The personal-finance website WalletHub has named Massachusetts the best state to raise a family in 2021.
SEE MAP BELOW: 2021’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family
WalletHub’s report — 2021’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family — was released on Monday and compares the 50 states across 52 key indicators of “family-friendliness,” including median annual family income to housing affordability to the unemployment rate.
Along with Massachusetts, three other New England states ranked among the Top 10 states to raise a family, including Vermont (#5), New Hampshire (#6) and Connecticut (#9). Maine and Rhode Island were ranked #18 and #24, respectively.
Last year, Massachusetts was ranked second in the U.S. to raise a family by WalletHub, trailing only Minnesota. This year, the states swapped places.
Here’s how Massachusetts ranked across each data set:
Raising a Family in Massachusetts (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
- 26th – % of Families with Young Children
- 4th – Infant-Mortality Rate
- 10th – Median Annual Family Income (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
- 24th – Violent Crimes per Capita
- 12th – % of Families in Poverty
- 11th – Separation & Divorce Rate
To see how Massachusetts compares to the rest of the country, scroll the map below: