ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota is one of the best states in the country to call home, according to a new study from personal finance website WalletHub that ranked all 50 states on affordability, economy, education, health, quality of life and safety. But the state was beaten out by its neighbor to the east.
WalletHub placed Minnesota eighth overall out of 50 states, with a total score of 57.94 out of 100 points.
The state ranked second in the nation for education and health, 12th for quality of life, 14th for affordability, 26th for safety and 32nd for economy.
Wisconsin ranked higher, coming in third overall behind only Idaho and New Jersey.
WalletHub credited Wisconsin's affordable housing market, strong public school system and low property crime rate for its high ranking.
Wisconsin's housing affordability ranked among the best in the country, and the state posted the 10th-best economy score and 10th-best education and health score nationally.
Idaho topped the list as the best state to live in overall, followed by New Jersey, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Rounding out the top 10 were Wyoming at No. 6, Utah at No. 7, Minnesota at No. 8, Pennsylvania at No. 9 and Florida at No. 10.
WalletHub compared the states using 51 metrics across five categories, including housing affordability, income growth, educational attainment and hospital quality.
Top 10 states to live in, per WalletHub:
1. Idaho
2. New Jersey
3. Wisconsin
4. Massachusetts
5. New Hampshire
6. Wyoming
7. Utah
8. Minnesota
9. Pennsylvania
10. Florida
Bottom 10 states to live in, per WalletHub:
41. Kentucky
42. Oregon
43. West Virginia
44. Oklahoma
45. Nevada
46. Arkansas
47. Alaska
48. Mississippi
49. Louisiana
50. New Mexico
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