What is the safest state to live in children?

For raising children, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont consistently rank as top states for safety, health, and family well-being, due to low crime, good schools, and strong healthcare, though high costs are a factor, while North Dakota offers affordability alongside safety, and states like Minnesota also score high for overall family-friendliness.


What is the least kid friendly state?

Top 10 Least Safe States for Children in 2023
  1. West Virginia – Child Unsafety Score: 99. Maltreatment reports: 5,949 per 100K. ...
  2. Mississippi – Score: 98. ...
  3. Arkansas – Score: 96. ...
  4. New Mexico – Score: 86. ...
  5. Missouri – Score: 84. ...
  6. Indiana – Score: 82. ...
  7. Louisiana – Score: 80. ...
  8. South Carolina – Score: 78.


What state is #1 in quality of life?

There isn't one single answer, as it depends on the study, but recent reports often name Massachusetts, Vermont, or New Jersey as #1 for Quality of Life, with Massachusetts leading in overall metrics (health, education) and Vermont shining in specific areas like low crime and natural environment. Other top contenders include Idaho, Minnesota, and New York, highlighting that rankings vary based on whether they emphasize healthcare, economy, safety, or environment. 


What is the kindest state in the United States?

There's no single "friendliest" state, as it depends on the study, but Minnesota often tops lists for its "Minnesota Nice" politeness, while Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, and Wyoming consistently rank high, often due to Southern hospitality or sparse populations. Other states like Hawaii, New Jersey, and California are also noted as welcoming, particularly for visitors, but some data suggests Midwestern/Southern states excel in general warmth. 

What is the cheapest but safest state to live in?

For the best combination of cheap and safe, consider states like Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas, which consistently rank high in affordability (low housing, groceries, overall cost of living) while also offering manageable safety, with Vermont and New Hampshire often topping pure safety lists, though they are pricier. The ideal balance depends on whether you prioritize the lowest cost (Mississippi) or strong safety (Vermont), with Midwestern/Southern states generally offering lower expenses and Northern/New England states often leading in safety metrics. 


10 best states for raising a family: You won't believe what we found



What is the hardest US state to live in?

These states are America's worst for quality of life in 2025:
  • Arkansas.
  • Alabama.
  • Georgia.
  • Louisiana.
  • Utah.
  • Indiana.
  • Texas.
  • Tennessee.


What state has the smartest kids?

Smartest States

Our analysis of educational achievement metrics and standardized test performance reveals that New Jersey leads the nation in overall intelligence rankings. We also learned that Idaho faces the most significant educational challenges. New Jersey's total score of 337.8 was safely ahead of No.

What is the #1 crime state in America?

Alaska consistently ranks as the state with the highest violent crime rate, followed closely by New Mexico, with Tennessee and Arkansas also having very high rates, according to 2024 data from sources like USAFacts and WorldAtlas. These figures reflect crimes per 100,000 residents, showing Alaska at over 724 incidents, significantly above the national average. 


What is the most peaceful state in America?

Maine consistently ranks as the most peaceful U.S. state due to low violent crime rates, low incarceration, and high personal safety, often followed by New Hampshire and Vermont, while the Northeast generally leads in peacefulness over the South, according to indices like the US Peace Index.
 

What is not the safest state to live in?

Louisiana ranks as the most unsafe state with a 36.20 safety score and the nation's highest murder rate at 14.4 per 100,000 residents. Mississippi follows at 36.77, and Texas ranks third least safe at 38.14.

What is the happiest state to live in?

According to WalletHub's 2025 study, Hawaii is the happiest state in the U.S., ranking first for its strong emotional/physical well-being, work environment, and community/environment factors, with residents showing high life satisfaction, low depression, and long life expectancy, followed by Maryland and Nebraska in the top three. 


What is the most kid friendly state?

The best states for kids consistently feature strong education, healthcare, safety, and family support, with Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont, and North Dakota often topping lists, offering great schools, low crime, and high well-being, while Northeast/Midwest states like New Jersey, Connecticut, Iowa, and Maine also rank highly for child health and opportunity, though coastal/southern states often lag due to economic or health disparities. 

What state is financially best to live in?

States like Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas consistently rank among the lowest in cost of living, with lower housing, healthcare, and daily expenses. These locations may appeal to retirees looking to stretch their income.

What is the unhappiest state in the US?

Based on recent studies, particularly WalletHub's 2025 analysis, Louisiana and West Virginia consistently rank as the unhappiest states, often swapping the bottom spots, with Louisiana frequently cited as the absolute least happy due to factors like high depression rates, long work hours, low sleep quality, and high divorce rates, while West Virginia struggles with high adult depression and poor sleep. Other states often in the bottom ranks include Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee. 


What is the #1 most violent city in the US?

While rankings vary by source and year, Memphis, Tennessee, frequently appears as the #1 most dangerous city in America based on recent violent crime rates (per 100,000 people) for cities with populations over 100,000, followed by cities like Detroit, Oakland, and Baltimore, according to reports from 2024 and 2025. These lists consider factors like homicides, assaults, and property crimes, with Memphis often leading due to high rates of violent offenses. 

Where is the cheapest but nicest place to live in the US?

The cheapest, best places to live in the U.S. often involve the Midwest and South, with cities like Wichita (KS), Fort Wayne (IN), Dayton (OH), and Knoxville (TN) offering low housing costs and good value, while states like West Virginia, Mississippi, and Oklahoma consistently rank as most affordable overall. Key factors are low housing prices and a cost of living significantly below the national average, with some top contenders being Decatur (IL), Enid (OK), and Brownsville (TX), but "best" depends on balancing budget with lifestyle needs like jobs, culture, and amenities. 

Which state is worth moving to?

The study found the best states to move to are Utah, New Hampshire, Idaho and Virginia. According to the list, worst states to move to are California, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oregon.


What state has the friendliest people?

While subjective, studies and surveys consistently rank Minnesota, Tennessee, and South Carolina as some of the friendliest U.S. states, often followed by Texas and Wyoming, with general "Southern hospitality" and Midwest politeness often cited, though perceptions of "niceness" (like Minnesota's reserved style) can vary.
 

What is the most loved state in America?

While "most loved" is subjective, polls consistently show Hawaii as a top contender for favorability, often leading in overall positive views, net favorability, and as a favorite destination, alongside strong showings from Colorado, Alaska, and North Carolina. Americans also frequently name states like Florida, California, New York, and Texas as favorites in head-to-head polls, but Hawaii consistently ranks highest for broad appeal and positive perception.
 

What is the best state to raise a family in?

There's no single "best" state, but Massachusetts, Minnesota, and North Dakota consistently rank high for raising families due to strong education, safety, and affordability/job markets, respectively, though factors like cost of living, climate, and lifestyle preferences vary greatly. Other strong contenders include New Hampshire, Vermont, and Georgia, often praised for outdoor access, low poverty, or unique educational benefits like the HOPE Scholarship. 


What is the freest state in the USA?

For the 24th time, New Hampshire is the freest state among all U.S. states, having scored 8.34 out of 10 in this year's report, which measures government spending, taxation, regulations and labor market restrictions using data from 2023, the most recent year of available comparable data.