California and Florida may have sunny beaches and New York may have the big city, but for another year, Massachusetts is the best state to live in, according to an influential ranking out this week.
The Bay State topped Wallethub's list for 2023, keeping hold of the No. 1 spot it had last year. And a neighbor to the north is not far behind — New Hampshire was No. 3, just ahead of New York.
What Massachusetts lacks in affordability — it ranked 44th on that score — it made up for in schools, doctors and crime. It was the top-ranked state for education and health and sixth for both safety and quality of life. Its economy was No. 11 in the country.
It's not just a great place to live, either. Last week, Wallethub said that Massachusetts was the top state to have a baby in, above Minnesota, Vermont and Rhode Island.
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New Hampshire rose up three places from the 2022 list. This year, it was No. 2 for education and health and also was second-best on the economy. But it's 40th most affordable, and the quality of life was NO. 37.
Rounding out New England, Maine placed No. 12, Vermont No. 17, Connecticut No. 26 and Rhode Island No. 29.
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Down I-95, New Jersey came in second and New York fourth, while Wyoming was the top state not in the Northeast, in fifth. The bottom of the list, which was published Monday, was New Mexico, just below Alaska and Louisiana.
