FL Ranked One Of Worst States To Raise A Family

A new ranking on the best states to raise a family has put Florida near the bottom 10, giving the Sunshine State one of the lowest scores on the national list.

Overall, Florida ranked 40th in the analysis by the personal finance company WalletHub, which used data from federal agencies, foundations and other sources to compare the 50 states across five areas.

Experts analyzed the housing affordability, job prospects, education quality, health care availability and other quality-of-life measures of the listed states.

“Raising a family has become significantly more expensive in recent years as the cost of living has risen quickly. In fact, it can cost a family as much as $320,000 to raise a child to age 18, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report, released Monday.

"In light of the expensive nature of being a parent and the responsibility it entails, it’s important to live in a city that is affordable while still providing quality health care, education, safety and opportunities for enrichment.”

Source: WalletHub

Each of the five categories in the WalletHub analysis was worth 20 points, but scores were weighted in areas where states over-performed in delivering services that are desirable to families.

Here’s how Florida, which had a total score of 44.19, fared in the various categories:

Family Fun: 12 points;
Health and Safety: 37 points;
Education and Child Care: 44 points;
Affordability: 50 points;
Socio-economics: 39 points.

Overall, the five best states for families are Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

The bottom five are New Mexico, West Virginia, Mississippi, Nevada and Alabama, per the analysis.

>> See WalletHub's full methodology: Best and Worst States to Raise a Family (2026).