Best and worst states to live in 2023

Amid a rocky housing market and elevated inflation rates, finding a place to live can be an arduous process.

Using local data, WalletHub evaluated each state in terms of affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety to rank all 50 states against each other.

Where does your state rank?

Home prices: The Midwest hosts the most affordable homes in the country, according to WalletHub, with Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas and Ohio ranking top in this category. On the contrary, the states with the priciest homes in 2023 are Florida, Oregon, Nevada, Hawaii and California.

Poverty rates: Utah ranks among the states with the lowest percentage of the population living in poverty, coming in second to New Hampshire and followed by Maryland, Minnesota and Hawaii. The states with the highest poverty rates this year are Kentucky, West Virginia, New Mexico, Louisiana and Mississippi.

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Weekly work hours: Utahns on average work fewer hours a week than any other state, according to WalletHub, followed by Vermont, Rhode Island, Oregon, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The states with the longest work weeks are Louisiana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Texas and Alaska.

Top 10: According to WalletHub’s metrics, the following states rank best overall in affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life and safety.

1. Massachusetts.

2. New Jersey.

3. New Hampshire.

4. New York.

5. Wyoming.

6. Florida.

7. Virginia.

8. Idaho.

9. Wisconsin.

10. Minnesota.

Bottom 10:

50. New Mexico.

49. Alaska.

48. Louisiana.

47. Mississippi.

46. Oklahoma.

45. Arkansas.

44. South Carolina.

43. Alabama.

42. Kentucky.

41. West Virginia.