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Which Are the Best States for Raising a Family?
Parents have more flexibility these days to choose where they want to put down roots. A new study can help them decide.
With remote work on the rise, prospective parents have more flexibility to choose the best places to raise their families. With that in mind, they might want to read a new study by WalletHub, which considers a range of factors to find which U.S. states are best (and worst) for raising children.
The states were scored using 51 weighted metrics across five categories. Metrics used to score the Health and Safety category included the availability and quality of medical care and providers, crime rate, road safety and infant mortality. Education and Child Care points were based on local school quality and graduation rates, child-care costs and availability, and parental leave policies, among others. The Affordability category considered housing costs, credit scores, income and other financial data. The Socioeconomics score was based on rates of unemployment, marriage, divorce, poverty, foreclosure and more. Finally, the Family Fun category gauged each state on things like the share of families with young children and the availability of attractions and recreation centers.
Massachusetts once again topped the chart, helped by a second-place score in Education and Child Care, and a high Health and Safety score. North Dakota placed fourth, up from ninth last year, with the top scores in Socioeconomics and Education and Child Care.
Mississippi, which scored poorly in Socioeconomics and Health and Safety, repeated its last-place finish, while New Mexico followed with low scores in all categories. West Virginia finished 48th, dropping from 45th last year.
This week's chart shows the 10 highest-scoring and 10 lowest-scoring states, along with the categories that most helped or hurt their rankings.
Where to Raise Children
A recent study considered myriad data points to rank all 50 states.
Best
Massachusetts
Education and Child Care
Affordability
Minnesota
Socioeconomics
Affordability
New York
Family Fun
Affordability
North Dakota
Education and Child Care
Socioeconomics
Vermont
Health and Safety
Socioeconomics
New Hampshire
Health and Safety
Education and Child Care
New Jersey
Education and Child Care
Affordability
Nebraska
Socioeconomics
Education and Child Care
Iowa
Affordability
Education and Child Care
Connecticut
Affordability
Health and Safety
Worst
Arizona
Education and Child Care
Affordability
Georgia
Health and Safety
Affordability; Socioeconomics (tie)
Oklahoma
Health and Safety
Socioeconomics
Arkansas
Family Fun
Health and Safety
Alabama
Family Fun
Health and Safety
South Carolina
Education and Child Care
Family Fun
Louisiana
Health and Safety
Socioeconomics
West Virginia
Family Fun
Affordability
New Mexico
Education and Child Care
Affordability; Socioeconomics (tie)
Mississippi
Health and Safety
Socioeconomics
Best
Worst
Arizona
Education and Child Care
Affordability
Massachusetts
Education and Child Care
Affordability
Minnesota
Socioeconomics
Affordability
Georgia
Health and Safety
Affordability; Socioeconomics (tie)
New York
Family Fun
Affordability
Oklahoma
Health and Safety
Socioeconomics
North Dakota
Education and Child Care
Socioeconomics
Arkansas
Family Fun
Health and Safety
Vermont
Health and Safety
Socioeconomics
Alabama
Family Fun
Health and Safety
New Hampshire
Health and Safety
Education and Child Care
South Carolina
Education and Child Care
Family Fun
New Jersey
Education and Child Care
Affordability
Louisiana
Health and Safety
Socioeconomics
Nebraska
Socioeconomics
Education and Child Care
West Virginia
Family Fun
Affordability
Iowa
Affordability
Education and Child Care
New Mexico
Education and Child Care
Affordability; Socioeconomics (tie)
Connecticut
Affordability
Health and Safety
Mississippi
Health and Safety
Socioeconomics
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The State of Real Estate
Whether you’re renting, buying or selling, here’s a look at real estate trends.
A lot of change is happening in the housing market. Here’s the outlook.
With a landmark legal settlement poised to upend a decades-old norm that has dictated who pays real estate agents and how much, economists, agents and lenders are beginning to worry that the burden could now be on first-time home buyers.
American homeowners could see a significant drop in the cost of selling their homes after a real estate trade group agreed to a landmark deal that would eliminate the standard 6% sales commission.
A pricey housing market and higher interest rates have made it harder to afford a house, but so-called closing costs — for items like loan origination fees, discount points, appraisal and credit report fees — are also adding to the challenge.
As the prices for office space in urban centers tumble, cities whose municipal budgets rely on taxes associated with commercial real estate are starting to bear the brunt.
Homeowners are adding hidden doors and rooms to foil burglars, eke out extra storage space and prepare for Armageddon.
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