Mapped: America’s Best States to Move to in 2026
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Key Takeaways
- New Hampshire ranks as America’s best state to move to in 2026, driven by high scores in safety, healthcare and education, and quality of life.
- New England dominates the rankings, with four states finishing in the national top 10.
- California ranks last for affordability, while New Mexico finishes last overall after receiving the country’s lowest safety score.
From rising housing costs to job prospects, Americans have plenty to consider when deciding where to move.
Using data from ConsumerAffairs, this map ranks every U.S. state based on a weighted combination of affordability, safety, education and healthcare, economic strength, and quality of life.
Happy Living in the Granite State
With a nationwide-high score of 68.51, New Hampshire ranks as the best state to move to in 2026, placing highly in four of the five categories.
The small Northeastern state ranks second nationwide for both safety and quality of life, third for education and healthcare, and seventh for economic strength.
The table below ranks all 50 states by their overall composite scores, making it easy to see how your state compares nationally.
| Rank | State | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 68.51 |
| 2 | Utah | 66.22 |
| 3 | Idaho | 65.50 |
| 4 | Virginia | 62.37 |
| 5 | Maine | 61.86 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 59.01 |
| 7 | South Dakota | 58.33 |
| 8 | Nebraska | 58.33 |
| 9 | Vermont | 58.15 |
| 10 | Wyoming | 57.40 |
| 11 | North Dakota | 57.36 |
| 12 | Iowa | 57.33 |
| 13 | Connecticut | 57.26 |
| 14 | Minnesota | 57.00 |
| 15 | Montana | 56.42 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 56.11 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 55.69 |
| 18 | Maryland | 55.51 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | 54.84 |
| 20 | New Jersey | 54.22 |
| 21 | Florida | 54.06 |
| 22 | Colorado | 52.69 |
| 23 | Georgia | 51.74 |
| 24 | North Carolina | 51.53 |
| 25 | Indiana | 51.23 |
| 26 | Kentucky | 51.10 |
| 27 | Ohio | 50.72 |
| 28 | Delaware | 50.71 |
| 29 | Kansas | 50.30 |
| 30 | Hawaii | 49.97 |
| 31 | Washington | 49.67 |
| 32 | Alabama | 49.00 |
| 33 | Missouri | 48.34 |
| 34 | Illinois | 48.17 |
| 35 | West Virginia | 47.49 |
| 36 | Michigan | 47.45 |
| 37 | Texas | 47.38 |
| 38 | Tennessee | 46.73 |
| 39 | South Carolina | 46.53 |
| 40 | New York | 45.88 |
| 41 | Arizona | 45.62 |
| 42 | Oregon | 44.94 |
| 43 | Mississippi | 44.92 |
| 44 | Alaska | 44.06 |
| 45 | Nevada | 42.39 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | 39.96 |
| 47 | Arkansas | 39.76 |
| 48 | California | 38.06 |
| 49 | Louisiana | 33.45 |
| 50 | New Mexico | 28.99 |
Affordability is the only category in which New Hampshire places outside the top half of the country. There it ranks 26th nationwide, making it less affordable than many of its closest competitors.
Despite its cost-of-living challenges, New Hampshire’s strong safety and quality-of-life scores have helped it remain one of the fastest-growing states in the Northeast.
New England’s High Scores
Beyond New Hampshire, the wider New England region also performs strongly. Three other states place in the nation’s top quintile by overall score: Maine (61.86), Massachusetts (59.01), and Vermont (58.15).
New England performs particularly well in categories that matter to families. The region includes two of the country’s three safest states and two of its three highest-ranked states for quality of life.
Its strongest results come in education and healthcare, with four of the country’s five highest-ranked states located in New England.
The Mixed Results of the Big Four
California, Florida, New York, and Texas are home to four of the country’s largest state economies, but their results as destinations for movers vary widely.
New York (45.88), for example, ranks seventh in both quality of life and education and healthcare, but places lower in affordability and economic strength. Meanwhile, Florida (54.06) and Texas (47.38) score well for economic strength but rank lower in categories tied to public services.
California (38.06) ranks last in affordability and second-to-last in safety, ahead of only New Mexico (28.99). However, the Golden State still places among the country’s top 15 for quality of life.
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