Best States to Live in the US in 2021: Top 10 States for Quality of Life (Global Report + Statistics & Facts)

The population density in Utah is just 36.53 per square mile. This makes it the 30th most-populous state, placing it way behind many others. The majority of the population lives in and around Salt Lake City. There are very few people in the southwestern corner of the state.

Utah’s median income is among the top 10 in the country. This means most households will not have to struggle to make a living or buy a new home. Plus, the state top individual tax is one of the lowest in the country, and the same happens with the property tax (around 0.64%).

Home values in Utah have gone up 13.3% in the past year, and it's a warm seller's market right now. The trend is expected to continue into 2021, rising another 10% or so. The median rent here is $1,525 per month.

This is the 16th-safest state in terms of crime rates. There were 7,553 acts of violence, including 72 murders and 1,822 rapes. This is still in the middle compared to all 50 states.

At 3.3%, Utah takes the number-one spot in the country, along with South Dakota. The fastest-growing jobs in this state include vet tech, operations analyst, and software and Web developer. They will experience anywhere from 150% to 180% growth in the next five years.

Over 32% of Utah residents have a Bachelor’s degree, and 11% have gone on to complete an advanced degree like a Master’s. Plus, nearly 92% of people have at least a high school diploma. This sets the economy (and future homeowners) up for success.

Utah is a wonderful place to live for people who are concerned about staying healthy and well. The state had only 2 negative behavioral health reports and 12 physical environment violations. This makes sense considering the fresh mountain air of this area.

The poverty rate in Utah isn't looking that great. The state has one of the highest percentages of young people, yet 10.63% of males and 8.96% of females are poor. These rates are most prevalent among Native Americans (27.08%) and Blacks (27.22%).

It could be the salt lake or the fresh mountains, but Utah has one of the best environmental outcomes in the country. It had zero reports or violations for air quality and pesticide use. Its biggest problem was drinking water, which is in line with the national average but it isn’t very clean.

Utah’s roads and infrastructure are doing very well. The state has the fourth-lowest percentage of structurally deficient bridges, at just 2,2%. Poor street conditions have a prevalence rate of 2.4%, the ninth-lowest in the country. The average drive time to work is just 22 minutes.

New Hampshire is the fifth-smallest state by area and the tenth least-populous, so people living there can have lots of space to themselves. The population density is 147 per square mile, and the majority of residents are White. The border it shares with Massachusetts is the most crowded part of the state.

Lots of people make good money in New Hampshire. The economy is run by several massive medical and financial institutions. Moreover, the government employs about 61,000 people. The large majority of employees work in the private sector. Another tidbit is that the state has the eighth-highest percentage of millionaires in the U.S.

The state also boasts a decent household income. It's a hot seller's market right now, with property prices rising 8.9% in the past year. In 2021, experts predict this trend will continue, rising another 6-8%. The average rent in this state is $1,750 a month.

There were 317 violent acts committed in New Hampshire last year. That said, violence in this state isn’t as high as in other places. For instance, there were 65 robberies in New Hampshire, but 126 in New Jersey and 215 in Massachusetts.

This state’s unemployment rate is the same as Colorado and Virginia. New Hampshire is a highly-educated state, being home to Dartmouth College, Franklin Pierce University, and several other educational institutions. Therefore, it makes sense that many residents pursue higher education and full-time employment.

Speaking of education, the state is in the top 10 for the percentage of residents with a Bachelor’s degree and/or advanced degree. Nearly 93% of people graduate high school, and 36% of them go on to finish college. An impressive 13.8% have a Master’s Ph.D., or other advanced degrees.

New Hampshire lands in the top ten of the national rankings in terms of overall health and wellness. It had just five behavioral care reports and six in the clinical care category. In terms of health facilities, New Hampshire has more than 26 hospitals. The best-rated one is The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon.

New Hampshire is among the top 10 richest states, yet it is not immune to poverty. Over 6.75% of males and over 8.35% of females are poor. This statistic is highest among blacks (19.82%) and Hispanics (16.4%), just between those two racial groups, that is nearly 11,689 people living in poverty.

New Hampshire made it to the top 10 in terms of environmental health. It had a very low number of hazardous waste and water quality violations, which is great for residents. However, the state has some work to do with its drinking water, which is below average in terms of safety.

New Hampshire is within the average percentage for structurally-compromised bridges (9%) and poor road conditions (4.8%). Drivers spend $422 highway dollars per year, on average. Also, the state has the 11th-highest commute time, at 27.3 minutes.

It has the 15th-largest in the nation, at 840 square miles. Within Massachusetts, the cities with the highest densities include Somerville, Chelsea, Allston, Brighton, and Boston. For instance, Boston has 14,482 people per square mile and a total population of 6,902,149 people.

Massachusetts is a great place to go to have a comfortable and approachable median household income. This figure signifies that the average family is doing quite well for themselves. Also, keep in mind that this number is adjusted for inflation.

This moderately high figure is not very consistent with the average household income. In the past year, Massachusetts’ home values have increased by over 10.4% and are expected to rise again in 2021.

When looking at criminal activity, Massachusetts experienced 3,613 robberies and 12,341 burglaries last year. The Springfield Metropolitan area in the west is one of the most dangerous parts. Cities like Holyoke, North Adams, and Springfield have Massachusetts’ highest number of incidents. Boston isn’t the safest either, so don’t be surprised to see it on the news.

The overall unemployment rate in Massachusetts is not really good. This is the forty-six-lowest in the whole country. Remember that unemployment refers to people who can work and are available for a job but can’t obtain one, either because they can’t find employment or no one is hiring them.

Massachusetts is fairly average when it comes to having an educated population. Despite being home to college towns, less than half of the population has a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

The state surpassed most of the country across the board. It had just one negative clinical care report and seven for social and economic factors. It also had nine behavior reports, which was one of the best in the country. This means that Massachusetts is one of the safest and healthiest for people of all ages.

Poverty is defined as not having the economic means to meet basic needs such as food, water, and shelter. Here, more females than males belong to this statistic, and the most prevalent ethnic group in this metric is Hispanics, followed by Native Americans.

Massachusetts was a poor performer in the hazardous waste category, with hundreds of violations. The state did better in terms of drinking water and overall water quality, though. Unfortunately, it sits in the bottom half of the national rankings for most environmental factors, posing lots of environmental health risks.

While Maryland is in the 19th place on the list, it has quite a lot of inhabitants considering its size (for instance, compared to New Hampshire). This may happen because the cost of living is elevated. Plus, it’s not that easy to get a good job without a graduate degree.

The median home income is decent, especially when considering the price of the property or of food. Most people here have higher education and are able to work in their career of choice. In terms of taxes, people have to pay 5.75% top income tax while the local tax burden is around 10%.

While MD is one of the places with the highest wages, homes are not that expensive. This means that, in a few years, people can buy their own house or apartment by saving or asking for a loan. The most expensive place to purchase is the Chesapeake Bay.

Violent crime numbers are high here, unfortunately. So are other illegal actions such as robbery (9,203) or aggravated assault (15,798). In terms of murders, the numbers are quite decent. Some areas to avoid include Baltimore or Elkton. Instead, the most peaceful cities are Ocean Pines and Taneytown.

While Maryland is a rich state, the unemployment rate is a bit high. For example, it cannot compete with better provinces like Uta, South Dakota, or Nebraska, which are under 4%. The rate is a bit above the national average, but this happens due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Again, MD does great when it comes to education. It has excellent higher education institutions, such as Towson, John Hopkins, and the University of Maryland. Most people here, then, at least have a bachelor's degree. This also makes it difficult for those who don't have the education to find a decent job.

MD ranks 7 in the whole country, which is good. As regards hospitals and centers, Maryland has quite a good number to attend to all the inhabitants. For example, there are 72 hospitals, and 13 of them are from the government. Plus, medical attention at clinics is quite decent, scoring 10 points.

This province is one of the least poor in the country. Then, it's rare to find homeless people or others struggling to survive, eat, or pay the bills. Plus, the state supports those who, for some reason was not able to finish school by giving them incentives to do so.

In terms of the natural environment, the air is quite good to breathe. The number of violations is low, especially when compared with other industrial provinces in the north. The water, instead, is a bit poor quality. It’s among the least safe in the country, and it’s better to drink from a bottle.

Considering highways and bridges, the gap is big. While most bridges are in fine condition, the highways are not the same. However, people’s usual road spending is low, which shows that the government strives to keep them in a good state, despite the patches.

The total population of Colorado is mostly scattered among metropolitan areas. Its population density is 52 per square mile and is #21 in the United States. The majority of residents are located in the central northern area of the region, which is where Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Denver are located.

The average take-home income here is the twelfth-highest in the country. Colorado’s economy depends on things like the federal government and the United States Air Force Academy. Colorado is also great for business and is home to companies such as Coors, Russel Stover, and Samsonite.

In this area, the home buying market is neutral, with the average household value rising nearly 8.6% in the last year. It is expected to increase by another 4% or so in 2021. The average rent here is $2,000 per month.

Colorado is not the most dangerous state in the country, but it's not the safest either. Just last year, there were 3,663 robberies and 20,064 burglaries. There were also 21,938 violent crimes in 2019. Colorado and Denver, in particular, were home to famous crimes, such as the murder of JonBenét Ramsey (whose DNA was found in 2016). Plus, in 2020 only, Colorado was home to more than 11 mass shootings.

The rate of unemployment in Colorado ranks #36 and ties with Arizona and Maryland. Unemployment has soared in the last few years, especially due to the COVID-19 restrictions that caused businesses to close. The most affected areas were leisure, tourism, and hospitality.

This state has the third-highest number of residents with a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Also, 91.1% of residents have a high school diploma, and 14.6% have an advanced college degree.

Colorado is also in the top ten in terms of wellness. It consistently had great wellness outcomes everywhere. Only in social and economic terms, it had 13 reports. This state had one of the lowest numbers of violations in the health outcomes category, with just nine. This might be due to the more active communities in this state.

The percentage of Colorado residents who are living in poverty reflects 9.44% of males and 11.18% of females. The ethnic group most likely to experience poverty in this region is Native Americans, at 19.45%. Blacks have a poverty rate of 17.71%, Hispanics are at 16.24%, and Whites are at 7.84%, the lowest in the area.

Somewhat surprisingly, Colorado came in at #31 nationally in this metric. It did the worst in terms of air quality, racking up 72 negative reports. It also had 692 drinking water violations and 405 water quality reports. That said, there were only seven pesticide violations.

Perhaps because of its mountainous terrain, there aren't too many highways to deal with in Colorado. Road spending per driver is $305, which is the seventh-lowest in the country. Nearly 6% of the roads are in poor conditions, and 5.4% of the bridges aren't structurally sound.

Washington is among the first 15 most populated states. This is the reflection of fairly good wages and education opportunities. The cities with the most inhabitants here include Seattle (the capital), Spokane, and Tacoma.

The median income per home is high in this state, one of the best in the USA. It is even higher than other expensive places such as Hawaii or Alaska. In regards to the taxes individuals have to pay, the rates are 9.3% for the local burden, and there’s no personal income tax, which is great.

Homes in Washington are really expensive, being in the top 5 of the country. People will need almost half a million dollars, on average, if they want to own their house or apartment. This is even more pricey than New York or New Jersey, for example, although it’s double the price of places like Illinois.

Washington is relatively peaceful in some places and regarding some crimes, but the same does not apply to other sectors. For example, the violent crime rate is high, in particular, when considering Wyoming or Vermont. The most dangerous cities here include Tukwila, Fife, and Tacoma.

Although the state is quite rich and moves a lot of money, almost 7% of the population are left aside from the job market. This happens mainly because some cities, like Krupp or Beaux Art Village, are too small to offer professional opportunities suitable for the quality of living in the province.

Education in Washington is good, and this shows in the 35% of the population who have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. These people usually study in institutions outside the area. But the most reputable ones here include the University of Washington or Seattle Pacific.

In terms of medicine, Washington is among the top 10 of the United States. Only 13% of the population has no insurance, which means that 87% are able to afford expensive medical treatment without the help of the government. Plus, there are great care centers like EverGreenHealth or Virginia Mason Medical Center.

The poverty metric in WA is fairly acceptable, with only 10% of the working population without a decent position. The ones that have it harder are families with children but with only one working parent. More than 20% of them are below the poverty line and struggle to make a living.

The air in WA is of good quality because there are not so many violations by companies or industries. Water, instead, is not so good. Tap water can be unreliable in certain sections of the province, and the government recommends buying bottles or at least water filters instead.

The roads in poor condition here are many, and this results in drivers having to spend a lot of money per year on reparations. Yet, the situation is reversed when considering bridges, such as the very high Tacoma Bridge or the Highsteel Bridge.

The total population density is 206.7 square miles. There are 11 major Metropolitan areas in Virginia, with Fairfax being the most populous with over one million residents. The most densely populated cities sit along the Eastern side of the state.

It seems that both single-earner and dual-earner households are doing quite well for themselves here. The economy is driven by farming and agriculture, military, and local businesses. Arlington, Virginia, is home to the Pentagon, which houses the Department of Defense.

The average value of a home property in Virginia grew 7.8% over the past year. The housing market in Virginia is red-hot and is expected to continue growing into 2021. The median rent here is $1,700 per month.

Virginia’s crime rate is falling, and the state is getting closer to the top 10 in the country. Even so, there were 3,524 robberies and 13,900 burglaries last year. In terms of the most dangerous places within the province, these are Norfolk (with over 1,000 crimes) and Richmond (with a lot of property crimes). Plus, Chesapeake and Newport are not known as being the most peaceful.

Virginia ranks #22 in unemployment, and the job opportunities here include some 900,000 governmental careers, such as the CIA, Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The area also has the highest concentration of technology workers.

Virginia has a decent number of residents with a Bachelor’s degree and compared to all the other states in the nation. It is one of the top 10 most educated states. As for residents with an advanced degree, 16.1% of the population has a Master’s Ph.D. or doctorate.

Virginia is between the first 15 states in terms of the quality of health. For instance, the rate of uninsured is around 20%, which means that almost 80% of the rest have a good job that supports their medical treatments. The best-rated hospital in the region is the Select Speciality in Newport.

The poverty indicator here is around 10%, which is quite decent. People prone to be poor are single mothers and families with just one working member without higher education. Today, Farmville is considered to be the poorest city in Virginia, with an average salary that is way below the national one.

Virginia sits right in the middle of the country in terms of how healthy its environment is according to violations. Its drinking water and air quality are just average, so it’s still something that can improve. The state did better with pesticide use and had zero serious negative reports.

Unfortunately, Virginia falls short in the infrastructure category, with some of the worst traffic and highway construction in the country. About 2.7% of the roads are in poor condition, and 4.6% of the bridges are structurally deficient. The state has the eighth-highest commute time to work, at 28.6 minutes.

This state has a total population density of 68.9 per square miles. Minnesota began growing once white settlers landed there in the 1850s. Since then, more people have moved to the state, with each century bringing a million or more residents.

Minnesota’s economy is driven by products and service manufacturing, although it has a long history of mining and working with raw materials. Today, companies like 3M, General Mills, Hormel, Land O’ Lakes, Target, and United Health Group are based in this state.

The average home in Minnesota experienced nearly an 8% increase over last year. Prices are expected to rise another 4% or so in 2021. It’s a hot seller’s market right now, and most people live in the Minneapolis area in southeast Minnesota. The median rent is $1,600 per month.

The state experienced 3,149 robberies and 15,927 burglaries in the last year. The number of murders is 117, which is better than several of the states on this list. There were still 13,332 violent crimes in 2019. The most dangerous cities in Minnesota are Bemidji, Virginia, Brainerd, Minneapolis, and West Saint Paul.

The percentage of unemployed people in Minnesota as of 2021 is in the middle of the road for the United States. Given that much of the economy relies on higher-level jobs like executives and technology workers, it is easy to see how some 187,000 people are without job security.

On the other hand, out of all Minnesota residents, over a quarter of them have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. That is the eleventh-highest in the whole country. Also, 11.8% of people in the state have an advanced degree, and 92.8% of them have a high school diploma.

Minnesota was a consistent winner across the board. It had one of the lowest numbers of negative reports in terms of health outcomes, at just seven. Where it struggled was in behavior and clinical care, as it got 21 and 20 violations appropriately. That said, it had just 8 in terms of social and economic factors.

The state’s rate of poverty is on the lower end compared to other states. Over 8.77% of those under the poverty line are male, and over 10.56% are female. Blacks are the ethnic group most likely to experience poverty, at 28.57%. This is followed by Native Americans (31.27%) and Hispanics (18.60%).

Sitting among the middle of the rankings, Minnesota struggled the most in terms of pesticide use. It also did poorly in the air quality category, falling a bit below the national average. Its best performance was regarding water quality and the overall safety of drinking water.

Minnesota’s roads and infrastructure are better than half of the country. Only 4% of the streets are in poor condition and just 5% of bridges. Drivers do spend $555, on average, in highway costs, though. Still, their median commute time is just 23.8 minutes.

When it comes to population, North Dakota doesn’t have a lot of people. This mainly happens because the area covered by the state is huge. Plus, it doesn’t have a lot of cities. The inhabitants, then, are scattered in rural areas. The main crops include wheat and corn.

Even if North Dakota doesn’t have a lot of people, the ones who live there are able to make a living. The median home income is adequate, especially when taking taxes into account. These include the income tax of 2.9%, and the local burden is around 9%. The major industries include the energy sector and tourism.

The value of homes is not really in line with most wages here. As a result, only those with a high salary will be able to afford their own house in a few years. The rest will have to ask for an expensive loan from the bank and get a mortgage.

In regards to the crime rate, there are certain cities where violence incidence is high. For example, Fargo or Mandan have some dangerous neighborhoods where arson or crime against property occur. Conversely, the number of murders is quite low, and so are the rates of rape.

This is not particularly a rich province, but the unemployment indicator is quite good. It means that people do not usually have problems when finding a job that allows them to make a living. Usually, this happens because there is a lot of rural work to be done on farms and plantations.

Almost 30% of the population has some kind of university degree, which is good when taking opportunities into consideration. Those who live in rural areas don’t need a Bachelor’s to have access to a nice job. That is why the unemployment indicator is so low when compared to this one.

Almost 20% of people don’t have private health insurance. This means that they cannot find a job that pays for them or that they cannot afford it on their own. As a result, there is some strain in the public system that showed when the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020 and 2021.

Only 10% of the population is poor in the state. Yet, almost 30,000 children receive food stamps and federal rental assistance. Plus, almost 7% of households don’t have a bank account, so it’s hard to keep track of their expenses and earnings.

The natural environment of this area is excellent. For example, the air has no violations, which means it’s of top quality and poses no risk to one’s health. Something similar happens to the water, which is safe to drink from the tap instead of from the bottle.

When it comes to urban infrastructure, this province has a gap between bridges and roads. While highways are well maintained and cause almost no issue, the same doesn’t happen with the bridges. More than 10% of them, including the Missouri River Bridge or the Sorlie Memorial, can improve their condition.

Vermont's population is noticeably smaller than other states, which makes sense considering it’s just 9,616 square miles. The density is 67.7 per square mile, and most people live in the northwest part of the state. Burlington is the most populous city, with over 42,545 residents.

The average household earnings in Vermont are okay. Over 262,000 people are employed in this state, Government jobs account for over 13% of Vermont’s gross state product, and real estate makes up another 11%. This is followed by manufacturing, healthcare, and retail.

It's a hot seller's market in Vermont right now, and home values have risen 6.1% in the past year. Experts predict this growth will continue into 2021, at about 4.1%. While the expansion is great, the price to buy a piece of property is a bit steep.

Vermont is one of the provinces with the least crimes in the whole territory. The murder rate, for example, is ten times lower than in Kansas and 100 times lower than in California. Even so, Saint Albans, Brattleboro, and Montpelier are the most dangerous cities within the state.

This state has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the entire United States, at 3.5%. It is 0.2% more the best-rated state here, Utah. The most popular jobs in Vermont center around the sales sector, such as cashier or retail representative. This is followed by registered nurses.

Vermont has a highly educated population. Nearly 37% of residents have a college degree, and 15% have a Master’s, Ph.D., or Doctorate. The state has the seventh-highest number of high school and university graduates in the country.

Vermont got high marks in every wellness-related category. Where it struggled, the most was in terms of the overall physical environment. It had 20 violations in this category, but that's still better than many of the other states. It had just 3 and 1 negative reports in clinical care and behavior accordingly.

Vermont is one of the richest states in the country, yet 9.97% of men and 11.90% of women experience poverty there. Blacks and Native Americans are the two racial groups that live in destitute conditions (25,95% and 17.72% for each group accordingly). Pacific Islanders are least likely to be poor, coming in at 5.99%.

Vermont landed in the top 10 nationally in terms of its natural environment. It had zero air quality reports and no pesticide violations. It struggled with hazardous waste, racking up an average number of violations. On a positive note, the state’s water quality is quite good compared to the rest of the country.

Vermont is among the best in terms of infrastructure, coming in only behind Nevada, Florida, Utah, and Arizona. Not bad for a state that’s on the other side of the country. Only 3.5% of roads and 2.4% of the bridges in the state are structurally deficient. The average commute time is 23.2 minutes.