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Which state is the best to live in? Massachusetts is the best state, according to a new national ranking.
Private financial company WalletHub just released its annual list of the best states to live in, and the Bay State took first place.
WalletHub said the list was compiled based on quality of life factors, with finances in general being an important component.
“You should also consider a variety of other factors, such as how where you live impacts your health and safety and whether you have adequate access to activities you enjoy,” said an analyst at WalletHub.
That’s why Massachusetts is at the top of the list.
Why is Massachusetts the best state to live in?
WalletHub concluded that Massachusetts is the most livable state, largely due to its strong healthcare and education systems.
The state has the lowest premature death rate and the lowest percentage of adults in fair or poor health, and it is also the state with the highest health insurance rate, with 97.3% of residents.
Additionally, Massachusetts has the best school system in the country, according to WalletHub. At over 90%, the high school graduation rate also ranks fourth in the country.
Other factors that put Massachusetts at the top of the list included the third lowest property crime rate and the third best public transportation access.
Which other New England states are good places to live?
On WalletHub’s 2024 list of the best states to live in, New Hampshire was the only New England state, along with Massachusetts, to make the top ten, ranking it the fifth most livable state.
Maine and Vermont finished in the top 20, ranking 14th and 19th, respectively.
Connecticut was ranked 22nd on the list and Rhode Island was ranked 28th.
What makes a country a place worth living in?
To determine the best and worst places to live, WalletHub compared states based on five different factors: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety.
These factors were broken down into further categories to calculate scores for each state. For example, in terms of affordability, categories included housing affordability, average annual property tax, cost of living, average annual household income, and homeownership rate.
Scores totaled 100 and were weighted to determine the average. Higher scores meant better rankings. Massachusetts achieved a score of 60.52.
