High Poverty, Highly Educated: New York Stumps 'Best States to Live In' Rankings

New York is an interesting state to rank since it can be divided into multiple areas that are completely different from each other: New York City, the Hudson Valley and Long Island, for example.

The many parts of New York are fused together to form one entity that was named the No. 13 best state to live in the country by financial website 24/7 Wall St.

The “America’s Best States to Live In” rankings viewed the Empire State as an anomaly in certain areas. It's a possibility that New York's big city, countryside and suburban communities make for a mix that defies statistics.

“New York has a higher than average poverty rate, which often occurs in states with lower educational attainment and lower life expectancy,” 24/7 Wall St. says.

New York, however, has a higher educated population while still maintaining a high poverty rate. About 35 percent of adults in New York have at least a bachelor’s degree, which is well above the 30.6 percent national share, the website says. The state's life expectancy at birth is 80 years, which is the sixth highest in the nation.
Massachusetts topped the list as the best state to live in while Mississippi was found to be the worst.

After Massachusetts, rounding out the top five states to live in are No. 2 Connecticut, No. 3 New Hampshire, No. 4 Minnesota and No. 5 New Jersey.

• If the Hudson Valley was its own state would it place higher in the rankings? Comment below.

On the other end of the spectrum, the five worst states to live in are led by (if leading this category is an honor) No. 50 Mississippi, No. 49 West Virginia, No. 48 Louisiana, No. 47 Arkansas and No. 46 Alabama.

Mississippi's poverty rate, for example, is above 20 percent, according to 24/7 Wall St., a strong indicator that the state's quality of life is greatly diminished for its residents.

According to 24/7 Wall St., New York has an annual household median income of $60,850, about $5,000 more than the nationwide medium, and a poverty rate of 15.4 percent, which is slightly higher than the nationwide poverty rate of 14.7 percent.

The high household incomes are often offset by a higher cost of living, the website says. Goods and services are also 16 percent more expensive in New York than the national average.

New York statistics:

• 10-year population growth: 6.1 percent (12th lowest)
• October unemployment rate: 5.2 percent (14th highest)
• Poverty rate: 15.4 percent (17th highest)
• Life expectancy at birth: 80.0 years (6th highest)

The website "devised an index composed of three socioeconomic measures for each state: poverty rate, the percentage of adults who have at least a bachelor’s degree, and life expectancy at birth" to come up with its ranking of America's best. Click here to review more of the methodology.

To view the complete ranking of "America's Best States to Live In" click here.

Photo By Ibagli (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons: "Welcome to New York" sign at LaGuardia Airport