Family-Friendly Frontiers: Study Reveals The Best States For Raising Kids In The US

Family-Friendly Frontiers: Study Reveals The Best States For Raising Kids In The US

New study reveals the states where families thrive

Key Findings:

New study reveals the safest, most affordable states with the best education for children in the US
Connecticut is named the best US state to raise a family, followed by New Jersey in second and Maine in third
New Hampshire is the safest state for families; Mississippi is the most affordable; Massachusetts comes top in quality of education

Unfortunately for parents, not all states are created equal. Choosing the right state to raise a child isn’t just a matter of picking a place with a nice view or good weather; weighing factors like access to top-notch education, the cost of living, and overall safety is a critical part of deciding where to live.

“A low cost of living means your hard-earned money goes further, while a safe community provides peace of mind,” says Kira Abernathy, the lead attorney at Your Law Firm, a law firm dedicated to providing people-first legal services. “Meanwhile, top education gives your kids the best start in life.”

To pinpoint the best state in the US to raise a child, the team at Your Law Firm conducted a study that looked at three main factors: quality of education, affordability, and safety.

They determined the quality of education by looking at each state’s student-to-teacher ratio and graduation rate; affordability was determined by looking at the general cost of living and specific annual childcare costs; safety was determined by the rates of violent and property crime in each state. The final Family-Friendly State Score was calculated by normalizing and weighting each indicator equally, with each contributing 16.66% to the total score.

Table 1: Top 10 Best US States To Raise A Kid

Ranking	State	Family-Friendly State Score
1	Connecticut	67.56
2	New Jersey	66.91
3	Maine	66.41
4	New Hampshire	65.14
5	Florida	64.81
6	Kentucky	63.46
7	West Virginia	63.01
8	Iowa	62.14
9	Wisconsin	61.96
10	Pennsylvania	61.09

Connecticut

Connecticut was named the best state overall for raising children, with a Family-Friendly State Score of 67.56. It scored highest for the quality of its education, ranking third overall out of all 50 states with a score of 88.31. It also scored highly in safety, ranking fifth with a score of 78.29.

The only downside of living in Connecticut is its affordability. The state ranked sixth lowest in affordability, with an affordability score of 52.29. While that’s not as low as Massachusetts’s, with a final overall score of just 16.33, it’s a far cry from Mississippi’s perfect 100.

New Jersey

New Jersey was the second-best state overall for raising kids, with an overall score of 66.91. While more affordable than Connecticut (it was the eleventh least affordable state overall with a score of 58.95), New Jersey’s best score was in safety. It was the tenth safest state in the US, with an overall score of 73.68.

New Jersey ranked 17th overall in education, with a score of 74.03. Although it had the same student-to-teacher ratio as the top-rated state, Massachusetts (12:1), its 85% graduation rate brought it down.

Maine

Maine was the third-best state for raising kids, with a final score of 66.41. It shone brightest in the safety category, as it was the second safest state overall, with a score of 92.51. Maine’s quality of education was also strong, coming eighth overall with a score of 82.79. It was also more affordable than the other two states in the top three, ranking 28th in the affordability category with a score of 72.32.

Table 2: Top 10 US States With The Best Education For Children

Rank	State	Quality Education Score
1	Massachusetts	91.88
2	New Hampshire	89.29
3	Connecticut	88.31
4	West Virginia	86.36
5	Iowa	82.79
6	Missouri	82.79
7	Wisconsin	82.79
8	Maine	82.14
9	New York	81.17
10	Arkansas	80.19

Massachusetts was named the state with the best education for children, with a Quality Education Score of 91.88. New Hampshire was in second place with 89.29, and Connecticut was in third with 88.31.

These scores were based on two factors: the student-to-teacher ratio and the graduation rate of each state. Among the top three, New Hampshire had the best student-to-teacher ratio at 11:1. The state with the worst student-to-teacher ratio was California (22:1). Massachusetts had the best graduation rate, with 90% of its students graduating high school. The state with the worst graduation rate was Arizona, with a graduation rate of 77%.

Table 3: Top 10 Most Affordable States To Raise Children In The US

Rank	State	Affordability Score
1	Mississippi	100.00
2	Alabama	96.07
3	Arkansas	92.23
4	Kentucky	92.00
5	South Dakota	91.70
6	Louisiana	89.23
7	Oklahoma	89.01
8	South Carolina	88.54
9	West Virginia	88.43
10	Georgia	86.34

Mississippi was named the most affordable place to raise a child in the US, with a perfect affordability score of 100. This high score was based on two factors: cost of living and childcare costs, both of which were weighted equally. The cost of living calculation factored in costs like groceries, healthcare, housing, transportation, and utilities; Mississippi received high scores for affordability in all of these. It also had the lowest average annual childcare cost at $5,400, compared to the highest average annual cost of $20,000 in Massachusetts.

Alabama was the second most affordable state with an overall score of 96.07, trailing four points behind Mississippi. Arkansas was in third with 92.23, four points behind Alabama, truly proving Mississippi’s dominance in this category.

Table 4: Top 10 Safest US States For Families With Children

Rank	State	Safety Score
1	New Hampshire	97.73
2	Maine	92.51
3	Idaho	89.83
4	Rhode Island	87.46
5	Connecticut	78.29
6	West Virginia	78.12
7	Wyoming	77.26
8	Massachusetts	76.63
9	Wisconsin	75.81
10	New Jersey	73.68

New Hampshire was named the safest place to raise a child, with a safety score of 97.73. Maine was second with 92.51, while Idaho was in third with 89.83.

The safety score was based on two factors: the rate of violent crimes and property crimes per every 100,000 residents. New Hampshire had a rate of 107.2 violent crimes per 100,000, compared to the highest rate in New Mexico (749.3). Its rate of property crimes was 888.9 per 100,000, compared to the top rate of 2887.5 per 100,000, again in New Mexico.

Kira Abernathy, the lead attorney at Your Law Firm, commented:

“While many parents focus on finding the right schools or low crime rates, raising a child in a balanced environment is about more than just checking the boxes of education and safety. Affordability plays a huge role in shaping a family’s future. States like Mississippi might not top the education charts, but they provide incredible financial relief with their low childcare costs and overall affordability. Families can invest that extra money in extracurricular activities, healthcare, and other experiences that contribute to a child’s well-rounded growth. The real challenge for parents is finding that sweet spot where great education, safety, and affordability all align.”

About Your Law Firm

Your Law Firm, established in 2014 by Attorney Kira Lin Abernathy, is dedicated to providing people-first legal services. Originally known as Attorney KLA, the firm rebranded in 2023 to better reflect its commitment to client-centered representation. Specializing in criminal defense, family law, and traffic-related cases, Your Law Firm strives to empower clients by offering tailored legal assistance that addresses their unique needs and goals. The team, led by Attorney Abernathy, emphasizes creating positive outcomes and ensuring clients feel supported throughout the legal process. With plans to expand both its team and areas of practice, Your Law Firm remains steadfast in its mission to serve clients with dedication and integrity.

Methodology

The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate and rank U.S. states based on various quality-of-life indicators related to education, safety, and affordability. The final score for each state was calculated using Google Sheets formulas to normalize and weight different metrics, ensuring an objective comparison.

For the final Family-Friendly State Score, every indicator was weighted equally, with a score of 16.66% of the final score, totaling 100%.

The rankings for specific categories contain two pieces of data (safest, best education, most affordable cost of living). The two indicators contribute 50/50 to the final score.

Safest States To Raise Children SAFETY SCORE:

Property Crime Rate weighted 50%:

Violent Crime Rate weighted 50%:

Best Education System QUALITY EDUCATION SCORE:

Student-to-teacher ratio weighted 50%:

Graduation rates weighted 50%:

Most Affordable To Raise Children AFFORDABILITY SCORE:

Childcare costs weighted 50%:

Cost of Living weighted 50%:

Data for the District of Columbia was collected separately, with a final score of 28.33 and a rank of 51.

For the Top 10 States with the Best Education for Children: the District of Columbia had a final score of 50 and a rank of 42.

For the Top 10 States with Most Affordable Cost of Living: the District of Columbia had a final score of 50 and a rank of 19.