In today’s America, people don’t stay in one place for too long.
With the economy doing so well lately, it seems Americans are moving more now than ever. Sometimes, it’s for retirement or to transfer jobs.
Where’s the best state in the United States to raise a family? For the most part, we all want the same thing when we look for a place to move with the kids. These are the states that have good jobs for parents, and they’re safe, too. We also took into account several kid-friendly factors like school quality.
The states we’re going to talk about are the places where kids will have the best potential to thrive and where families will be most comfortable. Does it matter where you raise your kids? You bet.
On the map
The best states to raise a family in America, mapped
Source: HomeSnacks
The verdict
So what’s the best state to raise a family in America for 2026?
Now that we have a top ten, what’s the best state to raise a family overall? Maine ranks as the best state to raise a family based on data around affordability, things to do, and safety. The general assumption is that a great place for families would be safe, offer plenty of great schools, and have a lot of room for growth. We took that all into account and made some other assumptions as well.
So pack the toys, the Xboxes, and your old high school yearbooks up as we take you through America’s best states to raise kids. For exactly how we calculated these rankings, read on. Or, if the state where you live is just peachy keen, and you’re not moving an inch, check out the 10 cheapest states in America.
Saturday Night Science
How We Determined The Best States to Raise A Family in The US For 2026
When we analyze the best states for families, we use Saturday Night Science to compare demographics, crime, and school data across every state.
For this analysis we took into account the U.S. Census’s 2020-2024 ACS data on jobs and healthcare, FBI crime data for safety, NCES data on school quality. The Census compiles the best geographical data set for populations in each state. We combined the data to reach the following set of items:
- Number of colleges nearby
- Population density
- Quality of education
- Crime
- Healthcare
- Jobs (or lack of them)
These are the qualities you’d argue with friends over what makes a state great for families. We then ranked each state for each one of the categories from 1 to 50. We averaged the rankings out to create a ‘Family Score.’ What state came out the best for families? Maine.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best states for families in America.
The full plate
All 50 states, ranked for families
Click any column to sort. Search by state name.
| Rank | State | Family Score | Population | Median income | Home price | Crime rate | Households with kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | 10.83 | 1,387,817 | $74,733 | $407,566 | 0 | 23.7% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 11.50 | 1,394,868 | $99,031 | $507,347 | 0 | 26.0% |
| 3 | Nebraska | 13.17 | 1,978,707 | $76,475 | $276,500 | 0 | 30.1% |
| 4 | Iowa | 13.33 | 3,210,507 | $75,059 | $231,585 | 0 | 28.5% |
| 5 | Wyoming | 14.33 | 582,397 | $76,176 | $363,227 | 0 | 28.0% |
| 6 | Vermont | 14.33 | 647,106 | $81,203 | $394,038 | 0 | 23.5% |
| 7 | Connecticut | 15.08 | 3,624,508 | $95,781 | $436,407 | 0 | 28.6% |
| 8 | South Dakota | 15.17 | 907,428 | $75,081 | $317,148 | 0 | 29.0% |
| 9 | West Virginia | 16.33 | 1,778,373 | $59,608 | $174,412 | 0 | 26.4% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 16.50 | 784,841 | $76,657 | $284,076 | 0 | 27.4% |
| 11 | Idaho | 17.00 | 1,934,262 | $77,800 | $473,335 | 0 | 31.9% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 17.83 | 1,101,801 | $87,796 | $499,272 | 0 | 26.7% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 17.83 | 7,044,056 | $103,960 | $656,690 | 0 | 27.9% |
| 14 | Kansas | 20.00 | 2,947,197 | $74,275 | $244,761 | 0 | 30.1% |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 20.33 | 5,914,872 | $77,485 | $330,171 | 0 | 26.1% |
| 16 | Kentucky | 20.83 | 4,534,824 | $63,726 | $231,894 | 0 | 29.8% |
| 17 | Alaska | 21.58 | 735,706 | $92,788 | $387,636 | 0 | 31.6% |
| 18 | Oklahoma | 22.00 | 4,028,634 | $65,039 | $220,468 | 0 | 31.3% |
| 19 | Mississippi | 22.00 | 2,946,779 | $56,447 | $192,906 | 0 | 31.1% |
| 20 | Montana | 22.50 | 1,116,875 | $72,509 | $466,917 | 0 | 25.4% |
| 21 | New Jersey | 23.50 | 9,343,809 | $103,556 | $569,411 | 0 | 31.2% |
| 22 | Minnesota | 23.83 | 5,739,445 | $89,062 | $346,668 | 0 | 28.7% |
| 23 | Virginia | 24.33 | 8,705,170 | $93,170 | $412,467 | 0 | 30.2% |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | 24.67 | 13,018,639 | $77,971 | $282,736 | 0 | 26.9% |
| 25 | Alabama | 24.67 | 5,086,768 | $63,999 | $236,453 | 0 | 29.0% |
| 26 | Indiana | 25.00 | 6,851,073 | $71,957 | $254,122 | 0 | 29.9% |
| 27 | Hawaii | 25.83 | 1,445,235 | $100,389 | $832,967 | 0 | 30.4% |
| 28 | Utah | 26.00 | 3,392,331 | $95,166 | $537,810 | 0 | 37.8% |
| 29 | Illinois | 26.58 | 12,694,798 | $83,390 | $285,736 | 0 | 28.6% |
| 30 | Ohio | 26.83 | 11,810,293 | $71,389 | $242,141 | 0 | 28.0% |
| 31 | Arkansas | 28.17 | 3,049,391 | $60,773 | $222,050 | 0 | 30.6% |
| 32 | Missouri | 29.50 | 6,191,814 | $70,702 | $263,040 | 0 | 28.4% |
| 33 | Michigan | 30.33 | 10,077,761 | $72,875 | $259,857 | 0 | 27.1% |
| 34 | Oregon | 30.50 | 4,254,293 | $83,011 | $499,004 | 0 | 27.2% |
| 35 | New Mexico | 30.83 | 2,120,246 | $64,059 | $316,750 | 0 | 27.5% |
| 36 | New York | 31.17 | 19,852,366 | $85,974 | $507,794 | 0 | 27.3% |
| 37 | Georgia | 32.08 | 10,940,407 | $77,353 | $332,063 | 0 | 31.6% |
| 38 | Delaware | 32.33 | 1,021,191 | $84,954 | $402,891 | 0 | 27.4% |
| 39 | Tennessee | 33.00 | 7,066,383 | $69,595 | $333,651 | 0 | 29.3% |
| 40 | Washington | 34.33 | 7,816,116 | $98,141 | $601,016 | 0 | 29.3% |
| 41 | Maryland | 34.67 | 6,206,011 | $103,678 | $429,705 | 0 | 30.6% |
| 42 | North Carolina | 34.83 | 10,730,404 | $72,388 | $336,408 | 0 | 29.1% |
| 43 | Louisiana | 34.83 | 4,611,961 | $60,756 | $211,635 | 0 | 30.3% |
| 44 | Texas | 35.83 | 30,188,424 | $78,476 | $300,957 | 0 | 34.6% |
| 45 | Colorado | 37.17 | 5,862,189 | $95,470 | $541,842 | 0 | 28.4% |
| 46 | California | 37.50 | 39,287,377 | $99,122 | $774,582 | 0 | 32.4% |
| 47 | Florida | 37.67 | 22,416,077 | $74,568 | $375,662 | 0 | 26.5% |
| 48 | Arizona | 38.00 | 7,378,838 | $79,964 | $423,330 | 0 | 28.7% |
| 49 | South Carolina | 38.33 | 5,296,225 | $69,324 | $304,083 | 0 | 28.6% |
| 50 | Nevada | 40.17 | 3,184,612 | $78,260 | $446,865 | 0 | 29.2% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI crime data, NCES, Zillow research.
There You Have It — The Best States in America to Raise a Family
After measuring almost every category we could think of to decide which states are best, it’s clear – the Northeast and Midwest are awesome places to raise kids and settle down. If you already live in one of these states, consider yourself lucky. These are your best starting points if you’re considering moving for a job or getting a fresh start.
The best states for families in the United States are Maine, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, Vermont, Connecticut, South Dakota, West Virginia, and North Dakota.
What else do these states have in common? They are the least diverse states, too. So, if you want your kids to grow up in a community with varying viewpoints, then you should take them to places like California or Texas.
While it’s good news for the states we mentioned, we have to throw some love at the worst states to raise a family in America. If you live in Florida, Arizona, or South Carolina, you have some great areas. But overall, there’s a lot to be desired.
But it could be worse. You could live in Alaska.
