New York State has slipped out of the top five states to raise a family for the first time in a while.

For many years New York State has been ranked as one of the top five states to raise a family. If you live and are raising a family in the Empire State you understand that New York isn't a place that's for everyone. Similar to other states numerous factors have made New York a top 5 place to raise a family year after year but for the first time in a long time, New York has slipped out of the top five in 2025 according to the personal finance company Wallet Hub.

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Best States to Raise a Family in the U.S.

Every year numerous companies conduct various studies to try a identify the best states to raise a family. Each company selects various factors to come up with the best and most thorough list. This year's Wallet Hub used 50 key indicators and averaged them to rank each state, including factors like housing affordability, family fun, health, crime (safety), education, and a few others to reveal which state is the best to raise a family.

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Where Does New York Rank?

In 2024, New York ranked as the fifth-best state for raising a family, but in 2025, it slipped one spot to sixth.

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New York scored great marks in the family fun category ranking as the 4th best. It ranked 5th best in housing affordability, which is two spots higher than last year but still trails behind Minnesota, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. New York received low marks in the education and crime categories in 2025.

New York Ranks 6th Best
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New York is the 6th Best State to Raise a Family

New York grabs the #6 spot in 2025 followed by New Hampshire at #5, Nebraska at #4, North Dakota at #3, and Minnesota at #2. The number one state to raise a family in 2025 went to the state of Massachusetts. Oklahoma, Nevada, West Virginia, and Mississippi landed at the bottom of this year's list with New Mexico taking the 50th spot making it the worst state to raise a family in the U.S.

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