CHICAGO, Ill — Illinois is one of the best places in the country to raise a family.
The Land of Lincoln ranks 13th on WalletHub’s 2023 Best & Worst States to Raise a Family.
Raising children can be expensive and inflation is making it even more costly, which is why researchers at the personal-finance website compared all 50 states on more than 50 metrics.
They looked at the states’ annual family income, quality of schools, unemployment rate, housing costs, and a number of other family-friendly factors.
Illinois ranked third in the Median Family Income category.
Here’s how it ranked in some other categories:
- 4th – Family fun
- 11th – Affordability
- 25th – Education & Childcare
- 29th – Health & Safety
The survey ranks Massachusetts as the best state to raise a family and ranks Mississippi as the worst.
Taking a look at neighboring states, Wisconsin is ranked 17th, Indiana is 34th, Iowa is 9th, Michigan is 36th, and Missouri is ranked 28th.
Experts suggest families consider the quality of schools and education, strength of the community, and safety when looking for a place to live.
They add families find a way to balance the cost of living with the amenities the community offers.
While low cost or affordable housing is good, it may also indicate the community is far from education and employment opportunities according to experts.
They also say the increase in remote work has decreased the need to be close to employment opportunities, and instead being close to extended family, childcare, and having a strong community are a priority.
You can see how other states ranked in the interactive map below.
