Best States to Live in 2026: 10 States Ranked by Livability

The best states to live in depend on what matters most to a household. Some people prioritize affordability, while others care more about income, job opportunities, education, safety, health, or a combination of those factors.

To make the comparison more transparent, this 2026 ranking evaluates all 50 states using six measurable indicators from federal data sources: cost of living, median household income, unemployment, educational attainment, homicide mortality, and overall age-adjusted mortality.

Under this methodology, New Hampshire ranks No. 1, followed closely by Hawaii and Vermont. North Dakota and Massachusetts complete the top five.

The results also illustrate why there is no universally “best” state. Hawaii ranks extremely well despite having one of the highest price levels in the country, while North Dakota reaches the top five with a very different combination of low costs, low unemployment, and relatively strong safety measures.

For additional state and city rankings, see our Best Places research.

10 Best States to Live in 2026

The composite score below averages each state’s percentile position across six equally weighted indicators.

A higher score means the state performed more strongly relative to the other 49 states across these particular measures. It is not a percentage of livability, a probability of satisfaction, or a guarantee that the state is the right choice for every household.

*The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest 2025 annual-average state series is based on 11 months because October 2025 data were not collected during the federal government shutdown.

The cost-of-living figures are BEA Regional Price Parities, where the U.S. average equals 100.

The full ranking also incorporates educational attainment, homicide mortality, and age-adjusted all-cause mortality, which we discuss below.

How We Ranked the Best States to Live in

There is no official federal definition of the “best state to live in,” so any overall ranking requires choices about which factors to measure.

Rather than assigning larger subjective weights to particular categories, this ranking uses six indicators with equal weight.

1. Cost of Living

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: Regional Price Parities

The latest statewide Regional Price Parities (RPP) cover 2024 and were released in February 2026.

The U.S. average equals 100.

A lower RPP receives a stronger ranking because it indicates a lower overall price level.

2. Median Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2024

This measure uses 2024 American Community Survey 1-year median household income estimates, adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars.

Higher income receives a stronger ranking.

Income and cost of living are kept as separate indicators because they answer different questions: one measures household resources, while the other measures regional price levels.

3. Unemployment

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Local Area Unemployment Statistics

Lower unemployment receives a stronger ranking.

The latest 2025 state average series covers 11 months rather than all 12 because BLS did not collect October 2025 data during the federal government shutdown. The series is used because it remains the latest broad state-level annual-average comparison available, but that limitation should be kept in mind.

4. Educational Attainment

Source: U.S. Census Bureau: 2024 ACS Educational Attainment

The education indicator measures the share of adults age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Higher educational attainment receives a stronger ranking.

This is a measure of the educational attainment of the adult population. It should not be interpreted as a ranking of K–12 school quality.

5. Homicide Mortality

Source: CDC: Homicide Mortality by State

The ranking uses 2024 age-adjusted homicide mortality rates per 100,000 residents.

Lower rates receive stronger rankings.

Homicide mortality is used as a narrow public-safety indicator. It does not measure all violent crime, property crime, or every dimension of personal safety.

6. Overall Health Outcome

Source: CDC: State and Territorial Mortality Data

The final indicator is each state’s 2024 age-adjusted death rate from all causes.

Lower age-adjusted mortality receives a stronger ranking.

Age adjustment improves comparisons among states with different age structures, but the measure is still a broad health-outcome indicator rather than a direct ranking of hospitals, insurance systems, or healthcare access.

How the Composite Score Works

Each state is ranked against the other 49 states for each indicator.

The rankings are converted to a 0-to-100 percentile scale. Ties receive the average percentile position.

Lower values score better for:

• Cost of living
• Unemployment
• Homicide mortality
• Overall mortality

Higher values score better for:

• Median household income
• Educational attainment

The six percentile scores are then averaged with equal weight. No individual category receives extra weight.

That makes the methodology transparent, but it also means households that care much more about one factor than another may reasonably reach a different conclusion.

Our 10 Best States to Live in 2026

1. New Hampshire

New Hampshire ranks first because it performs strongly across nearly every dimension rather than dominating only one category.

Its 2024 median household income was approximately $99,782. Educational attainment was 41.5%, meaning that share of adults age 25 and older held a bachelor’s degree or higher. Its 2025 unemployment average was 3.2%.

New Hampshire also recorded the lowest homicide mortality rate among the 50 states in the CDC’s 2024 data: 1.4 deaths per 100,000 residents.

Its age-adjusted all-cause death rate was 693.4 per 100,000.

The major tradeoff is cost.

New Hampshire’s Regional Price Parity (RPP) was approximately 104.2, meaning its overall price level was about 4.2% above the national average.

New Hampshire therefore does not rank first because it is cheap. It ranks first because high income, relatively strong educational attainment, low unemployment, and very low homicide mortality compensate for its higher-than-average costs.

For households comparing individual states in greater detail, see our U.S. States research.

2. Hawaii

Hawaii produces one of the most interesting results in the ranking.

Its overall cost-of-living RPP was 110.0, placing Hawaii among the most expensive states in the country.

Yet Hawaii performs exceptionally well on several other indicators.

Its 2024 median household income was $100,745.

Its 2025 unemployment average was 2.4%.

Its homicide mortality rate was 2.8 per 100,000.

Its age-adjusted all-cause death rate was 573.3 per 100,000.

That was the lowest state-level age-adjusted death rate in the CDC data used for this comparison.

Hawaii therefore demonstrates why a broad livability ranking can differ substantially from a simple affordability ranking.

A household with sufficient income may value Hawaii’s strengths very differently from a household whose primary objective is minimizing housing and everyday expenses.

Cost remains a major limitation, especially when housing is considered separately.

For the opposite type of ranking—states with the lowest overall consumer price levels—see our Cheapest States to Live in 2026.

3. Vermont

Vermont ranks third through a strong balance of educational attainment, employment, safety, and moderate statewide price levels.

Its Regional Price Parity (RPP) was 98.0, placing its overall price level slightly below the national average.

Median household income was $82,730, while its 2025 unemployment average was 2.7%.

Educational attainment was particularly strong: 45.1% of adults age 25 and older held a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Vermont’s homicide mortality rate was 3.2 per 100,000, and its age-adjusted all-cause mortality rate was 710.9 per 100,000.

Vermont’s household income is lower than that of several other top-10 states, but its combination of below-average price levels, low unemployment, high educational attainment, and relatively low homicide mortality keeps it near the top.

4. North Dakota

North Dakota reaches fourth place through a very different combination of strengths.

Its overall RPP was 89.0, meaning statewide price levels were approximately 11% below the U.S. average.

Its 2025 unemployment average was only 2.6%, and its homicide mortality rate was 2.5 per 100,000.

Median household income was $77,871.

Educational attainment was 34.0%, and its age-adjusted all-cause mortality rate was 704.5 per 100,000.

North Dakota does not match Massachusetts or Colorado on educational attainment, nor does it have the income levels of Hawaii or New Hampshire.

Its advantage comes from combining low costs, a strong labor-market measure, and relatively low homicide mortality.

That makes it a useful example of how different paths can produce a strong overall score.

5. Massachusetts

Massachusetts ranks fifth despite being one of the more expensive states.

Its major strengths are income and educational attainment.

The Census Bureau estimated Massachusetts’ 2024 median household income at $104,828, the highest among the 50 states in the ACS data used here.

It also had the highest bachelor’s-degree attainment rate at 48.3%.

Massachusetts recorded a homicide mortality rate of 2.2 per 100,000 and an age-adjusted all-cause death rate of 637.5 per 100,000.

Those are strong outcomes relative to most states.

Its weaknesses are cost and employment under the measures used here.

The state’s RPP was approximately 105.8, while its 2025 unemployment average was 4.5%.

Massachusetts therefore ranks highly because strong income, education, safety, and health measures outweigh but do not eliminate the disadvantage created by higher prices.

6. Utah

Utah ranks sixth with a particularly balanced profile.

Its 2024 median household income was $96,658.

Its RPP was 98.9, meaning overall price levels were slightly below the U.S. average.

Educational attainment stood at 39.1%, and its homicide mortality rate was 2.3 per 100,000.

Its 2025 unemployment average was 3.6%, while the age-adjusted all-cause death rate was 715.0 per 100,000.

Utah does not lead the country in any one measure used here, but it avoids major weaknesses across most of them.

That consistency pushes the state above several places with stronger results in individual categories but larger disadvantages elsewhere.

7. Minnesota

Minnesota ranks seventh.

Its overall Regional Price Parity (RPP) was approximately 98.6, and median household income was $87,117.

Its educational attainment rate was 40.0%.

The homicide mortality rate was 3.4 per 100,000, while the age-adjusted all-cause mortality rate was 669.5 per 100,000.

Minnesota’s 2025 unemployment average was 3.9%.

The state performs especially well because its overall price level remains close to the national benchmark while income, education, and health outcomes are relatively strong.

Minnesota illustrates the value of balance in a composite ranking: it does not need to rank first in any single category to perform well overall.

8. Connecticut

Connecticut ranks eighth, supported by high household income, strong educational attainment, and relatively favorable mortality measures.

Its median household income was $96,049.

Educational attainment was 42.6%.

The homicide mortality rate was 3.0 per 100,000, and the age-adjusted all-cause death rate was 642.1 per 100,000.

Its 2025 unemployment average was 4.0%.

The major disadvantage is price.

Connecticut’s overall RPP was approximately 103.6, so statewide price levels were above the national average.

As with Massachusetts and New Hampshire, high costs should therefore be considered alongside the income and quality-of-life factors that lift Connecticut’s overall ranking.

9. Colorado

Colorado ranks ninth.

It stands out most clearly for educational attainment.

Approximately 47.8% of adults age 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher, second only to Massachusetts among the states in the data used here.

Colorado also had a high median household income of $97,113.

Its age-adjusted all-cause death rate was 673.4 per 100,000.

However, the state’s cost-of-living RPP was 103.1, and its homicide mortality rate was 5.1 per 100,000.

Its 2025 unemployment average was 4.0%.

Colorado’s strong income, education, and health measures are enough to place it in the top 10, but its higher price level and weaker performance on the narrow safety measure keep it below several lower-cost states.

10. Virginia

Virginia completes the top 10 with a broadly competitive profile.

Its 2024 median household income was $92,090.

Educational attainment was 43.3%, and its 2025 unemployment average was 3.4%.

Virginia’s RPP was approximately 101.1, placing statewide prices only modestly above the national benchmark.

The state’s homicide mortality rate was 5.6 per 100,000, while its age-adjusted all-cause mortality rate was 713.7 per 100,000.

Virginia’s advantage is that it performs relatively well across income, employment, and education without the very high statewide price levels seen in some Northeastern and Pacific states.

The difference between Virginia and states immediately below the top 10 is relatively small, however, so the exact position should not be interpreted as a large gap in overall livability.

Why Hawaii Can Rank Highly Despite Its Cost of Living

Hawaii’s No. 2 position is likely to surprise readers who associate the state with expensive housing and high everyday costs.

That reaction is reasonable. BEA’s RPP confirms that Hawaii has one of the highest statewide price levels in America.

But this ranking gives cost of living one-sixth of the total weight rather than treating affordability as the entire definition of livability.

Hawaii scores strongly on:

• Median household income
• Unemployment
• Homicide mortality
• Age-adjusted overall mortality

Those strengths offset much of the cost disadvantage.

A household focused primarily on affordability would almost certainly rank Hawaii much lower.

That is why our Cost of Living research should be used alongside broader livability rankings when relocation costs are the main concern.

Why North Dakota Ranks Higher Than Some Higher-Income States

North Dakota presents the opposite case.

Its median household income and educational attainment do not rank among the highest in the country.

But its cost of living is substantially below average, unemployment is low, and its homicide mortality rate is relatively low.

That balance allows it to outrank states with much higher incomes but substantially higher costs or weaker performance in other categories.

The result illustrates an important principle:

A high salary alone does not make a state highly livable, just as a low cost of living alone does not guarantee a strong overall ranking.

Why This Ranking Differs From Other Best-State Lists

Different rankings can produce dramatically different results without either one necessarily containing an error.

The reason is methodology.

WalletHub’s 2026 Best States to Live In ranking compares states using 51 indicators across several broad dimensions and places Idaho first, followed by New Jersey, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

ConsumerAffairs’ 2026 best states to move to ranking places New Hampshire first, followed by Utah, Idaho, Virginia, and Maine, using weighted categories covering affordability, safety, economic strength, healthcare, education, and quality of life.

This ranking takes a narrower approach, using six federal indicators, equal weighting, and percentile-based scoring.

That makes the methodology easier to reproduce, but it also means factors included in other rankings may be absent here.

The more useful question is not, “Which ranking is universally right?”

It is, “Which methodology best reflects the factors that matter to me?”

“Best” Does Not Mean Best for Every Household

Statewide rankings are useful for narrowing a search, but relocation is personal.

A household with young children may give much more weight to:

• School districts
• Childcare
• Housing space
• Family proximity

A retiree may prioritize:

• Healthcare access
• Taxes
• Climate
• Walkability
• Proximity to family

A remote worker may care more about:

• Housing costs
• Broadband
• Airports
• Lifestyle

Someone changing careers may focus primarily on:

• Employment opportunities
• Industry concentration
• Wages
• Commute times

Because those priorities differ, the No. 1 state in an overall ranking is not automatically the No. 1 state for an individual household.

Our Relocation research focuses on those household-level tradeoffs.

Migration patterns can provide additional context without determining where someone should live. Our analysis of where Americans are moving in 2026 shows which states are currently gaining and losing residents through domestic migration.

What This Ranking Does Not Measure

The ranking is intentionally limited to six comparable statewide indicators.

It does not directly score:

• State and local taxes
• Home prices
• Current asking rents
• Homeowners insurance
• Climate
• Natural-hazard exposure
• K–12 school performance
• Hospital quality
• Healthcare access
• Commute times
• Political preferences
• Outdoor recreation
• Cultural amenities
• Housing inventory

Those factors can materially affect where someone wants to live.

Housing affordability deserves particular attention because an overall cost-of-living measure does not fully capture whether a household can comfortably purchase a home in a particular metro.

Our home price-to-income ratio by state comparison provides one additional housing-affordability measure, while our broader Housing Affordability research covers the wider ownership-cost picture.

Homeowners insurance and property taxes can also alter the cost of owning a home substantially from one state to another. Our Home Insurance vs Property Taxes by State in 2026 comparison examines those recurring expenses separately.

State Averages Can Hide Major Local Differences

A state ranking is only the beginning of a relocation search.

New Hampshire’s statewide score does not mean every city or neighborhood in the state has the same:

• Housing costs
• Employment opportunities
• Schools
• Safety
• Amenities

The same is true for every state in the top 10.

A useful relocation process becomes increasingly specific:

• State: overall economic and cost environment
• Metro area: regional housing and employment conditions
• City: local services, prices, and amenities
• Neighborhood: schools, commute, housing stock, and lifestyle
• Individual property: actual housing cost, condition, insurance, taxes, and suitability

A strong state-level ranking cannot replace that local research.

How Close Are the States Near the Top 10 Cutoff?

The lower portion of the top 10 is relatively competitive.

Colorado scores 65.5 and Virginia 65.0, while Nebraska sits just outside the top 10 at approximately 64.3 under the same methodology.

Because several source datasets are estimates and are revised periodically, small differences at the cutoff should not be treated as permanent or absolute.

A modest change in unemployment, income, price levels, or another indicator could change the ordering.

The more meaningful conclusion is that these states form a relatively strong group across the six measured dimensions, not that the difference between No. 9 and No. 11 is enormous.

Conclusion

The best states to live in look very different depending on how livability is defined.

Using six equally weighted federal indicators covering cost of living, household income, employment, educational attainment, homicide mortality, and overall mortality, the top 10 for this 2026 ranking are:

1. New Hampshire
2. Hawaii
3. Vermont
4. North Dakota
5. Massachusetts
6. Utah
7. Minnesota
8. Connecticut
9. Colorado
10. Virginia

New Hampshire takes the top position through balance: high income, strong educational attainment, low unemployment, and the lowest homicide mortality rate among the states offset its above-average price level.

Hawaii takes almost the opposite path, overcoming extremely high prices with high household income, low unemployment, low homicide mortality, and the country’s lowest age-adjusted all-cause death rate under the data used here.

Other states succeed through still different combinations.

That is ultimately the most important lesson from the ranking.

There is no one characteristic that makes a state the best place to live.

The strongest decision combines statewide data with the household’s own priorities—and then drills down into the metro, city, neighborhood, and specific housing options being considered.

Methodology and Sources

This is a current 2026 ranking built from the latest comparable statewide datasets available during the analysis. The underlying observations do not all come from 2026.

Cost of Living

2024 BEA all-items Regional Price Parities (RPP).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: Regional Price Parities by State and Metro Area

Median Household Income

2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2024

Unemployment

The latest 2025 state average unemployment rates are from the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics program.

The 2025 averages are based on 11 months because October 2025 data were not collected during the federal government shutdown.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: State Annual Average Data

Educational Attainment

2024 ACS 1-year percentage of people age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Educational Attainment

Homicide Mortality

2024 age-adjusted homicide mortality rate per 100,000 residents.

Source: CDC: Homicide Mortality

Overall Mortality

2024 age-adjusted all-cause death rate per 100,000 residents.

Source: CDC: State and Territorial Data

Composite Scoring

Each state is converted to a percentile score relative to the other 49 states for each of the six measures.

Lower values rank better for:

• Regional Price Parity
• Unemployment
• Homicide mortality
• Overall mortality

Higher values rank better for:

• Median household income
• Bachelor’s-degree attainment

Ties receive the average percentile position.

The six percentile scores are averaged with equal weight.

The resulting composite score is a relative ranking tool, not a percentage measure of quality of life.

The District of Columbia is excluded because the comparison covers the 50 states.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best state to live in in 2026?

New Hampshire ranks first under this six-factor methodology, driven by high household income, strong educational attainment, relatively low unemployment, and the lowest homicide mortality rate among the 50 states.

What are the 10 best states to live in?

Under this methodology, the top 10 are New Hampshire, Hawaii, Vermont, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Utah, Minnesota, Connecticut, Colorado, and Virginia.

Why does Hawaii rank so high when it is expensive?

Hawaii performs poorly on cost of living but very strongly on median household income, unemployment, homicide mortality, and age-adjusted overall mortality. Because all six indicators receive equal weight, those strengths offset much of its cost disadvantage.

Is the cheapest state automatically the best state to live in?

No. Low prices are only one factor. Income, employment, education, safety, health, and household-specific priorities can change the overall picture substantially.

Does this ranking measure school quality?

No. The education indicator measures the percentage of adults age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher. It does not rank K–12 schools or individual school districts.

Does this ranking include crime rates?

It includes the CDC’s age-adjusted homicide mortality rate as a narrow safety indicator. It does not include every type of violent crime or property crime.

Does the ranking include taxes or home prices?

No. Taxes and home prices are not separately scored. BEA’s Regional Price Parity measures broader differences in consumer price levels, but households should evaluate housing affordability and taxes separately before relocating.

Are all of these statistics from 2026?

No. This is a 2026 ranking using the latest comparable data available. Most underlying indicators cover 2024, while the unemployment measure uses the latest 2025 state-average series.

Why do other best-state rankings look different?

Different publishers use different indicators and weights. A ranking that gives more weight to affordability, healthcare, weather, taxes, or school quality can produce a substantially different order.