The Worst and Best States for Raising a Family, Ranked. See Where Virginia Lands

Does it matter which state you raise your kids in?

WalletHub’s newest family rankings say yes, and by a wide margin.

The gap between the best-scoring state and the worst one comes out to more than double, according to the personal finance site’s 2026 study.

These are the best and worst states to raise a family. Find out where Virginia lands.

Note: This is general information based on a private research ranking, not financial advice. Income and cost-of-living figures are subject to change.

Ranking States

WalletHub scored every state on 50 different measurements to build this ranking.

Those measurements sort into five categories: Family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability, and socio-economics.

These are the best and worst states to retire, starting with the worst.

1. New Mexico

New Mexico posted the lowest score of any state in WalletHub’s newest ranking of the best places to raise a family.

Steep child care costs and a high violent crime rate both dragged the state down, according to the 2026 study.

Its family poverty rate came out worst in the country too.

The state’s separation and divorce rate ranked near the bottom of the list as well, a sign families there struggle to stay together financially and otherwise.

2. West Virginia

West Virginia landed second-worst nationally in WalletHub’s 2026 ranking of family-friendly states.

Low household income and a high poverty rate weigh on West Virginia families more than in almost any other state, per the study.

Access to quality schools and family entertainment lags too, the study found.

3. Mississippi

Mississippi ranked third-worst for raising a family in the new WalletHub study.

Its infant mortality rate runs above the national average, and its families separate and divorce at some of the highest rates in the country.

Health and safety concerns and thin school funding compound the problem, WalletHub found.

4. Nevada

Nevada ranked fourth-worst overall, even though the state’s entertainment and recreation options score well in the same study.

Weak marks in education and affordability erased much of that advantage, according to WalletHub’s 2026 findings.

5. Alabama

Alabama rounded out the bottom five in WalletHub’s 2026 ranking, weighed down by weak health and education outcomes.

Those same struggles have kept Alabama near the bottom of similar state rankings in past years too, the study noted.

The Best States for Family Life

WalletHub’s ranking looks a lot different at the other end of the list, where these five states pulled far ahead of the rest of the country.

Strong schools replace weak ones.

1. Massachusetts

Massachusetts topped WalletHub’s ranking as the best state in the country to raise a family, the second year running it’s claimed the spot.

Its public school system ranked best in the nation, and the state posted the third-best job security score too.

Massachusetts also carries the third-lowest infant mortality rate and the fourth-lowest property crime rate in the country, according to the 2026 study.

None of that comes cheap.

Housing and child care costs run higher there than in many parts of the country, but strong incomes help close that gap.

2. Minnesota

Minnesota came in second, powered by one of the highest median family incomes in the country once WalletHub adjusts for the cost of living.

Minnesota families stretch that income further than most, helped along by one of the nation’s lowest family poverty rates.

Its hospitals rank among the best in the country too, and kids there have wide access to parks and playgrounds.

Minnesota’s divorce and separation rate also ranks among the lowest nationwide, a sign families there tend to stay together.

3. North Dakota

North Dakota ranked third, anchored by the lowest rent burden for families anywhere in the country.

Unemployment and poverty both run low there as well, and the state’s divorce and separation rate ranks among the nation’s lowest.

Cheap and stable.

Child care is easier to find there too, with strong access and solid school safety scores backing up the state’s ranking.

4. Wisconsin

Wisconsin broke into the top five of this year’s ranking, combining economic stability with strong marks in education and health care, according to WalletHub.

That balance across categories, rather than one standout number, is what pushed Wisconsin ahead of nearly every other state.

5. Nebraska

Nebraska rounded out the top five, with strong marks across affordability, family fun, and health metrics carrying the state’s overall score.

No single category stood out above the rest, WalletHub’s breakdown shows, just consistency across the board.

Virginia

Virginia dropped to 26th overall in WalletHub’s 2026 ranking, down five spots from a year earlier.

Family fun and health and safety pulled the state’s score down the most, according to WalletHub’s breakdown of the change.

Virginia still holds one number no other state can match: The highest median family income in the country once WalletHub adjusts for the cost of living.

Psst! Here’s how the rest of the top ten, the bottom fifteen, and Virginia’s neighbors stack up. Search the table below for where a state you’re curious about landed.

How Virginia’s Neighbors Compare

Virginia’s closest neighbor, Maryland, ranked 20th overall, six spots ahead of it, though Maryland itself slipped a notch from the year before.

A weaker health and safety score held Maryland back even as its affordability numbers stayed strong, per WalletHub.

North Carolina landed much further down the list, at 36th overall.

West Virginia sits at the very bottom among Virginia’s neighbors, ranked 49th nationally.