UNDATED – With rampant inflation making raising children much more costly than usual, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family, as well as expert commentary.
To determine the best states in which to put down family roots, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 51 key indicators of family-friendliness. The data set ranges from the median annual family income to housing affordability to the unemployment rate.
South Dakota ranked 14th overall in the study, scoring the best in Education and Child Care, where it was 11th. The state ranked 12th for Health and Safety.
| Best States for Families | Worst States for Families |
| 1. Massachusetts | 41. Arizona |
| 2. Minnesota | 42. Georgia |
| 3. New York | 43. Oklahoma |
| 4. North Dakota | 44. Arkansas |
| 5. Vermont | 45. Alabama |
| 6. New Hampshire | 46. South Carolina |
| 7. New Jersey | 47. Louisiana |
| 8. Nebraska | 48. West Virginia |
| 9. Iowa | 49. New Mexico |
| 10. Connecticut | 50. Mississippi |
Best vs. Worst
- Utah has the lowest separation & divorce rate, 15.63 percent, which is 1.7 times lower than in Nevada, where it is highest at 25.79 percent.
- New Hampshire has the lowest share of families living in poverty, 4.60 percent, which is 3.3 times lower than in Mississippi, where it is highest at 15.00 percent.
- South Dakota has the lowest average annual cost of early childcare (as a share of median family income), 7.05 percent, which is 1.9 times lower than in North Carolina, where it is highest at 13.32 percent.
- Maine has the fewest violent crimes (per 1,000 residents), 1.09, which is 7.7 times fewer than in Alaska, the state with the most at 8.38.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/
