Best States to Live in - 2023 State Rankings (2024)

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Best States to Live in - 2023 State Rankings? ›

The latest edition of the Best States rankings project finds a new No. 1 and a strong showing from the West and Midwest in the top 10.

The latest edition of the Best States rankings project finds a new No. 1 and a strong showing from the West and Midwest in the top 10.

The overall rankings, however, placed Iowa, Texas and Kentucky in the top three (in that order). Minnesota and Oklahoma rounded out the top five. Filling in the top 10 states for off-grid living in 2023 are Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, Illinois and Montana.

Finishing ahead of California on this 2023 scorecard was No. 1 Washington, then Utah, Massachusetts and Colorado. The worst economy was in West Virginia, then Louisiana, Alaska, Mississippi and Hawaii. And California's big rivals? Texas was No. 9 and Florida was 13th.

Based on migration data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans are moving to Austin, Texas; Raleigh, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; Dallas, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona. The most moved-to cities are based on percentage increases in population since 2010.

Idaho, Montana and Florida saw the highest population growth among U.S. states between 2020-2022, per new U.S. Census Bureau data, while New York, Illinois and Louisiana suffered the most shrinkage.

What state is best for starting over? ›

St Louis, Missouri is the top-rated city in the U.S. for people looking to start over. New York City is the most difficult city to move to for a fresh start. Hartford, Connecticut has the best social scene score. Birmingham, Alabama has the best cost of living score compared to other cities we studied.

State With Highest GDP

California is the state with the highest GDP in the United States, with a GDP of $3.5 trillion. There are several reasons why California has the highest GDP in America.

Overall, in the calendar year 2022, the United States' Nominal GDP at Current Prices totaled at $25.463 Trillion, as compared to $23.315 Trillion in 2021. The three U.S. states with the highest GDPs were California ($3.6 Trillion), Texas ($2.356 Trillion), and New York ($2.053 Trillion).

How Florida Became the Fastest-Growing State in America. The code has been copied to your clipboard. Economist Sean Snaith says there are factors other than the weather that draw people to Florida, including a robust labor market and the fact that, unlike most U.S. states, Florida has no state income tax.

Mississippi. Coming in as the cheapest state to live in in the United States is Mississippi with a cost of living index score of 83.3. It also has the lowest average housing costs in the nation at 33.7% below the national average.

Wondering where not to travel in 2023? Here are the most dangerous tourist destinations in 2023: Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, Mali and Iraq. Afghanistan has been identified as potentially the most dangerous country in the world to visit in 2023 according to recently published Risk Map 2023.

Top states residents are leaving

The annual 2022 United Van Lines National Movers study is out! But it wasn't good news for New Jersey or New York. A similar report from United Van Lines showed New Jersey as the top outbound state, followed by Illinois, New York, Michigan, and Wyoming. The full list is below.

And secondly, they are also states where housing is more affordable and available than in parts of the country that lost residents. The states that attracted the most new residents in 2022 are Florida, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina, followed by other states in the South and West.

Where is the most beautiful state in USA? ›

Washington. One of the biggest reasons Washington is the most beautiful state in America is due to the diversity of landscapes. You can see everything from glaciated mountains to temperate rain forests and miles of rocky beaches.

Utah takes No. 1 in rankings that measure health care, education and economy. WASHINGTON, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Utah is the Best State in the country, according to the 2023 Best States rankings.

States With Lowest Cost of Living

Mississippi is the state with the lowest cost of living in the US, with a cost of living index of 85. This means that the cost of living in Mississippi is 15% lower than the national average. The state has a low cost of housing, groceries, and utilities.

North Dakota takes the cake as the best state in the U.S. to save money in. With the third lowest debt-to-income ratio in the country for Q3 2022—and the second lowest percentage of income spent on housing costs and rent—North Dakotans are able to keep more money in their pockets.

The states with the highest income are either on the West or East Coast. Massachusetts has the highest average salary in the country. New York, Washington, and California have a high cost of living and are home to a large number of Fortune 500 companies.

America's best (and worst) cities for employment opportunity and earning potential. Above you'll see that Nashville, TN tops the list as the best city in 2023 boasting the highest employment and earnings score of 86.7. Fast-growing Austin, TX places second on the list with an employment and earnings score of 85.6.

Gallup analysis shows that the West North Central, Mountain, and Pacific regions are likely to be the best areas to live in 20 years, based on the strong economic, health, and community foundations they are building today.

How do I choose a state to live in? ›

The real estate market in Michigan may get a little more expensive in the next 83 years now that Popular Science Magazine named it the most habitable place in the United States by 2100.

The answer: South Dakota. That state produced 83% of its in-state electricity from renewable sources in 2021, the result of its impressive implementation of wind energy. Between 2019 and 2021, South Dakota more than tripled wind energy production.

Michigan experiences a lot of power outages and this state has the most power outages per capita than any other states in the US. The most common cause of power outages all year long in Michigan is the weather.

U.S. residential retail price of electricity 2022, by state

Hawaii is the U.S. state with the highest household electricity price. In September 2022, the average retail price of electricity for Hawaiian residences amounted to roughly 45 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour.

BOSTON - Massachusetts has been named the most prosperous state in the nation, according to a new ranking. The "American Dream Prosperity Index" from the Milken Center looks beyond wealth. It factors in things like safety, health care resources, entrepreneurial opportunities, civil rights and a sense of belonging.

Out of all 50 states, New York had the highest per-capita real gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, at 79,434 U.S. dollars, followed closely by Massachusetts. Mississippi had the lowest per-capita real GDP, at 35,555 U.S. dollars.

The most economically distressed states for 2019 are: Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arizona, South Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia. "This research provides a valuable benchmark for discerning the relative state of economic distress in counties and states across the nation.

What is the least productive state in the United States? ›

On the other end of the list is Mississippi. While the state offers the lowest cost of living and the lowest wage costs, Mississippi's workforce is among the nation's least educated. It is also the least productive state in terms of economic output per job, CNBC said.

New York is the richest state in the US, with a GDP per capita at $96,5k. This means that New York is responsible for around 9% of America's entire economic output, the highest percentage amongst the 50 states.

No. 1 was Alaska with 8.7% growth, followed by Texas at 8.2%, Oklahoma at 5.5%, Wyoming at 5.3% and North Dakota at 5.2%.

Based on these criteria, California has the best weather in all 50 states. Coastal cities in south and central California, such as San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Santa Barbara, experience only 20 inches of rain per year and temperatures typically between the low 60s and 85 degrees.

Thanks to the mild climate and exquisite scenery everywhere you look, Western North Carolina is the best place to live experience all four seasons. Whether you want to lead an active lifestyle or simply relax and watch the scenery change throughout the year, Western North Carolina has it all.

San Diego is the textbook example of beautiful year-round climate. It's never too hot and never too cold, with a very minimal amount of that pesky California fog to get in the way—when it does roll in, it burns off pretty quickly in the morning. Winters average at 57° F, summers at 72° F—72° F, people!

What state grows the best? ›

California ranks first in the United States for agricultural cash receipts followed by Iowa, Texas, Nebraska and Illinois.

California, the largest economy in the United States, has a GDP of $3.5 trillion and a GDP per capita of $89,540. The state's economy is diverse, with significant contributions from industries such as entertainment, technology, agriculture, and manufacturing.

1 best U.S. city to live in is Cambridge, Massachusetts—see which other cities made the list. Niche released its list of the best U.S. cities to live in 2023. This month, Niche released its ranking of the best cities to live in America in 2023.

Massachusetts was crowned the top state to raise a family in, followed by Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, and Vermont. New Hampshire checked in at sixth on the list, while Connecticut ranked 10th, Rhode Island ranked 11th and Maine ranked 16th. Mississippi was ranked the worst state to raise a family in.