Idaho Was Just Named the Best State to Live in—Here’s Why
It checks off all the boxes when it comes to real estate, affordability, and safety.
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Looks like the Gem State really lives up to its name. Idaho was just crowned the Best State to Live In by WalletHub, who just released their 2026 rankings.
There are a number of reasons why Idaho took the top spot: It has one of the lowest median real estate tax rates in the country, the eighth-highest homeownership rate, the fourth-lowest tax rate overall, and the highest median household income growth. Additionally, it has the seventh-lowest share of urban interstates experiencing congestion, which is why it has some of the lowest average commute times in the country. And that’s not all—it has the 14th lowest violent crime rate and the lowest property crime rate in the country.
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Idaho wasn’t the only Western state to make the top 10: Wyoming was ranked sixth and Utah was ranked seventh.
“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices, and job availability,” says Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst. “Many states have strong economies, though, so you should also consider a wide variety of other factors, such as how where you live will impact your health and safety, and whether you will have adequate access to activities that you enjoy. If you have children, a robust education system is also key.”
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To compile the rankings, the WalletHub team compared the 50 states across 51 key indicators, including housing affordability, cost of living, unemployment rate, quality of public school system, quality of public hospital system, traffic congestion, weather, violent-crime rate, and property-crime rate.
Take a look at the top 10 and the bottom 10 below:
Top 10 Best States to Live In
1. Idaho
2. New Jersey
3. Wisconsin
4. Massachusetts
5. New Hampshire
6. Wyoming
7. Utah
8. Minnesota
9. Pennsylvania
10. Florida
Bottom 10 Best States to Live In
41. Kentucky
42. Oregon
43. West Virginia
44. Oklahoma
45. Nevada
46. Arkansas
47. Alaska
48. Mississippi
49. Louisiana
50. New Mexico
