What Are the Best States to Live in 2026? Top 10 Ranked

The 10 best states in America (2026)

Every year, millions of Americans weigh whether to stay put or move somewhere new. We scored all 50 states across eleven categories — economy, safety, health, education, fiscal health, growth, affordability, environment, outdoor access, transportation, and livability — using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, FBI, EPA, NPS, CDC, and NAEP.

New Hampshire takes the #1 spot with 83.4/100, followed by Wyoming (79.9) and South Dakota (79.3). The gap between #1 and #10 is 12.3 points — tight enough that a single category swing could reshuffle the order.

What separates these states from the other 40? Consistent performance across the board. The #1 state scores above 60 in 5 of 11 categories. The average state manages about 3. Dominance in one area doesn't cut it — you need to be solid everywhere.

#1: New Hampshire

New Hampshire earns the top spot with a composite score of 83.4/100 and a A+ grade. The state scores above 60 in 5 of 11 categories, which is more consistency than any other state manages. Unemployment sits at 3.2%, median household income is $99,782, and the violent crime rate of 117.6 per 100K is well below the national average. Life expectancy: 78.7 years.

There's no glaring weakness — the lowest category is outdoor access at 43.0, still a respectable score. The typical home is valued at $516,306, with a price-to-income ratio of 5.2x. Stable population growth of 0.48%.

#2: Wyoming

Only 3.5 points behind first place, Wyoming scores 79.9/100 with a A+ grade. The state's strongest categories are outdoor access (95.7) and safety (86.1). Residents earn a median of $75,532 and live an average of 76.8 years. The unemployment rate of 3.4% keeps the economy running smoothly.

There's no glaring weakness — the lowest category is growth at 42.5, still a respectable score. The typical home is valued at $371,854, with a price-to-income ratio of 4.9x. Stable population growth of 0.35%.

#3: South Dakota

South Dakota rounds out the top three at 79.3/100. The state scores 6 categories above 60, with particular strength in affordability (84.7) and fiscal health (76.3). A 2.1% unemployment rate and $76,881 median income tell the economic story. Violent crime comes in at 307.5 per 100K, near the national average.

There's no glaring weakness — the lowest category is livability at 42.2, still a respectable score. The typical home is valued at $321,574, with a price-to-income ratio of 4.2x. The state is growing, too: 0.86% population increase.

#4: Idaho

Idaho scores 78.4/100 with strength in safety (86.6) and growth (72.6). The state has a 3.7% unemployment rate and a median income of $81,166. A cost of living index of 95.5 means your paycheck stretches further here than in most states.

The one drag: livability, where Idaho scores just 39.6/100. That pulls the composite down, but it's not enough to offset strength across the other ten categories. The typical home is valued at $478,744, with a price-to-income ratio of 5.9x. Population growth of 1.44% shows people are choosing to move here.

#5: North Dakota

North Dakota scores 75.5/100 with strength in affordability (83.5) and safety (70.2). The state has a 2.6% unemployment rate and a median income of $77,871. A cost of living index of 89 means your paycheck stretches further here than in most states.

The one drag: environment, where North Dakota scores just 38.5/100. That pulls the composite down, but it's not enough to offset strength across the other ten categories. The typical home is valued at $292,293, with a price-to-income ratio of 3.8x. Population growth of 0.75% shows people are choosing to move here.

#6: Utah

Utah scores 75.4/100 with strength in education (76.8) and safety (76.0). The state has a 3.6% unemployment rate and a median income of $96,658. A cost of living index of 98.9 means your paycheck stretches further here than in most states.

The one drag: livability, where Utah scores just 19.7/100. That pulls the composite down, but it's not enough to offset strength across the other ten categories. The typical home is valued at $534,582, with a price-to-income ratio of 5.5x. Population growth of 1.03% shows people are choosing to move here.

#7: Montana

At 75.0/100, Montana holds its position in the top 10 with outdoor access (71.7) as its strongest category. The median household income of $75,340 pairs with a 3.3% unemployment rate. The violent crime rate runs 419.1 per 100K — well above the national average.

There's no glaring weakness — the lowest category is economy at 51.5, still a respectable score. The typical home is valued at $471,746, with a price-to-income ratio of 6.3x. The state is growing, too: 0.63% population increase.

#8: Vermont

At 74.0/100, Vermont holds its position in the top 10 with safety (77.7) as its strongest category. The median household income of $82,730 pairs with a 2.7% unemployment rate. The violent crime rate runs 214.4 per 100K — well below the national average.

The one drag: growth, where Vermont scores just 29.9/100. That pulls the composite down, but it's not enough to offset strength across the other ten categories. The typical home is valued at $399,053, with a price-to-income ratio of 4.8x. A population shift of -0.29% reflects a broader regional pattern rather than any single weakness.

#9: Maine

At 71.6/100, Maine holds its position in the top 10 with safety (94.5) as its strongest category. The median household income of $76,442 pairs with a 3.4% unemployment rate. The violent crime rate runs 93.2 per 100K — well below the national average.

There's no glaring weakness — the lowest category is outdoor access at 45.0, still a respectable score. The typical home is valued at $415,552, with a price-to-income ratio of 5.4x. Stable population growth of 0.46%.

#10: Nebraska

At 71.1/100, Nebraska holds its position in the top 10 with affordability (81.6) as its strongest category. The median household income of $76,376 pairs with a 3% unemployment rate. The violent crime rate runs 218.4 per 100K — well below the national average.

The one drag: outdoor access, where Nebraska scores just 22.0/100. That pulls the composite down, but it's not enough to offset strength across the other ten categories. The typical home is valued at $280,673, with a price-to-income ratio of 3.7x. Population growth of 0.62% shows people are choosing to move here.

What the top states share

The top 10 as a group tells an interesting story. Average unemployment: 3.1%, versus the national 3.9%. Median income: $81,878, compared to the national $80,903. Violent crime: 226 per 100K, versus the national 313. These aren't subtle differences.

Economic opportunity carries the most weight in our formula at 15%. Safety (12%), health (12%), and education (12%) follow. States that invest in public health and education tend to build compounding advantages — better schools attract educated workers, who earn more, who pay more taxes, which funds better schools. The cycle works.

Regionally, 4 of the top 10 are Western states, 3 are Northeastern, 3 are Midwestern, and 0 are Southern. The Midwest shows remarkable consistency — fewer states at the extremes, but solid middle-of-the-pack performance.

Just outside the top 10

Wisconsin (#11, 70.6), Minnesota (#12, 70.4), Massachusetts (#13, 70.0), Iowa (#14, 69.2), Virginia (#15, 67.7) fill out the 11-15 range. The margin between #10 and #15 is just 3.4 points — one data update could push any of these states into the top tier.

What typically keeps states in this range from breaking through is one or two weak categories dragging down an otherwise strong profile. Wisconsin scores 23.9 in outdoor access — address that weakness and it's a top-10 state.

The bottom 5 and what's holding them back

At the other end of the table: Louisiana (30.0), New Mexico (30.6), Arkansas (40.1), California (40.2), Mississippi (41.9). These states face compounding challenges — low scores in safety and health tend to correlate with weaker economies and lower educational attainment. Breaking that cycle takes sustained investment over years.

Louisiana scores 30.0/100. The biggest drags: outdoor access (10.3) and environment (16.0). But every state has strengths, and Louisiana scores 88.7 in affordability, #3 of 50 in that category.

New Mexico scores 30.6/100. The biggest drags: education (6.6) and livability (22.9). But every state has strengths, and New Mexico scores 81.0 in affordability, #13 of 50 in that category.

Arkansas scores 40.1/100. The biggest drags: outdoor access (14.7) and livability (24.8). But every state has strengths, and Arkansas scores 89.7 in affordability, #2 of 50 in that category.

California scores 40.2/100. The biggest drags: growth (6.1) and affordability (14.3). But every state has strengths, and California scores 77.6 in health, #5 of 50 in that category.

Mississippi scores 41.9/100. The biggest drags: outdoor access (14.7) and livability (17.5). But every state has strengths, and Mississippi scores 91.9 in affordability, #1 of 50 in that category.

How the rankings work

Every raw metric is placed on a 0-100 scale by linear interpolation between fixed bounds set for that metric (not the current best and worst state), and values past a bound are capped at 0 or 100. Metrics where lower is better (crime, unemployment, etc.) are inverted. Because the bounds are fixed, a state's score rises when its own numbers improve. Category scores are weighted averages of their component metrics, and the composite is a weighted average of all 11 categories.

The weights: economy (15%), safety (12%), health (12%), education (12%), affordability (10%), fiscal health (8%), growth (7%), transportation (7%), livability (7%), outdoor access (6%), environment (4%). These balance economic factors against quality-of-life indicators. All source data comes from federal agencies — BLS, Census, FBI, EPA, NPS — and is updated annually.