored.

How are the best states for families ranked?

Each state's 11 category scores, built from official data, are re-weighted for families: education 20%, safety 20%, affordability 18%, health 12%, livability 10%, economy 8%, transportation 5%, outdoor access 4%, and environment 3%. Fiscal health and population growth are not counted. The weighted total is placed on the same 0-100 scale as the overall composite, and states are ranked 1 to 50. Daycare prices and family budgets are shown alongside the score; child care costs enter the score only through the affordability category.

Why is New Hampshire the best state for families?

New Hampshire scores 94.3 for safety and 77.5 for education, its two strongest weighted categories, and 6.6% of its children live in poverty against 15.5% nationally. Its weak spot is affordability (48.9): it has a typical home value of $516,306, 5.2 times the median household income.

Why do other best-states-for-families lists rank states differently?

Every list weighs things differently. Some count family-friendly laws such as paid leave, which this ranking does not; others lean on cost of living alone, which lifts the cheapest states. This ranking weights education and safety at 20% each, then housing costs at 18% and health at 12%, using official data only, which is why smaller northern states with strong schools and low crime rise to the top.

Where does the family data come from, and how current is it?

Category scores use the latest releases from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, NCES graduation rates, the FBI's crime estimates, CDC, Census Bureau, BLS, BEA, EPA, and FEMA. Typical home values come from Zillow Research. Daycare prices come from Child Care Aware of America's annual price survey; households with children, child poverty, children's insurance coverage, and family income come from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey; family budgets come from this site's household affordability model. The page is rebuilt whenever a source publishes a new release.

Family Rank for Every State

Every state's family rank, score, and what a family of four keeps on $100,000. Click through for the best cities for families in that state.