NC An Expensive Place To Raise A Family: Study

CHARLOTTE, NC -- North Carolina’s high cost of living gave the Tar Heel state mixed results in a new study of the best states to raise a family. North Carolina ranked 38 of the 50 states when it comes to raising a family, according to personal finance website WalletHub. Experts based the rankings on 42 indicators of family friendliness.

"To determine the best states in which to put down family roots, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 42 key indicators of family-friendliness," according to the findings released on Monday. "The data set ranges from median family salary to housing affordability to unemployment rate."

North Carolina finished 19th for “family fun,” and 18th for “education and childcare,” but came in lower when it came to “socioeconomics” (29th) and “health and safety” (37th). When it came to affordability, researchers found North Carolina near the bottom of the list, ranking 47th out of 50.

"Raising a healthy, stable family sometimes requires moving to a new state. And the reasons are often similar: career transitions, better schools, financial challenges or perhaps a general desire to change settings," WalletHub penned.

"But wants and needs don't always align in a particular state, which might offer, for instance, a low income-tax rate yet sub-par education system," according to the website. "Consequently, a family must make unnecessary sacrifices — the kinds that are easily avoided by knowing which states offer the best combination of qualities that matter most to parents and their kids."

Topping the list of best states to raise a family include Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Vermont. The worst states included New Mexico, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia and Louisiana.

Click here to read more about the study.

Patch Editor Paul Scicchitano contributed to this report.

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