New York Drops Out of Top 5 Best Places to Raise a Family

New York State is no longer a top-five place to raise a family.

For many years, the Empire State has been one of the top five best states to raise a family, but as 2026 begins, it appears that is no longer the case, according to the folks at Wallet Hub.

Best Places to Raise a Family in the Nation

Each year, the finance company conducts a study to try to find which states are the best to raise a family. To identify the best places, they use 50 key indicators weighing various factors, including median annual family income, housing affordability, healthcare quality, family fun, crime rates, and education.

New York State Drops in Ranking

Back in 2024, we shared that New York was ranked as the fifth best place to raise a family in the U.S. after scoring great marks in the majority of categories, including being named the 3rd best state for family fun, and 7th best for housing affordability.

New York State No Longer a Top 5 Place to Raise a Family in 2026

The 2026 study shows that New York is now the 6th best place to raise a family in the U.S. New York scored lower rankings in most of the categories this year, including a drop in health and safety, family fun, education, and affordability.

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The top five places to raise a family in 2026 went to Nebraska (#5), Wisconsin (#4), North Dakota (#3), and Minnesota (#2). The state of Massachusetts was named the best in 2026.

Worst States to Raise a Family in 2026

Louisiana, Alabama, Nevada, Mississippi, and West Virginia landed at the bottom of this year's list, with New Mexico taking the 50th spot as the worst place to raise a family in the U.S.