These are the best states to live in, according to WalletHub
New study ranks all 50 states best to worst
A new study ranked all 50 states from best to worst, with US News publishing its 2026 Overall Best State Rankings.
How good is your state to live in?
WalletHub recently released its latest ranking of all 50 states to identify which states are the best – and worst – to live in.
The personal finance website says it compared all 50 states across five key categories: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Those dimensions were then evaluated using 51 relevant metrics, with each metric graded on a 100-point scale.
“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst quoted on the study. “Many states have strong economies, though, so you should also consider a wide variety of other factors, such as how where you live will impact your health and safety, and whether you will have adequate access to activities that you enjoy.”
Here’s what WalletHub’s study found.
What are the best states to live in?
According to WalletHub, the five best states to live in are:
- Idaho
- New Jersey
- Wisconsin
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
Idaho ranked highly in the affordability, economy and safety categories, while New Jersey was highly rated for its education and health, quality of life and safety categories.
Massachusetts was the No. 1 ranked state when it comes to education and health, while New Hampshire was in the top 4 in three categories – economy, education and health, and safety.
The five worst states to live in, according to WalletHub, are Arkansas, Alaska, Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico.
The full rankings and methodology can be found on WalletHub’s website.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@usatoday.com.