State ranking · Updated October 2026

Best States for Families (2026)

The average of four Locustep scores that matter most to households with kids: schools, healthcare, safety and housing. Safety and housing come from measured data (FBI violent crime, HUD rents); schools and healthcare are directional scores.

#1 is Minnesota (7.8/10). Last of 50 is Alaska (4.1/10).

This is a Locustep score from 1 to 10: a directional composite for sorting states, not a single published statistic.

Average of the schools, healthcare, safety and housing scores.

Rank	State	Locustep score
1	Minnesota	7.8/10
2	Connecticut	7.7/10
3	Maine	7.3/10
3	Wisconsin	7.3/10
5	Iowa	7.1/10
6	Rhode Island	7.1/10
7	Vermont	7.1/10
8	Nebraska	7.0/10
9	Utah	6.9/10
10	New Hampshire	6.8/10
10	North Dakota	6.8/10
12	Massachusetts	6.8/10
13	Pennsylvania	6.8/10
14	New Jersey	6.6/10
15	Illinois	6.6/10
16	Idaho	6.6/10
17	Wyoming	6.5/10
18	Virginia	6.5/10
19	Ohio	6.5/10
20	Indiana	6.3/10
20	South Dakota	6.3/10
22	Delaware	6.3/10
23	Oregon	6.3/10
24	Kentucky	6.2/10
25	North Carolina	6.2/10
26	Maryland	6.1/10
27	Kansas	6.0/10
28	Georgia	6.0/10
29	Colorado	5.9/10
30	Florida	5.9/10
31	Michigan	5.8/10
32	New York	5.8/10
33	Hawaii	5.8/10
34	Washington	5.8/10
35	West Virginia	5.7/10
36	Alabama	5.7/10
36	Missouri	5.7/10
38	Texas	5.6/10
39	Arizona	5.5/10
39	Mississippi	5.5/10
39	South Carolina	5.5/10
42	Oklahoma	5.5/10
43	Montana	5.1/10
44	Arkansas	5.0/10
45	Nevada	4.8/10
45	Tennessee	4.8/10
47	California	4.6/10
48	Louisiana	4.6/10
49	New Mexico	4.2/10
50	Alaska	4.1/10

Full ranking

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