Lower taxes and higher incomes helped Delaware land near the top of a list of good states for families.
The ranking was released by GOBankingRates, Los Angeles. Factors included the following:
- Jobs and income: median household income and state unemployment rate
- Housing: median home listing price and effective state property tax
- Lifestyle: state sales tax, annual child care costs, cost of groceries and school district grades
- Healthcare: average family health insurance premium and percentage of employer contribution to employee health insurance
- Safety: violent crime rates and property crime rates
| 10 Best States for Families to Live a Richer Life | 10 Worst States for Families to Live a Richer Life |
| 1. New Hampshire | 1. District of Columbia |
| 2. North Dakota | 2. California |
| 3. Delaware | 3. Illinois |
| 4. Montana | 4. Connecticut |
| 5. Wyoming | 5. Nevada |
| 6. South Dakota | 6. Washington |
| 7. Virginia | 7. Texas |
| 8. Arkansas | 8. Rhode Island |
| 9. Idaho | 9. Florida |
| 10. Colorado | 10. New Mexico |
Click here for the rankings from 50th to first.
In reaching the No. 3 spot, Delaware overcame a lower ranking for crime and high health care costs. Compensating for the higher health care costs are employers who kick in more money for premiums than their counterparts elsewhere.
“There really is no ‘one size fits all’ formula for those trying to decide the best place to raise their families today,” said Kristen Bonner, lead researcher on the GOBankingRates study. “Our study examined some of the main concerns families have during this process and found that it is possible to live in states where the cost of living won’t drain your bank account and your children can still attend good schools in a safe environment.”
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