Quality of life is an essential, though often abstract, factor when individuals or families decide where to establish their roots. In the United States, quality of life varies significantly from state to state due to a wide range of elements such as healthcare access, economic stability, educational opportunities, crime rates, infrastructure quality, and natural environment's health.
- The top five states in terms of quality of life are Washington, Minnesota, Utah, New Hampshire, and Idaho, signifying these have the best combination of healthcare, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime rates and natural environment.
- States with the lowest quality of life scores are Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and West Virginia, located in the South and Midwest regions, respectively. This suggests these regions might face more pronounced challenges with issues such as healthcare access, education, economy, and crime rates.
- Some of the most populous states like California (24) and New York (21) appear in the middle of the ranking, implying a large population does not necessarily equate to a higher quality of life score.
- The states occupying the middle spot in the ranking, such as Ohio (36) and Indiana (32), suggest that there is room for these states to bolster their residents' quality of life by improving in some key areas.
FAQs
Here's a list of the 10 best states to relocate to, according to Shoreline Immigration's report.
- New Hampshire. New Hampshire, the live free or die state, is the fifth-smallest state by area and the 10th least-populous state in the country. ...
- Wyoming. ...
- Virginia. ...
- Rhode Island. ...
- Wisconsin. ...
- Connecticut. ...
- North Dakota. ...
- Utah.
Quality of Life in the United States
The top five states in terms of quality of life are Washington, Minnesota, Utah, New Hampshire, and Idaho, signifying these have the best combination of healthcare, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime rates and natural environment.
Where is the United States in terms of rankings for quality of life? ›
The OECD Better Life Index, which measures quality of life according to 11 factors, ranks the United States as 7th among 34 OECD countries.
What is the best state of the 50 states? ›
All 50 states ranked best to worst. Here's where Florida stands
- spot went to Utah, which ranked high on nearly all facets — crime, economy, education, infrastructure — but lagged in terms of its natural environment. New Hampshire took the No.
- spot, and Nebraska came in at No.
- overall.
Safest States
| Rank | Region | Safety Index Score |
|---|
| 1. | Massachusetts | 80.4 |
| 2. | New Jersey | 79.4 |
| 3. | New Hampshire | 78.8 |
| 4. | Rhode Island | 78.1 |
46 more rowsWhere Are Most People Moving to in 2024? We're seeing more people move to the Southern Appalachian region, which includes states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
What is the best state to live in financially? ›
5 Best States To Live In If You Want To Get Rich
- Texas. Texas has no state income tax for individuals, although property taxes tend to be higher than average. ...
- Kansas. ...
- Minnesota. ...
- Colorado. ...
- Oklahoma.
Ann Arbor is the best U.S. city for quality of life. More than 90% of the city's residents live less than a 10-minute from a public park, according to the U.S. News and World report. A 2023 SmartAsset study report says Ann Arbor saw its Gen Z population — those ages 18 to 24 — grow the fastest in 2022.
Which city in the USA is best to live in? ›
Topping the list as the city with the highest quality of life is Ann Arbor, Michigan, which has a score of 7.9 out of 10. “Ann Arbor is a city of contrasts. It is at once rural and urban, sporty and smart, outdoorsy and high-tech, counterculture and high society,” says U.S. News and World Report.
Which state has the best future? ›
- Utah. Utah will be the nation's No. 1 state to live in 2032. ...
- Minnesota. Full-time employment: 8. Economic confidence: 1. ...
- Colorado. Full-time employment: 10. Economic confidence: 12. ...
- Nebraska. Full-time employment: 2. Economic confidence: 6. ...
- North Dakota. Full-time employment: 1. ...
- Virginia. Full-time employment: 9. ...
- Iowa.
The cheapest states to live in are Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Mississippi is the cheapest state to live in in the US, with a cost of living index of 85. The second cheapest state to live in is Oklahoma, with a cost of living index of 85.8.
What is the best state to move to? ›
15 Best States To Live In: 2024 Rankings
- North Dakota. Total Score: 21.47. ...
- Colorado. Total Score: 19.84. ...
- Virginia. Total Score: 18.93. ...
- Massachusetts. Total Score: 18.59. ...
- New Hampshire. Total Score: 18.16. ...
- South Dakota. Total Score:17.47. ...
- Vermont. Total Score: 17.38. ...
- Minnesota. Total Score: 16.96.
- Washington. #1 in Long-Term Fiscal Stability. ...
- Tennessee. #2 in Long-Term Fiscal Stability. ...
- Delaware. #3 in Long-Term Fiscal Stability. ...
- South Dakota. #4 in Long-Term Fiscal Stability. ...
- Utah. #5 in Long-Term Fiscal Stability. ...
- Idaho. #6 in Long-Term Fiscal Stability. ...
- Iowa. #7 in Long-Term Fiscal Stability. ...
- Nebraska.
Massachusetts topped 2023's list, scoring 61 out of 100. New Jersey came in second. New Hampshire, New York, and Wyoming fill out the rest of the top five states to live in, in that order. Several Southern states – Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas, among others – rounded out the bottom of WalletHub's rankings.
