State ranking · Population & Demographics
Best States for Families
Balances housing cost with the service depth that comes from a larger, more diversified state economy.
Published Jan 28, 2026 · Reviewed Jun 24, 2026 · US360 analysis of the published state dataset
Methodology
Where can a family buy a home and stay near services?
Weights, planned factors and limitations are published before the table so the result can be judged fairly.
Factors and weights
- median home35%
- cost index25%
- industry depth20%
- population20%
Planned factors — not yet sourced
- School district performance
- Childcare availability
- Pediatric provider density
- Park and recreation access
Limitations
- School quality is set at district level, so a state-level score can never describe a specific neighbourhood.
Full ranking
All state hubs, scored identically
| Rank | State | Score | Median home value (35%) | Cost of living index (25%) | Industry breadth (20%) | Population (20%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TexasSouth | 74 | 74$340,000 | 9093 | 50Energy · Technology · Healthcare | 7830.5 million |
| 2 | OhioMidwest | 71.7 | 91$225,000 | 9687 | 50Healthcare · Manufacturing · Logistics | 2911.8 million |
| 3 | MississippiSouth | 70.9 | 99$175,000 | 10083 | 50Manufacturing · Agriculture · Shipbuilding | 62.9 million |
| 4 | West VirginiaSouth | 70.6 | 100$165,000 | 10083 | 50Energy · Healthcare · Outdoor recreation | 31.8 million |
| 5 | OklahomaSouth | 69.8 | 95$200,000 | 9984 | 50Energy · Aerospace · Agriculture | 94.1 million |
| 6 | MichiganMidwest | 69.1 | 88$245,000 | 9390 | 50Automotive · Advanced manufacturing · Healthcare | 2510 million |
| 7 | ArkansasSouth | 68.8 | 94$205,000 | 9885 | 50Retail logistics · Agriculture · Aerospace parts | 73.1 million |
| 8 | MissouriMidwest | 68.5 | 90$235,000 | 9687 | 50Logistics · Healthcare · Agribusiness | 156.2 million |
| 9 | LouisianaSouth | 68.4 | 94$205,000 | 9489 | 50Energy · Petrochemicals · Tourism | 104.6 million |
| 10 | PennsylvaniaNortheast | 68.2 | 85$265,000 | 8895 | 50Healthcare · Energy · Higher education | 3213 million |
| 11 | IndianaMidwest | 68.1 | 89$240,000 | 9588 | 50Advanced manufacturing · Life sciences · Logistics | 166.9 million |
| 12 | IowaMidwest | 68 | 93$215,000 | 9687 | 50Agriculture · Insurance · Renewable energy | 73.2 million |
| 13 | KentuckySouth | 67.9 | 91$225,000 | 9687 | 50Automotive · Logistics · Bourbon and food production | 104.5 million |
| 14 | AlabamaSouth | 67.7 | 90$230,000 | 9588 | 50Aerospace · Automotive manufacturing · Healthcare | 125.1 million |
| 15 | KansasMidwest | 67.7 | 92$220,000 | 9786 | 50Aviation manufacturing · Agriculture · Logistics | 62.9 million |
| 16 | IllinoisMidwest | 67.6 | 84$275,000 | 8895 | 50Finance · Transportation · Manufacturing | 3112.5 million |
| 17 | NebraskaMidwest | 64.8 | 87$250,000 | 9489 | 50Agribusiness · Insurance · Data centres | 42.0 million |
| 18 | WisconsinMidwest | 64.5 | 82$285,000 | 9291 | 50Manufacturing · Dairy and food processing · Healthcare | 145.9 million |
| 19 | GeorgiaSouth | 64.1 | 74$340,000 | 9192 | 50Logistics · Film production · Fintech | 2711 million |
| 20 | FloridaSouth | 63.9 | 65$400,000 | 79103 | 50Tourism · Healthcare · International trade | 5722.6 million |
| 21 | TennesseeSouth | 63.6 | 77$320,000 | 9390 | 50Healthcare · Music and entertainment · Logistics | 177.1 million |
| 22 | South CarolinaSouth | 63.4 | 80$300,000 | 9192 | 50Automotive · Aerospace · Tourism | 135.4 million |
| 23 | North DakotaMidwest | 62.7 | 85$265,000 | 9192 | 50Energy · Agriculture · Autonomous systems | 1784,000 |
| 24 | North CarolinaSouth | 62.6 | 72$355,000 | 8895 | 50Banking · Biotechnology · Advanced manufacturing | 2710.8 million |
| 25 | New MexicoWest | 61.6 | 80$300,000 | 9192 | 50National laboratories · Energy · Film production | 42.1 million |
| 26 | South DakotaMidwest | 61.6 | 81$290,000 | 9291 | 50Financial services · Agriculture · Healthcare | 1919,000 |
| 27 | MinnesotaMidwest | 60.4 | 75$335,000 | 8697 | 50Medical devices · Healthcare · Food production | 135.7 million |
| 28 | WyomingWest | 58.9 | 76$330,000 | 8994 | 50Energy · Tourism · Ranching | 0584,000 |
| 29 | VirginiaSouth | 57 | 65$400,000 | 80102 | 50Data centres · Federal contracting · Shipbuilding | 218.7 million |
| 30 | ArizonaWest | 55 | 61$425,000 | 80102 | 50Semiconductors · Healthcare · Tourism | 187.4 million |
| 31 | DelawareSouth | 54.6 | 69$375,000 | 81101 | 50Corporate services · Chemicals · Finance | 11.0 million |
| 32 | New YorkNortheast | 54.6 | 58$450,000 | 57125 | 50Finance · Media · Healthcare | 5019.6 million |
| 33 | MaineNortheast | 52.9 | 67$390,000 | 76106 | 50Marine industries · Healthcare · Tourism | 21.4 million |
| 34 | NevadaWest | 52.8 | 61$430,000 | 80102 | 50Hospitality · Logistics · Advanced manufacturing | 73.2 million |
| 35 | IdahoWest | 52.4 | 58$450,000 | 8598 | 50Semiconductors · Agriculture · Outdoor recreation | 42.0 million |
| 36 | MarylandSouth | 51.2 | 62$420,000 | 66116 | 50Bioscience · Federal contracting · Cybersecurity | 156.2 million |
| 37 | MontanaWest | 51 | 58$450,000 | 82100 | 50Agriculture · Tourism · Energy | 11.1 million |
| 38 | ConnecticutNortheast | 50.6 | 62$420,000 | 69113 | 50Insurance · Advanced manufacturing · Bioscience | 83.6 million |
| 39 | VermontNortheast | 50.3 | 65$400,000 | 70112 | 50Healthcare · Food production · Tourism | 0647,000 |
| 40 | AlaskaWest | 49.5 | 72$355,000 | 57125 | 50Energy · Fishing · Tourism | 0733,000 |
| 41 | New JerseyNortheast | 49.1 | 50$500,000 | 68114 | 50Pharmaceuticals · Logistics · Finance | 239.3 million |
| 42 | Rhode IslandNortheast | 48 | 58$450,000 | 70112 | 50Healthcare · Marine trades · Design and education | 11.1 million |
| 43 | UtahWest | 47.6 | 47$520,000 | 79103 | 50Technology · Financial services · Outdoor recreation | 73.4 million |
| 44 | ColoradoWest | 47.2 | 44$545,000 | 76106 | 50Aerospace · Technology · Outdoor recreation | 145.9 million |
| 45 | New HampshireNortheast | 46.9 | 55$470,000 | 69113 | 50Advanced manufacturing · Healthcare · Tourism | 21.4 million |
| 46 | OregonWest | 46.9 | 51$495,000 | 69113 | 50Semiconductors · Forestry · Outdoor apparel | 94.2 million |
| 47 | CaliforniaWest | 43.3 | 8$785,000 | 42139 | 50Technology · Entertainment · Agriculture | 10039 million |
| 48 | WashingtonWest | 42.2 | 34$610,000 | 66116 | 50Technology · Aerospace · Agriculture | 197.8 million |
| 49 | MassachusettsNortheast | 34.3 | 34$610,000 | 36145 | 50Biotechnology · Higher education · Finance | 177.0 million |
| 50 | Washington, D.C.South | 29.8 | 33$620,000 | 33148 | 50Federal government · Professional services · Higher education | 0679,000 |
| 51 | HawaiiWest | 10.4 | 0$840,000 | 0180 | 50Tourism · Defense · Agriculture | 21.4 million |
Trust & transparency
How this ranking is maintained
How reports are created
A researcher drafts from the shared state dataset, a second researcher recomputes every composite, and an editor reviews the wording before publication.
How data is verified
A measure only enters a ranking when the same field exists for all 51 hubs. Anything partial stays a labelled placeholder.
When reports are updated
Annual reports are re-published yearly with a mid-year review. Rankings recompute with the dataset and are reviewed at least twice a year.
Known limitations
State-level figures cannot describe a specific city or neighbourhood, and several important measures are still unsourced. Each report lists its own limits.
Corrections process
Corrections are published on the report page with the date and the change, and the version history records what moved.
Reader feedback
Anyone can flag a figure through the contact page. Flagged figures are re-checked before the next review date.
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