2024-01-09 08:00:00
RHODE ISLAND — A new ranking that looks at housing affordability, job prospects, education quality, health care availability and other quality-of-life measures puts Rhode Island among the best states to raise a family.
Overall, Rhode Island ranked ninth in the analysis by the personal finance company WalletHub, which used data from federal agencies, foundations and other sources to compare the 50 states across five areas.
WalletHub said the ideal state for families is one that is affordable during times of high inflation and also offers high safety, good job prospects, high-quality education and entertainment.
Each of the five categories in the WalletHub analysis was worth 20 points, but scores were weighted in areas where states over-performed in delivering services that are desirable to families.
Here’s how Rhode Island, which had a total score of 57.53, fared in the various categories:
Family Fun: No. 27
Health & Safety: No. 6
Education & Child Care: No. 19
Affordability: No. 5
Socio-economics: No. 19.
Overall, the five best states for families are Massachusetts, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and New York, respectively, according to the analysis. Here’s how states fared in various categories:
States with the highest median family income: Virginia, Minnesota, Illinois, New Jersey and Colorado.
States with the most-affordable housing: Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Kansas and Ohio, respectively.
States with the lowest child care costs: South Dakota, Missouri, Mississippi, Utah and Minnesota, respectively.
Best states for families with young kids: Utah, Texas, Alaska, Nebraska and North Dakota, respectively.
States with the lowest infant mortality rate: North Dakota, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oregon, respectively.
States with the fewest violent crimes per capita: Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Wyoming, respectively.
States with the lowest percentages of people living in poverty: New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah, Vermont and Colorado, respectively.
States with the lowest separation and divorce rates: Utah, North Dakota, New Jersey, Hawaii and Nebraska, respectively.
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