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New Report: These Are the Top 10 States to Raise a Family In

We all want the best for our kids. And where you live can shape nearly every aspect of family life—from your children’s education and safety to your financial well-being and overall happiness. A supportive community, access to quality health care and safe neighborhoods can make a world of difference in raising healthy, thriving kids.

But where is the best place to put down roots for your family? New research from ConsumerAffairs analyzed all 50 states to identify where families have the best opportunities to flourish, and it has a new top spot for 2025. We spoke to ConsumerAffairs lead researcher Rebecca Sowell to learn which states offer the strongest foundation for family wellness from the standpoint of safety, affordability, health care access and more.

It turns out that location truly matters when it comes to raising a family. Keep reading to find out which states scored the best—and the worst.

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How did the study determine the best state for families?

To find the best places to raise a family, the ConsumerAffairs research team looked at key metrics for livability in all 50 states, scoring them out of 100 points across five categories:

  • Affordability: Child care, food and housing costs, and child tax credits (30 points)
  • Safety: Violent and property crime rates (25 points)
  • Education: School performance, funding, higher education quality and school safety (20 points)
  • Health care: Pediatrician access, infant mortality, insurance coverage, preventive care and medical costs (15 points)
  • Quality of life: Child poverty rate, number of parks and libraries, and good air quality days (10 points)

States were given a weighted score relative to the top performer in each category.

What is the No. 1 state to raise a family in?

The top state is New Hampshire! The Granite State rose from fourth place to first place this year, performing strongly in safety, affordability and quality of life. With abundant outdoor recreation and a strong sense of community, plus access to parks, libraries and clean air, New Hampshire is a standout family-friendly place to live.

Why did New Hampshire earn the top spot?

There are a number of key reasons why New Hampshire earned the top spot among all 50 states in the nation. Here’s a look at why this state is the best place to raise a family:

Low crime rate

New Hampshire is the No. 1 state when it comes to safety, reporting just 1.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. “New Hampshire offers families peace of mind as the safest state to raise a family, with some of the lowest rates of violent and property crime in the country,” Sowell says.

Solid affordability

While the state ranked 34th in overall affordability, New Hampshire has a low child poverty rate of only 7%. Families also benefit from low weekly food costs (averaging $371), which allows them to more easily feed their families.

Excellent pediatric health care

In New Hampshire, “78% of children received preventative medical or dental care last year, the second-highest rate in the nation,” Sowell says. For overall health care, New Hampshire ranked seventh, which helped it climb to the top spot.

Great overall quality of life

Finally, New Hampshire ranks No. 3 when it comes to its quality of life score, due to its high number of state parks (6.6 per 100,000 people) and libraries (15.6 per 100,000 people). This allows families the chance to both get outside and learn together.

What other states are in the top 10?

Overall, the Northeast emerged as the strongest region in the United States for raising a family, claiming seven out of the top 10 states. The reason lies in three important factors: safe communities, great schools and quality health care.

“While [the Northeast] may not be the most affordable region, those strengths make it the best area in the country to raise a family—a trend that held steady in last year’s rankings as well,” Sowell says.

Here are the nine other states that made the top 10:

Maine

At No. 2 on the list, Maine ranks highly across safety and affordability metrics.

“Maine offers families the best quality of life in the country, with clean air, a strong public library system and the lowest child poverty rate in the nation,” Sowell says. “It also ranks among the safest states, making it an ideal place for families looking to plant their roots.” In fact, Maine ranks second in safety overall and has the lowest violent crime rate of all states, with just one crime per 1,000 residents.

Wisconsin

Coming in at No. 3, Wisconsin climbed three spots this year, largely due to strong affordability and low crime rates. Families spend an average of $352 per week on food, which is the lowest in the nation. The state also has a well-funded public education system that performs above the national average.

Vermont

Last year’s No. 1, Vermont maintains high rankings for both quality of life and health care. It leads the country with 25 libraries per 100,000 residents and ranks second in state and national parks. The state also has the lowest percentage of children missing preventive care.

New York

Although families spend about $472 per week on food, New York offsets this with a child tax credit and a top-ranked public education system featuring the highest per-student spending in the nation as well as highly qualified teachers. New York also ranks fifth in health care, with one of the highest concentrations of pediatricians in the nation.

Connecticut

Connecticut made one of the largest gains this year, rising from 25th all the way to sixth place—and it now ranks second in education and sixth in health care. The state reports one of the lowest percentages of children missing preventive care, and a high number of pediatricians per capita.

Wyoming

Wyoming is the only Western state that made the top 10 this year, and it’s because the state has the second-lowest childhood poverty rate (at 6%), strong air quality and low crime rates across both violent and property categories. Families also benefit from plentiful outdoor recreation and open space.

Virginia

Virginia stands out for housing affordability: The difference in cost between a one- and two-bedroom home is only about $35 per month. The state also ranks seventh in education and fourth for good air quality days, offering both economic and environmental advantages.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts leads the nation in health care, with abundant pediatrician access, a low infant mortality rate and one of the strongest public education systems in the country. However, families do face high child-care costs, averaging about $23,775 per year.

Pennsylvania

Rounding out the top 10, Pennsylvania combines safety, education and strong health outcomes. It reports 2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, ranks 10th in public education and shows strong preventive-care access, with a relatively small share of children missing routine visits.

How do the other states compare?

While the Northeast prevailed with the most states in the top 10 for raising a family, the West ranked in the opposite direction. Those states occupied six of the 10 bottom slots for the worst states for families. Sowell says ConsumerAffairs also saw this trend in 2024.

“Many of these states scored poorly across key categories like safety, education and health care,” she says. “While states in these regions tend to be more affordable, that lower cost often comes with tradeoffs: higher crime rates, weaker education systems and a lower overall quality of life.”

Here’s the full list of 50 states, ranked from best to worst for raising a family:

  1. New Hampshire
  2. Maine
  3. Wisconsin
  4. Vermont
  5. New York
  6. Connecticut
  7. Wyoming
  8. Virginia
  9. Massachusetts
  10. Pennsylvania
  11. Iowa
  12. Idaho
  13. Kentucky
  14. Rhode Island
  15. Illinois
  16. Nebraska
  17. New Jersey
  18. Minnesota
  19. West Virginia
  20. Georgia
  21. Utah
  22. North Dakota
  23. South Dakota
  24. Ohio
  25. Mississippi
  26. Indiana
  27. Michigan
  28. North Carolina
  29. Florida
  30. Missouri
  31. Delaware
  32. Maryland
  33. Kansas
  34. Washington
  35. Hawaii
  36. Montana
  37. South Carolina
  38. Alabama
  39. Tennessee
  40. Oregon
  41. Oklahoma
  42. Colorado
  43. Texas
  44. California
  45. Arkansas
  46. Arizona
  47. Louisiana
  48. New Mexico
  49. Alaska
  50. Nevada

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About the expert

  • Rebecca Sowell is a lead researcher and digital public relations manager at ConsumerAffairs. She graduated from Miami University with a degree in strategic communication and professional writing and lives in Chicago.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

  • Rebecca Sowell, digital public relations manager at ConsumerAffairs; interviewed, October 2025
  • ConsumerAffairs: “The best states to raise a family”

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