MA Among Best States To Raise A Family, New Report Says

Massachusetts is once again among the best states in the country to raise a family, according to a new report.

The Bay State ranked No. 4 nationally in ConsumerAffairs' 2026 list of the best states to raise a family, which was released this week.

ConsumerAffairs compared all 50 states across five categories: affordability, safety, education, health care and quality of life.

Massachusetts earned particularly high marks for its education system, ranking No. 1 nationally for public education.

However, raising children in Massachusetts comes at a significant cost. The state has the highest average cost of full-time child care in the country, at $24,300 annually for an infant, toddler or 4-year-old, according to the report.

Read more: Raising A Child Is Getting Even More Expensive In MA

The study also highlighted state investments in education, including millions of dollars directed toward special education and early literacy initiatives through a supplemental budget signed by Gov. Maura Healey this year.

Overall, the Northeast dominated the rankings, with seven of the top 10 states located in the region.

Connecticut took the No. 1 spot, climbing from sixth place in 2025. The state ranked among the top five nationally for safety, health care and public education.

Here are the top 10 states to raise a family, according to ConsumerAffairs:

1. Connecticut
2. New York
3. Maine
4. Massachusetts
5. New Jersey
6. Wyoming
7. New Hampshire
8. Virginia
9. Iowa
10. Vermont

Alaska ranked last, followed by Nevada, Arizona, Louisiana and New Mexico.

The study weighted affordability most heavily, accounting for 30% of each state's score. Safety accounted for 25%, education 20%, health care 15% and quality of life 10%.

See the full rankings and methodology at ConsumerAffairs.

Read more: How Hard Health Care Hits MA Family Budgets