USA Ranking

Best US States to Live In (2026)

A composite livability ranking of US states — cost of living, safety, job market, healthcare and education combined. Includes a dedicated cheapest-states ranking and full comparison table.

Methodology

Each state is scored 0–100 on affordability (derived from cost-of-living index, US average = 100), safety, job market, healthcare and education. The livability score is the equal-weighted mean of those five components. Cost data is normalised against the US national average; lower cost indexes contribute higher affordability scores.

Top 10 — Best States to Live In

MinnesotaMidwestScore 84Cost 94

Minnesota ranks #1 thanks to a cost index of 94 (US avg = 100), safety 80, jobs 82, healthcare 88, and education 84. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $1,400/mo against a median household income of $84,313.

New HampshireNortheastScore 82Cost 109

New Hampshire ranks #2 thanks to a cost index of 109 (US avg = 100), safety 92, jobs 80, healthcare 85, and education 82. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $1,700/mo against a median household income of $90,845.

UtahWestScore 82Cost 103

Utah ranks #3 thanks to a cost index of 103 (US avg = 100), safety 84, jobs 90, healthcare 80, and education 78. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $1,650/mo against a median household income of $89,168.

VirginiaSouthScore 82Cost 102

Virginia ranks #4 thanks to a cost index of 102 (US avg = 100), safety 82, jobs 84, healthcare 82, and education 83. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $1,750/mo against a median household income of $89,931.

IowaMidwestScore 81Cost 89

Iowa ranks #5 thanks to a cost index of 89 (US avg = 100), safety 79, jobs 76, healthcare 80, and education 80. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $1,100/mo against a median household income of $70,571.

WisconsinMidwestScore 81Cost 91

Wisconsin ranks #6 thanks to a cost index of 91 (US avg = 100), safety 78, jobs 76, healthcare 84, and education 80. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $1,200/mo against a median household income of $72,458.

ColoradoWestScore 80Cost 105

Colorado ranks #7 thanks to a cost index of 105 (US avg = 100), safety 74, jobs 86, healthcare 82, and education 82. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $1,900/mo against a median household income of $92,911.

NebraskaMidwestScore 80Cost 90

Nebraska ranks #8 thanks to a cost index of 90 (US avg = 100), safety 76, jobs 78, healthcare 80, and education 78. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $1,200/mo against a median household income of $71,722.

PennsylvaniaNortheastScore 79Cost 95

Pennsylvania ranks #9 thanks to a cost index of 95 (US avg = 100), safety 72, jobs 76, healthcare 82, and education 80. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $1,400/mo against a median household income of $73,170.

MassachusettsNortheastScore 78Cost 148

Massachusetts ranks #10 thanks to a cost index of 148 (US avg = 100), safety 85, jobs 88, healthcare 93, and education 92. Median 2-bedroom rent runs around $2,600/mo against a median household income of $96,505.

Cheapest States to Live In

Ranked purely by cost-of-living index (US national average = 100). Lower is cheaper.

1
West VirginiaSouth
$950/mo
84
2
MississippiSouth
$1,000/mo
85
3
OklahomaSouth
$1,150/mo
87
4
OhioMidwest
$1,200/mo
88
5
KentuckySouth
$1,100/mo
88
6
AlabamaSouth
$1,200/mo
88
7
IowaMidwest
$1,100/mo
89
8
NebraskaMidwest
$1,200/mo
90
9
TennesseeSouth
$1,450/mo
90
10
WisconsinMidwest
$1,200/mo
91

Full State Comparison Table

#	State	Region	Cost Idx	Rent 2BR	Safety	Jobs	Health	Edu	Score
1	Minnesota	Midwest	94	$1,400	80	82	88	84	84
2	New Hampshire	Northeast	109	$1,700	92	80	85	82	82
3	Utah	West	103	$1,650	84	90	80	78	82
4	Virginia	South	102	$1,750	82	84	82	83	82
5	Iowa	Midwest	89	$1,100	79	76	80	80	81
6	Wisconsin	Midwest	91	$1,200	78	76	84	80	81
7	Colorado	West	105	$1,900	74	86	82	82	80
8	Nebraska	Midwest	90	$1,200	76	78	80	78	80
9	Pennsylvania	Northeast	95	$1,400	72	76	82	80	79
10	Massachusetts	Northeast	148	$2,600	85	88	93	92	78
11	Vermont	Northeast	115	$1,600	89	70	84	80	78
12	North Carolina	South	95	$1,500	72	80	76	76	78
13	Idaho	West	98	$1,400	86	78	74	72	78
14	Maine	Northeast	109	$1,500	90	70	80	78	78
15	Ohio	Midwest	88	$1,200	70	76	76	76	78
16	Illinois	Midwest	93	$1,500	64	78	80	80	78
17	Washington	West	116	$2,100	70	88	83	80	77
18	Texas	South	92	$1,600	66	88	70	74	77
19	Florida	South	102	$1,900	68	82	74	78	76
20	New York	Northeast	126	$2,400	72	84	86	84	76
21	Georgia	South	91	$1,600	66	80	70	72	75
22	Tennessee	South	90	$1,450	60	80	70	70	74
23	Oregon	West	113	$1,850	66	78	80	78	74
24	Arizona	West	103	$1,700	64	80	72	70	73
25	Kentucky	South	88	$1,100	64	68	66	70	72
26	Oklahoma	South	87	$1,150	60	70	64	68	71
27	California	West	142	$2,600	64	84	82	80	70
28	West Virginia	South	84	$950	70	58	62	66	70
29	Alabama	South	88	$1,200	58	68	64	66	70
30	Mississippi	South	85	$1,000	56	60	58	60	66

How to read this ranking

"Best state to live in" is an inherently personal question — a retiree, a software engineer, and a family with school-age kids will weight the five components very differently. The composite score above treats all five equally so the ranking is a defensible starting point, not a personal verdict. If salary matters most to you, sort by the Jobs column. If you're stretching a budget, sort by Cost Idx. If you have children, weight Safety and Education heavier in your own head.

The Northeast (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine) consistently scores well on safety, healthcare and education but pays for it with higher costs. The Mountain West (Utah, Idaho, Colorado) trades a little safety for stronger job markets and middling cost. The South offers the cheapest cost-of-living but scores lower on safety and healthcare on average.

Cheapest states vs best states — the trade-off

The cheapest states (Mississippi, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Alabama) sit at the bottom of the composite livability ranking because their cost advantage is offset by weaker scores on healthcare and jobs. The states that hit the sweet spot — affordable but not depressed — are Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin in the Midwest, and North Carolina and Tennessee in the South. Those six states are where most "affordable + livable" shortlists end up converging.

What this ranking does not measure

State-level rankings hide enormous within-state variation. Cost of living in San Francisco is roughly twice the California state average; rural upstate New York is half the cost of Manhattan. Job markets in Austin look nothing like the rest of Texas. Use the state ranking to narrow the shortlist, then drill down into specific metros before deciding — our city cost-of-living guide and city-level rankings are the right next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best state to live in?

On a balanced composite of cost, safety, jobs, healthcare and education, Minnesota ranks #1. The top tier is dominated by the Northeast and Mountain West — states that score well on multiple dimensions rather than just one.

What is the cheapest state to live in?

West Virginia has the lowest cost-of-living index (84 vs the US average of 100), with median 2-bedroom rent around $950/mo. The next-cheapest states are Mississippi, Oklahoma and Ohio.

Which states have the best balance of cost and quality of life?

Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio, North Carolina and Tennessee consistently appear in the affordable-but-livable middle of the table — cost indexes near or below the US average without the healthcare and safety weaknesses of the cheapest states.

How is the livability score calculated?

Each state gets a 0–100 score on affordability (derived from cost-of-living index), safety, job market, healthcare and education. The livability score is the equal-weighted mean of those five components.

How often is this ranking updated?

State-level cost, safety and labour-market data is refreshed annually. The next update is scheduled when the latest BEA cost-of-living parities and BLS employment data are published.

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