Here's where Texas ranks in 2023's best states to live in
TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - They say everything is bigger in Texas, but is everything better here, too? WalletHub did a comparison of all 50 states, based on 51 key indicators of livability, to break down which state is the best state to live in. The methodology compared five key categories, each worth 20 points: affordability, economy, education & health, quality of life and safety. Within those categories, there were topics such as cost of living, unemployment rate, public school system quality, life expectancy, average commute time and violent crime rate. WalletHub graded these metrics on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most favorable living conditions. Here is where Texas stands.
Texas' livability score
Based on WalletHub's analysis, Texas ranks No. 37 in the list of top states to live in, with a livability score is 48.56.
This is where Texas ranks among the 50 states in each category:
- Affordability: 34
- Economy: 32
- Education & Health: 38
- Quality of Life: 9
- Safety: 34
Top three states to live in
1) Massachusetts came out on top as the best state to live in, with a total score of 61.67. Here's how it ranked in each category:
- Affordability: 44
- Economy: 11
- Education & Health: 1
- Quality of Life: 6
- Safety: 6
2) New Jersey came out on top as the second best state to live in, with a total score of 61.48. Here's how it ranked in each category:
- Affordability: 48
- Economy: 33
- Education & Health: 7
- Quality of Life: 11
- Safety: 1
3) New Hampshire came out on top as the third best state to live in, with a total score of 59.32. Here's how it ranked in each category:
- Affordability: 40
- Economy: 2
- Education & Health: 2
- Quality of Life: 37
- Safety: 5
Best state in each category
- Affordability: Alabama
- Economy: North Dakota
- Education & Health: Massachusetts
- Quality of Life: New York
- Safety: New Jersey
Worst state in each category
Overall, New Mexico came out to No. 50, with a total livability score of 39.86. That included an affordability score of 26, an economy score of 25, an education & health score of 47, a quality of life score of 31 and a safety score of 50. Here's how other lower ranking states fared in each category:
- Affordability: California
- Economy: Mississippi
- Education & Health: Mississippi
- Quality of Life: Alaska
- Safety: New Mexico
