The Best State To Live In Right Now Is a Huge Surprise: Can You Guess?

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As COVID-19 restrictions finally ease up, many Americans are reassessing how they want to live their life—and where. So if you’re hankering to move (or wondering how your current digs rank), a new study has some answers.

Personal finance site WalletHub has just released its rankings of the best (and worst) states to live in, assessing all 50 states on a variety of critical aspects, including affordability (determined by median home prices, household incomes, property taxes, and other factors), education (quality of public schools, graduation rates), safety (violent crime and traffic fatalities), and overall quality of life (which touches on commuting times, number of bike trails, public transportation access, and more).

And top honors for the best state to live in for 2021 is New Jersey!

You heard that right, Jersey. Surprised?

Granted, the Garden State does seem like an odd top dog, and not just due to the questionable antics seen on “Jersey Shore.” This state can’t exactly brag about its natural beauty, awe-inspiring architecture, gorgeous year-round weather, or budget-friendliness. (It does have nice beaches, however.)

Even the experts were a little taken aback that Jersey landed in first place.

“New Jersey topping the other states was a bit surprising, as it’s pretty well-known this state has high real estate taxes and an overall lack of affordability,” says Jill Gonzalez, an analyst at WalletHub. However, “New Jersey is also a place that comes with a sense of ‘you get what you pay for’—as in, it’s a very safe state that ranks highly in terms of education, health care, and quality of life.”

In fact, the Northeast is well-represented by the very best states to live in, with Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania all making it into the top 10. Check out the full ranking of best states to live in below.

The 10 best states to live in

1. New Jersey
2. Massachusetts
3. New York
4. Idaho
5. Minnesota
6. Wisconsin
7. Utah
8. New Hampshire
9. Iowa
10. Pennsylvania

The 10 worst states to live in

As for the worst state? We’re sorry to report that it’s New Mexico.

Alas, this state is having a hard time living up to its nickname, the Land of Enchantment, as it ranks dead last in terms of safety, 48th economically, and 47th in all things education and health. Here’s the full list of the least livable states below.

1. New Mexico
2. Alaska
3. Louisiana
4. Mississippi
5. South Carolina
6. Arkansas
7. Nevada
8. Oklahoma
9. Hawaii
10. Alabama

Several of these lowest-ranking states have tough issues to deal with, including high percentages of their population living in poverty, lowest levels of income growth, and lowest percentage of residents with health insurance.

When thinking of a move across state lines, cost of living may be top of mind, but after that, your own family’s situation should take priority, says Gonzalez.

For instance, if getting to work fast is your jam, venture forth to South Dakota, the state with the shortest average commute time (just 17 minutes). If you’re concerned about health care as you look to retire, you can’t do better than Vermont, which has the highest quality public hospital system of any state.

And though every Stephen King novel says otherwise, Maine has the fewest violent crimes per 1,000 residents, while Alaska is the polar opposite, with the most crimes per capita.

How well have states recovered from COVID-19?

Another variable that factored into this year’s rankings for WalletHub? How well states have recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Another important factor to weigh is the level of recovery from the effects of the pandemic, as this would be an indication of the potential to earn a higher income and enjoy a better quality of life,” says Mattias Hoelzlein, assistant professor of economics at Notre Dame and a member of WalletHub’s expert panel.

On that note, according to Hoelzlein, states that might see an influx of new homebuyers due to post-COVID-19 work-life changes include Colorado and Arizona. Access to nature, coupled with low-cost housing, is likely to benefit these states because “high-skilled workers can maintain their high-paying jobs in skilled-scalable services by working remotely,” he explains.

So even if New Jersey isn’t your jam, there are other places to land.

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