A new report ranks Pennsylvania as one of the best states to call home. Here’s why
Thinking about moving to Pennsylvania? A new report considers the commonwealth one of the best states in the U.S. in 2024. Pennsylvania earned one of the top spots on WalletHub’s report of 2024’s Best States to Live In. The personal finance website compared all 50 states using dozens of “indicators of livability,” including housing costs, income growth, education quality and health care options.
“Personal preference also comes into the equation, as you’ll want to live somewhere with the types of attractions, recreational opportunities and weather that suit you,” the report’s introduction reads. “Fortunately, there are 50 states to choose from, from frigid Alaska to sunny Florida. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks.”
According to the latest rankings, Pennsylvania checks in as the No. 7 best state to live in for 2024. The Keystone State received high praise for its quality of life and safety but lower scores for its economy and overall affordability.
Here’s what you need to know about Pennsylvania’s ranking in WalletHub’s latest report, plus a look at the nation at large.
WHY IS PENNSYLVANIA VIEWED SO FAVORABLY?
According to WalletHub’s report, Pennsylvania’s quality of life (No. 3) and safety (No. 9) both rank within the top 10 states as of 2024.
WalletHub used a number of data and factors to establish its quality of life rankings, including hours worked each week, commute times, access to public transportation, air and road quality, access to quality restaurants and entertainment and more. Safety rankings, meanwhile, covered rates of violent crime and property crime, plus traffic-related fatalities and the total number of law enforcement employees per capita.
Pennsylvania scored poorly in its economy ranking (No. 41) and showed middle-of-the-pack quality in education and health (No. 19) and affordability (No. 29).
WalletHub based its economy score on a wide range of factors such as the unemployment rate, poverty rates, income growth, wealth gaps, general tax friendliness, median debt, food insecurity and population growth, among others. The education and health ranking focused on the quality of public schools, life expectancy and the overall health of residents, while affordability scoring centered on housing affordability, median household income and annual property taxes, the cost of living and ownership rates for homes.
Pennsylvania has developed a bit of a reputation as a less affordable state in recent months, according to other reports. A recent report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition found those working minimum wage in Pennsylvania will likely struggle to afford rental housing at a fair price, while an NBC News study concluded central Pennsylvania is likely unaffordable for those trying to buy a home.
Pennsylvania sits between Idaho (No. 6) and Wisconsin (No. 8) in the overall Best States to Live In rankings for 2024, WalletHub reports. The commonwealth’s neighbor to the east, New Jersey, checks in at No. 3 overall, while other bordering states like New York (No. 9), Maryland (No. 26), Ohio (No. 30) and Delaware (No. 34) follow Pennsylvania.
HOW DOES THE REST OF THE COUNTRY COMPARE?
No state is more desirable than Massachusetts, WalletHub’s report claims. The Bay State took the top spot on this year’s Best States to Live In rankings, largely boosted by high performance in education and health (No. 1), quality of life (No. 6) and safety (No. 7).
Massachusetts earned high praise for offering the lowest premature death rate in the country and the highest share of residents with health insurance coverage (97.3%), the report reads. High-quality public education and the third-lowest property crime rate in the nation also helped Massachusetts top the rankings.
Low unemployment and friendly tax rates, plus a wide range of beaches and entertainment options, helped Florida claim the No. 2 spot in WalletHub’s rankings. New Jersey took the No. 3 overall spot by offering the highest median household income in the country (roughly $96,000) and low rates of violent crime and poverty. Here’s a look at the top of this year’s rankings, according to WalletHub’s Best States to Live In report:
Massachusetts
Florida
New Jersey
Utah New
Hampshire
Idaho
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin
New York
Wyoming
According to WalletHub’s methodology report, data used to create the rankings came from a wide range of sources, most notably including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.