These Are 2025’s Best States to Raise a Family, Report Says

The best place to raise a family? For the fourth year in a row Massachusetts takes the cake. See what states round out the top 10 here.

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By Wyndi Kappes, Associate Editor

Updated January 13, 2025

family with baby standing outside of home

Image: Rawpixel.com | Shutterstock

Raising a family can be challenging on its own, but your surroundings also play a role—including what state you choose to raise your family in. In the past year, as inflation has ballooned, essentials from childcare to groceries and rent have become more expensive, leading families to think twice about where they put their roots down and what might be most affordable. Now, a report from WalletHub, a personal finance website, is evaluating the best states to raise a family.

Choosing where to raise your family is one of the biggest decisions parents make, and it’s about more than just finding a good school district. With the cost of child care and living climbing higher than ever, many families are looking for states that offer a balance of affordability, safety, and family-friendly perks. According to a new report from WalletHub, certain states stand out as the best places to call home for families.

The annual report determined which states were best for families by comparing the 50 states across 50 key indicators of family-friendliness, including school system quality, housing affordability, healthcare availability, crime rates and more. The indicators were housed under five key dimensions: family fun, health and safety, education and childcare, affordability and socioeconomics. It then ranked the states based on their overall score.

According to the report, the best state to raise a family in is Massachusetts rated number one for the fourth year in a row. The Bay State earns top marks primarily for its good blend of economic opportunities and safe conditions for children.

“Massachusetts is the best state to raise a family, with the best job security in the country and the 10th-lowest poverty rate, which increases the likelihood that parents will be able to provide for their children. When it comes to health and overall wellbeing, Massachusetts has the best water quality in the country, the highest rate of children with health insurance and the lowest infant mortality rate. It also has the second-highest overall life expectancy and third-lowest property crime rate,” WalletHub notes in their findings.

Massachusetts is also home to top tier school systems and when baby is even younger the state is a good place for safeguarding children’s health, offering the best water quality in the country, the highest rate of insured children, and one of the lowest infant mortality rates.

In second place, Minnesota boasts highest life expectancy at birth and some of the best public hospitals in the country. It also encourages children to stay active amid the obesity epidemic, as it has one of the largest shares of children who live in neighborhoods with a park or playground. Top scores in cost of living, child care and outdoor acessibility pushes North Dakota up to the third spot.

In other interesting news, the report found that Utah has the lowest separation and divorce rate, 1.7 times lower than in New Mexico, which has the highest rate. When it comes to early childcare, South Dakota has the lowest average annual cost, 2.7 times lower than in New York, which has the highest.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 best states to raise a family, based on their overall scores.