NH Ranks #1 on Best States to Live a Better Life

For the second consecutive year, New Hampshire ranks as the No. 1 state for families to live richer lives, finds a new study by personal finance website GOBankingRates.

Wyoming and Virginia have moved up in the rankings as the second- and third-best states for families. New Mexico saw the most dramatic decline on the list, replacing California as the worst state for families to live richer in 2017.

To identify locations that offer the best quality of life for families, GOBankingRates evaluated all 50 states by analyzing 12 key factors grouped into the following five categories:

* Jobs and Income: Median household income and state unemployment rate
* Housing: Median home listing price and state property tax rate
* Lifestyle: State tax rate, annual child care costs, cost of groceries and school district grade
* Health Care: Average family health insurance premium and percentage of employer contribution to employee health insurance
* Safety: Annual Violent crime rates and property crime rates

For full study results and more details on methodology, visit: Best and Worst States for Families to Live a Richer Life

Best States to Live Richer

1. New Hampshire

Median Household Income: $66,779
Median Home List Price: $278,000
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 1.99

2. Wyoming

Median Household Income: $58,840
Median Home List Price: $238,125
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 2.22

3. Virginia

Median Household Income: $65,015
Median Home List Price: $299,950
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 1.96

4. North Dakota

Median Household Income: $57,181
Median Home List Price: $201,500
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 2.39

5. Delaware

Median Household Income: $60,509
Median Home List Price: $260,000
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 4.99

Worst States to Live Richer

1. New Mexico

Median Household Income: $44,963
Median Home List Price: $219,000
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 6.56

2. Louisiana

Median Household Income: $45,047
Median Home List Price: $204,400
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 5.4

3. California

Median Household Income: $61,818
Median Home List Price: $499,000
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 4.26

4. Texas

Median Household Income: $53,207
Median Home List Price: $270,000
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 4.12

5. Washington

Median Household Income: $51,062
Median Home List Price: $344,950
Violent Crimes Per 1,000 People: 2.84

Additional Study Insights:

* New Mexico has the highest rate of violent crimes at 6.56 per 1,000 residents and its schools have the third-lowest grade in the U.S.
* Vermont is the safest place to live on the list with the lowest property crime and violent crime rates.
* Massachusetts has the highest-rated schools out of the 50 states on the list.

GOBankingRates.com is a personal finance news and features website dedicated to helping visitors live a richer life. The site provides tips on saving money to investing for retirement or finding a good interest rate. Its content is regularly featured on top-tier media outlets, including MSN, MONEY, AOL Finance, CBS MoneyWatch, Business Insider and dozens of others. GOBankingRates specializes in connecting consumers with the financial institutions and products that best match their needs.