The 10 best (and 5 worst) states to raise a family in 2026. See if your state is on the list — and what you should consider before making a move

Each year, WalletHub ranks all 50 states on how “conducive to a pleasant family life” they are. The 2026 list (1) compiled data from dozens of government and national sources to help families evaluate where they might thrive.

The top 10 states for raising a family in 2026

WalletHub’s 2026 analysis evaluated states across five major categories — family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability and socioeconomics — using 50 metrics to generate a composite score.

Here are the 10 highest-ranked states for families:

1. Massachusetts
Massachusetts ranked No. 1 overall thanks to its top-tier public school systems, strong job security, high family income and excellent health outcomes, including low infant mortality (2).

2. Minnesota
Minnesota boasts a high median family income adjusted for cost of living, low poverty, strong health infrastructure and plentiful parks and recreational spaces (3).

3. North Dakota
North Dakota scored well on affordability (especially housing and child care costs), low divorce rates and strong school safety metrics (4).

4. Wisconsin
Wisconsin combines economic stability with access to quality education and health care.

5. Nebraska
A strong performance across affordability, family fun and health metrics helped Nebraska break into the top five.

6. New York
High education and child care ratings, along with health and safety, keeps New York competitive.

7. Connecticut
Excellent socioeconomics and public school quality support a fun family life here.

8. New Hampshire
Strong family fun and affordability rankings help New Hampshire’s overall position.

9. Illinois
Illinois earns points for health and safety and, education and child care, even as family fun challenges remain.

10. Maine
Maine offers low crime, high affordability and plenty of family fun.

Each of these states tends to perform well across multiple dimensions, which can translate into cost savings over time — for example, by reducing health spending, improving school readiness or minimizing transportation time.

High rankings often reflect access to quality public services, strong labor markets and supportive community environments.

The 5 worst states to raise a family in 2026

At the opposite end of the spectrum, several states struggle relative to others, particularly in affordability, education outcomes and socioeconomics:

50. New Mexico
The lowest overall score, New Mexico is influenced by weaker performance across education, child care, health and safety and economic indicators (5).

49. West Virginia
High poverty and lower access to quality education and family fun weigh heavily in West Virginia.

48. Mississippi
Persistent health and safety and education challenges are reflected in this near bottom-ranking state.

47. Nevada
While entertainment and recreation are strengths, Nevada scores poorly in education and affordability.

46. Alabama
This state struggles with health and education outcomes, contributing to its lower standing.

These low rankings highlight how wide disparities can be across states in factors that matter to families, from basic safety to long-term opportunity.

Why this list matters

The WalletHub rankings suggest that where you live can influence both family expenses and child outcomes.

For example, housing and child care costs vary widely by state, and these are often the two largest line items in a family budget. According to WalletHub’s methodology, metrics like median family income, housing affordability and child care costs are major components of the overall score.