Family-friendly state rankings based on childcare costs, housing, schools, healthcare, and safety.
| # | State | Family Score ▼ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | 79/100 | $46,500 | 83 | A+ | |
| #2 | West Virginia | 79/100 | $48,000 | 84 | A+ | |
| #3 | Arkansas | 77/100 | $52,100 | 84 | A+ | |
| #4 | South Dakota | 73/100 | $62,100 | 91 | A+ | |
| #5 | Alabama | 71/100 | $56,200 | 87 | A+ | |
| #6 | Kentucky | 71/100 | $55,600 | 87 | A+ | |
| #7 | Oklahoma | 71/100 | $55,800 | 86 | A+ | |
| #8 | Tennessee | 71/100 | $59,700 | 91 | A+ | |
| #9 | Louisiana | 69/100 | $52,300 | 91 | A+ | |
| #10 | Missouri | 67/100 | $61,000 | 88 | A+ | |
| #11 | New Mexico | 66/100 | $53,000 | 91 | A+ | |
| #12 | Kansas | 65/100 | $62,100 | 89 | A+ | |
| #13 | South Carolina | 65/100 | $56,200 | 92 | A+ | |
| #14 | Ohio | 63/100 | $59,300 | 89 | A | |
| #15 | Wyoming | 63/100 | $65,000 | 95 | A | |
| #16 | Indiana | 62/100 | $58,600 | 90 | A | |
| #17 | Iowa | 61/100 | $63,200 | 90 | A | |
| #18 | Texas | 60/100 | $67,300 | 93 | A | |
| #19 | Michigan | 59/100 | $63,400 | 89 | A | |
| #20 | North Dakota | 59/100 | $64,800 | 93 | A | |
| #21 | Nebraska | 58/100 | $66,500 | 91 | A | |
| #22 | Georgia | 56/100 | $63,400 | 93 | A | |
| #23 | Idaho | 55/100 | $62,300 | 97 | A | |
| #24 | Nevada | 53/100 | $64,200 | 104 | A | |
| #25 | North Carolina | 52/100 | $61,000 | 95 | A | |
| #26 | Florida | 50/100 | $63,100 | 103 | A | |
| #27 | Wisconsin | 50/100 | $64,800 | 93 | A | |
| #28 | Montana | 48/100 | $60,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #29 | Arizona | 47/100 | $65,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #30 | Pennsylvania | 47/100 | $67,600 | 94 | B+ | |
| #31 | Illinois | 44/100 | $72,200 | 93 | B+ | |
| #32 | Utah | 42/100 | $75,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #33 | Delaware | 38/100 | $69,100 | 102 | B+ | |
| #34 | Maine | 38/100 | $63,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #35 | New Hampshire | 34/100 | $83,300 | 112 | B | |
| #36 | Virginia | 33/100 | $80,600 | 103 | B | |
| #37 | Alaska | 31/100 | $77,800 | 127 | B | |
| #38 | Minnesota | 31/100 | $77,700 | 97 | B | |
| #39 | Vermont | 31/100 | $63,400 | 110 | B | |
| #40 | Rhode Island | 28/100 | $71,200 | 109 | B | |
| #41 | Oregon | 27/100 | $71,200 | 113 | B | |
| #42 | Colorado | 23/100 | $80,200 | 105 | B | |
| #43 | Washington | 19/100 | $82,100 | 115 | C | |
| #44 | Maryland | 14/100 | $90,200 | 118 | C | |
| #45 | Connecticut | 11/100 | $83,800 | 121 | C | |
| #46 | New Jersey | 4/100 | $87,700 | 121 | D | |
| #47 | California | -9/100 | $84,900 | 142 | F | |
| #48 | Massachusetts | -9/100 | $89,700 | 135 | F | |
| #49 | New York | -15/100 | $75,900 | 139 | F | |
| #50 | Hawaii | -18/100 | $84,900 | 190 | F |
Based on our analysis of family affordability across all 50 states, Mississippi ranks #1 with 79/100, while Hawaii ranks last at -18/100. The national average is 45/100.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: 97/100. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your family affordability. Use our baby cost calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
Mississippi ranks #1 with 79/100. West Virginia and Arkansas round out the top 3.
Hawaii ranks last (#50) with -18/100. New York and Massachusetts are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is 45/100. The median is 50/100.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.