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The personal-finance company WalletHub released a report on the best and worst states to raise a family in 2026, based on 50 key indicators of family-friendliness. They include median annual family income, housing affordability, healthcare quality, crime rate, and quality of education. Four out of the top five slots were taken up by famously cost-effective Midwestern states. But one in the Northeast secured the top spot. The US Department of Agriculture estimated that the cost of raising a child to age 18 now exceeds $320,000 — an unfathomable price tag for the many young Americans who are having to delay buying a home until middle age. Despite enduring savings offered by the Midwest, it was New England that took the family-friendly cake. The state of Massachusetts earned the study’s highest family-friendly score. The win was thanks in large part to the state’s ample economic opportunities and high safety score. That doesn’t mean Massachusetts is cheap, however. Housing and child care costs are high compared to the rest of the country, but with the third-best job security in the country and the ninth-lowest poverty rate, parents can rest easy there.
Top Five States To Raise a Family:
1 Massachusetts
2 Minnesota
3 North Dakota
4 Wisconsin
5 Nebraska
Link: https://nypost.com/