Worst places in America to raise a family revealed - with famously beautiful state coming bottom of the list
Some of America's most beautiful states might be the worst places to raise a family, a study has suggested.
Researchers gave each corner of the US a ranking based on factors including job opportunities, schools, public services and crime rates.
And New Mexico emerged as the worst place to raise children, with an overall score of 32.7 out of 100, according to financial website WalletHub.
The state, known as the Land of Enchantment for its scenic mountains and vast flat deserts, had the worst rating for youngsters' education and came nearly last in health and safety.
New Mexico was also fourth-worst on the socio-economic scale. Its highest-scoring area was family fun, which looked at playground proximity among other metrics, where it ranked 39th.
The bottom five also included West Virginia, Mississippi, Nevada and Alabama.
Some states, such as Nevada, scored badly in several areas.
'Nevada ranks 45th in public school quality and last for child day-care services per capita, which makes daily life harder for families with working parents,' Chip Lupo, who works for Wallet Hub and contributed to the study, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
New Mexico has been ranked the worst place to raise children, according to a study
Nevada was named the third-worst place to bring up children, scoring badly in several areas
Despite Nevada being ranked so low, the state was ranked the seventh best state for family fun
'Children in Nevada are also far less likely to be engaged outside the classroom, with the state ranking 49th in extracurricular participation and 50th in community service involvement.'
The analyst added that the Silver State was the worst-rated for safe schools and the lowest-ranked state for children living in supportive neighborhoods.
'Financial pressures compound these issues, as Nevada ranks 48th in housing affordability, 44th in median family income (about $80,136) and 50th in unemployment, while families also face one of the highest rates of problems paying medical bills for children (48th),' Lupo noted.
He added that bringing up a family has become significantly more expensive in recent years as the cost of living has risen.
It can cost a family as much as $320,000 to raise a youngster to the age of 18, according to the Department of Agriculture.
On the other hand, Massachusetts took the title of the best place to have children in the country with a score of 67.6, ranking in the top three across multiple categories.
Massachusetts took the title of the best place to bring up children, rating 67.6 out of 100
The Bay State ranked in the top three across multiple categories, including affordability
The Bay State was crowned best for schools and ranked third in both health and safety and affordability.
It featured in the top ten for nearly every evaluated factor, except socio-economics, where the East Coast state came 21st.
Massachusetts was the best place to raise a family due to its strong economic opportunities and safe conditions for children, according to the study.
The Bay State was followed by Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska in the top five.
WalletHub used data from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and Department of Housing and Urban Development for the study.
| Study done by Wallet Hub | |
|---|---|
| 1 Massachusetts 2 Minnesota 3 North Dakota 4 Wisconsin 5 Nebraska 6 New York 7 Connecticut 8 New Hampshire 9 Illinois 10 Maine 11 South Dakota 12 Pennsylvania 13 Washington 14 New Jersey 15 Colorado 16 Rhode Island 17 Vermont 18 Utah 19 Iowa 20 Maryland 21 Ohio 22 Oregon 23 Hawaii 24 Wyoming 25 Montana 26 Virginia 27 Missouri 28 Kansas 29 California 30 Idaho 31 Indiana 32 Delaware 33 Tennessee 34 Texas 35 Michigan 36 North Carolina 37 Alaska 38 Kentucky 39 Arizona 40 Florida 41 Georgia 42 South Carolina 43 Oklahoma 44 Arkansas 45 Louisiana 46 Alabama 47 Nevada 48 Mississippi 49 West Virginia 50 New Mexico |
