Best states to live in: Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, report finds

(Gray News) - Are you looking for a new place to call home? Many people have relocated during the current pandemic.

But a lot goes into selecting a new place, especially if that location is in another state.

WalletHub compiled a list ranking the best states to live in this year.

The personal finance website compared 50 states based on 52 key indicators of livability. Those categories included the cost of living, job opportunities, education quality and safety.

According to WalletHub, Massachusetts was the No. 1 overall state, closely followed by New Jersey and New York. Idaho and Virginia rounded out the report’s top five.

Adam McCann, a financial writer with WalletHub, shared that Mississippi was ranked the lowest on the report, coming in at No. 50 overall. Alaska, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico rounded out the bottom five states.

Some other key findings in the report were Iowa and Nebraska had the lowest housing costs in the country, while California and Hawaii had some of the highest prices.

Maine was found to have the fewest violent crimes per 1,000 residents. New Hampshire had the lowest share of residents living in poverty, while South Dakota was said to have the shortest average commute time.

The entire WalletHub report can be found here.

Source: WalletHub