15. Wyoming
> Population: 578,803 (+0.3% in last year)
> Life expectancy at birth: 78.1 years (20th lowest)
> Median household income: $65,204 (20th lowest)
> Median home value: $266,400 (24th highest)
> Median housing costs as pct. of income: 16.8% (25th lowest)
> August 2022 unemployment: 3.1% (18th lowest)
The typical household in Wyoming earns $65,204 a year, about $4,500 less than the typical household nationwide. Still, serious financial hardship is less common than average, as the state’s poverty rate of 11.4% is well below the 12.8% national rate. Wyoming also has a strong job market, with an August 2022 unemployment rate of just 3.1%, below the 3.8% national jobless rate.
Crime is also less common in Wyoming than it is in most other states. There were 234 violent crimes and 1,611 property crimes for every 100,000 people in Wyoming in 2020, well below the respective national rates of 399 and 1,958 per 100,000 people.
14. Connecticut
> Population: 3,605,597 (+0.0% in last year)
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.1 years (7th highest)
> Median household income: $83,771 (8th highest)
> Median home value: $311,500 (18th highest)
> Median housing costs as pct. of income: 19.4% (5th highest)
> August 2022 unemployment: 4.3% (8th highest)
Connecticut is one of the safest states in the country. There were only 182 violent crimes for every 100,000 people in the state in 2020, less than half the national violent crime rate and the fourth lowest of any state.
Incomes are also higher than average in Connecticut, as the typical household earns $83,771 a year, $14,000 more than the national median. The state also has one of the best funded school systems in the country. Average per pupil spending at the state’s public schools totals $20,271 annually, the second highest of any state.
13. Maryland
> Population: 6,165,129 (-0.2% in last year)
> Life expectancy at birth: 78.6 years (25th highest)
> Median household income: $90,203 (the highest)
> Median home value: $370,800 (10th highest)
> Median housing costs as pct. of income: 17.9% (15th highest)
> August 2022 unemployment: 4.4% (6th highest)
Maryland ranks among the 15 best states to live in nationwide and as the best state in the South largely because it is the wealthiest state in the country. With a median household income of $90,203, it is the only state where most households earn over $90,000 a year. High-paying jobs are likely a draw for college-educated workers. According to the census, 1.8% of all adults in the state who have a bachelor’s degree moved there in 2021 – one of the larger shares among states.
Maryland’s school system is also one of the best funded in the country, making the state a more attractive place for families to live. Average per pupil spending at the state’s public schools totals $15,149 annually, one of the highest of any state.
12. Maine
> Population: 1,372,247 (+0.7% in last year)
> Life expectancy at birth: 78.6 years (25th lowest)
> Median household income: $64,767 (19th lowest)
> Median home value: $252,100 (25th highest)
> Median housing costs as pct. of income: 17.2% (19th highest)
> August 2022 unemployment: 2.9% (13th lowest)
Maine ranks as the 12th best state to live in, largely because it is the safest state in the country. Its violent crime rate of 109 incidents per 100,000 people is the lowest of the 50 states and a fraction of the national violent crime rate of 399 per 100,000. While incomes in Maine are slightly lower than average, serious financial hardship is less common. The poverty rate of 11.5% is lower than in most states and lower than the 12.8% national poverty rate.
Maine also has a relatively strong job market, with just a 2.9% unemployment rate in August 2022, nearly a full percentage point below the 3.8% national rate.
11. Rhode Island
> Population: 1,095,610 (-0.2% in last year)
> Life expectancy at birth: 79.4 years (15th highest)
> Median household income: $74,008 (15th highest)
> Median home value: $348,100 (13th highest)
> Median housing costs as pct. of income: 19.8% (4th highest)
> August 2022 unemployment: 3.9% (17th highest)
The typical household in Rhode Island earns $74,008 a year, about $4,300 more than the income of the typical American household. Additionally, the state’s poverty rate of 11.4% is well below the 12.8% national average. It is also a safer state than most, with a violent crime rate of 231 incidents per 100,000 people – the seventh lowest of any state.
Home values can be indicative of an area’s desirability, and in Rhode Island, the typical home is worth $348,100, about $66,700 more than the typical home nationwide.
