State Life Score Rankings

51 states ranked by composite quality-of-life score

What the bars show. Each bar is that state's composite Life Score drawn as a share of the #1 state, Mississippi (66.3), so a bar half as long means half the leader's score. Hover a bar for its share of the leader and its rank; screen readers announce both. The score blends seven federal measures (cost of living, rent, crime, wages, schools, childcare and environment), each ranked as a 0 to 100 percentile; the methodology lists the sources.

Metros States

#	State	Grade	Score	Cost of Living	Wages	Rent	Safety	Schools	Childcare	Environment
1	Mississippi	A+	66.3	98	0	100	94	26	98	52
2	Nebraska	A	65.1	80	42	78	84	28	64	72
3	Kentucky	A	64.1	78	20	86	78	64	89	46
4	Iowa	A	63.8	96	36	84	70	60	73	10
5	Louisiana	A	61.1	92	6	76	30	78	84	94
6	Idaho	A-	60.1	56	26	50	72	82	86	86
7	North Dakota	A-	59.7	86	56	90	64	12	52	18
8	South Dakota	A-	59.4	90	12	82	48	34	93	68
9	West Virginia	A-	58.7	84	4	94	68	24	68	76
10	Oklahoma	B+	58.5	94	8	80	24	74	55	96
11	Alabama	B+	58.1	88	10	98	38	90	91	0
12	Minnesota	B+	56.6	42	88	60	62	68	39	16
13	Wyoming	B+	56.0	70	18	74	90	4	70	64
14	Ohio	B+	55.9	68	50	70	56	94	36	4
15	Wisconsin	B+	55.8	62	62	66	58	54	48	22
16	Kansas	B	55.6	82	14	92	16	36	100	66
17	Vermont	B	54.4	44	70	24	80	14	-	92
18	Texas	B	54.1	48	44	56	34	58	80	84
19	Georgia	B	54.0	52	48	48	54	52	95	40
20	Indiana	B	52.9	66	40	68	52	72	-	12
21	Virginia	B	52.4	30	68	40	82	42	59	44
22	Arkansas	B-	52.2	100	2	96	8	30	-	80
23	Illinois	B-	52.0	36	72	72	60	44	32	30
24	Utah	B-	51.8	40	38	44	76	98	34	50
25	Michigan	B-	51.2	54	52	64	20	84	82	8
26	Maine	B-	50.8	50	54	30	100	0	43	62
27	Missouri	B-	50.8	76	28	88	14	22	-	74
28	Pennsylvania	B-	50.7	46	58	46	66	32	-	48
29	New Mexico	C+	49.9	72	34	58	4	46	-	98
30	North Carolina	C+	49.9	60	30	52	42	70	66	42
31	Oregon	C+	49.2	22	76	36	44	86	30	60
32	Arizona	C+	48.9	32	64	38	22	80	45	82
33	Washington	C+	47.7	10	98	26	46	88	9	56
34	Nevada	C+	47.0	34	46	34	32	96	61	54
35	Colorado	C	45.8	24	78	32	10	76	27	88
36	Florida	C	45.6	20	32	22	88	92	57	38
37	Rhode Island	C	45.3	28	82	14	92	38	16	20
38	Tennessee	C	45.3	74	24	62	6	66	75	14
39	Alaska	C	44.2	26	86	28	2	62	11	100
40	New Hampshire	C	43.7	16	74	12	98	2	20	70
41	South Carolina	C-	41.3	64	22	54	18	50	77	6
42	Connecticut	C-	40.6	18	80	10	96	16	7	28
43	California	C-	40.1	0	94	8	12	100	5	78
44	Delaware	C-	40.0	38	60	20	40	40	50	24
45	Montana	C-	38.7	58	16	42	26	6	41	90
46	New Jersey	D	38.6	6	90	6	86	8	14	34
47	New York	D	38.2	8	96	18	36	10	25	58
48	Maryland	D	37.3	14	84	16	28	56	23	32
49	Massachusetts	D	33.4	12	92	2	50	20	2	26
50	Hawaii	F	31.5	2	66	0	74	48	18	2
51	District of Columbia	F	26.8	4	100	4	0	18	0	36

Compiled by PlainCompare