ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida landed in the top 10 of WalletHub’s new list of the best states to live in, ranking No. 10 overall in the latest analysis that compared all 50 states across several metrics tied to livability.
WalletHub’s rankings weigh five broad categories — Affordability, Economy, Education & Health, Quality of Life and Safety — using indicators such as housing affordability, income growth, educational attainment and hospital quality.
How Florida performed
Florida’s overall showing was driven primarily by a strong quality-of-life score.
Florida’s category ranks (WalletHub):
Overall: No. 10 (Total score: 57.48)
Affordability: No. 32
Economy: No. 17
Education & Health: No. 24
Quality of Life: No. 3
Safety: No. 11
The results suggest Florida’s lifestyle advantages — including factors captured in WalletHub’s quality-of-life measures — helped offset weaker rankings in affordability and education/health.
What topped the list
The highest-ranked states overall were:
Idaho
New Jersey
Wisconsin
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
“Idaho is the best state to live in, boasting one of the lowest median real estate tax rates in the country, at just 0.5%, along with the eighth-highest homeownership rate. It also has the fourth-lowest tax rates overall and the highest median household income growth, making it a great place to build and grow wealth.
In addition, the Gem State has the seventh-lowest share of urban interstates experiencing congestion during peak hours. This naturally leads to some of the lowest average commute times in the country.
To top things off, Idaho is a pretty safe state. It has the 14th-lowest violent crime rate and the lowest property crime rate in the country.”
WalletHub, “Best States to Live In”
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said people considering a move should weigh both money and day-to-day living conditions.
“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability,” Lupo said. “Many states have strong economies, though, so you should also consider… how where you live will impact your health and safety.”
WalletHub’s data was compiled from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, CDC and other federal and research organizations.
Meanwhile, the full list is as follows:
Overall RankStateScoreBest Category1Idaho60.15Safety2New Jersey59.41Safety3Wisconsin59.32Safety4Massachusetts59.28Education & Health5New Hampshire58.89Economy6Wyoming58.71Safety7Utah58.63Education & Health8Minnesota57.94Education & Health9Pennsylvania57.71Quality of Life10Florida57.48Quality of Life11Iowa57.41Safety12New York57.12Quality of Life13Virginia55.98Education & Health14Montana55.64Montana15Maine54.78Education & Health16North Dakota54.74Economy17South Dakota54.20Economy18Illinois54.08Quality of Life19Vermont53.77Economy20Nebraska53.49Economy21Colorado53.45Education & Health22Connecticut53.27Education & Health23Rhode Island53.15Safety24Kansas52.82Quality of Life25Indiana52.57Affordability26North Carolina51.84Affordability27Georgia51.81Affordability/Safety28Ohio51.60Quality of Life29Michigan51.56Affordability30Missouri51.50Affordability31California51.44Quality of Life32Delaware49.76Affordability33Washington49.70Economy34Arizona48.41Quality of Life35Maryland48.38Education & Health36Texas48.35Quality of Life37Hawaii48.34Economy38South Carolina48.08Affordability39Alabama47.84Affordability40Tennessee47.62Affordability41Kentucky47.59Affordability42Oregon46.49Quality of Life43West Virginia45.98Affordability44Oklahoma45.47Affordability45Nevada44.54Quality of Life46Arkansas43.29Affordability47Alaska42.92Economy48Mississippi42.77Affordability49Louisiana42.27Affordability50New Mexico41.42Affordability
The methodology used for each factor is as follows:
Affordability
Economy
Unemployment rate
Underemployment rate
Sharecare Well-Being “Economic Security”
Share of population living in poverty
Media debt per median earnings
Population growth
Income growth
Building-permit growth
Wealth gap
General tax-friendliness
Entrepreneurial activity
Job opportunities
Foreclosure rate
Bankruptcy rate
Food insecurity
Education & Health
Quality of public school system
High school graduation rate
Share of population aged 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher
Share of insured population
Quality of public hospital system
Premature-death rate
Poor or fair health
Life expectancy
Share of live births with low birthweight
Share of obese adults
Share of physically inactive adults
Quality of Life
Average hours worked per week
Average commute time (minutes)
Miles of trails for bicycling and walking per total state land area
“Bicycle Friendly State” ranking
Access to public transportation
Quality of roads
Traffic congestion
Restaurants per capita
Bars per capita
Museums per capita
Performing arts center per capita
Movie theaters per capita
Fitness centers per capita
Accessibility of beaches
Weather
Air Quality
Safety
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