(KOIN/NEXSTAR) — As millions of Americans across the United States move every year, a new WalletHub report analyzed the best and worst places to live across the country.
WalletHub’s report compared 50 states across dozens of livability factors from housing costs and income growth to education rates and hospital systems. They then scored each state based on their findings and ranked them.
Overall, the study ranked Massachusetts as the best place to live in the U.S. thanks in part to the state’s education and health, (where it ranked first in the country) and its quality of life (where it ranked sixth).
Other states that rounded out the top five were Florida, New Jersey, Utah and New Hampshire.
Despite Florida being one of the most expensive states to live in, the Sunshine State’s quality of life and safety rankings helped propel it up to No. 2 on the list.
New Jersey at No. 3 was ranked as the safest state in the country. This is most likely due to the fact that it has the highest number of law enforcement employees per capita.
Check out the map below to see where your state ranked:
WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said when it comes to finding a place to live, people should consider cost of living, housing prices and job opportunities.
Happe added, “Many states have strong economies, though, so you should also consider a wide variety of other factors, such as how where you live will impact your health and safety, and whether you will have adequate access to activities that you enjoy. If you have children, a robust education system is also key.”
On the other end of the spectrum, WalletHub found that Louisiana was the worst state to live in the country. With the worst economic ranking in the study and the third-worst ranking for education and health, Louisiana averaged out with the lowest score of any state.
Not far behind was New Mexico, which had the second-worst safety ranking, followed by Arkansas, which graded out at 47th for quality of life and 46th for safety.
What to do if you’re looking to move to a new state
If you’re thinking about packing your things and moving to a new state in the U.S., there are a few things to consider before making this major life change.
According to Rocket Mortgage, the first major step is to make yourself a moving timeline. There are a lot of moving parts when relocating to a new area, so try to set a moving date for yourself so you can prepare accordingly.
The next step might be the most important — research the area you want to move to. What’s the cost of living? What are the school districts like? Is it a safe area?
Once that’s done, start budgeting and saving based on your comfort level. Think of moving expenses such as hiring a moving company, travel, truck rentals or anything else you will need for your move.
