10 worst states for families wanting a richer life

October 23, 2016 at 02:00 AM

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Whether you're already ensconced in the home you've always dreamed of for your family, or are considering a move that will enable you to better provide for them in the coming years, you might want to have a look at the work that GoBankingRates.com has done to rate all 50 states and the District of Columbia on the best (and worst) places for a family to have a richer life.

It's not just a matter of money, of course.

Safety is a consideration, and the quality of schools, along with whether you can find — and keep — a job, and whether you'll earn enough at that job to be able to support your family.

If housing's too expensive, you're liable to find yourselves in cramped quarters, while the cost of health care can become a major factor — for good or ill.

Groceries? Sales tax? Property tax? All of these can have an inordinate impact on your budget, and your family's well-being — as can high crime rates or poor access to health insurance.

GoBankingRates took 12 categories of vitally important daily life, divided them into five basic categories, and scored each state (and D.C.) based on how they fared compared to the rest of the country.

Depending on where you live, you might want to consider digging in a little deeper where you are — or moving in search of a more congenial family atmosphere.

Here's a look at the 10 places in the country that GoBankingRates said fared the worst — and why.

New Mexico offers cheaper housing but a poor job and income score plus a high unemployment rate. (Photo: iStock)

10. New Mexico

Jobs and income score: 14.

Housing score: 81.

Lifestyle score: 52.

Health care score: 53.

Safety score: 47.

The Land of Enchantment won't be doing much enchanting with the third-worst job and income score in the country, coupled with the third-highest unemployment rate.

It also has higher violent and property crime rates than 90 percent of the country. The state does, however, have the eighth-best housing score and the 10th-lowest property tax rate in the United States.

Florida housing is not unreasonable in price, but its crime rates might blow families' hopes of a rich life. (Photo: iStock)

9. Florida

Jobs and income score: 36.

Housing score: 68.

Lifestyle score: 53.

Health care score: 35.

Safety score: 49.

Sorry, beachgoers, think about someplace else. While you might find a reasonably priced house, with reasonable property taxes, Florida has one of the worst health care scores on the list, along with high violent and property crime rates and being tied for the worst state on employer contributions to health insurance.

And the median household income is in the bottom quarter of the U.S., at just $47,212.

A chilling fact for families is that Rhode Island has the ninth-highest unemployment rate in the nation. (Photo: iStock)

8. Rhode Island

Jobs and income score: 39.

Housing score: 51.

Lifestyle score: 52.

Health care score: 48.

Safety score: 66.

Small state, big drawbacks. Not only are Rhode Island's home prices on the high side — 16th highest — but its property taxes are right up there, too, even higher than what you'll pay for that roof over your head.

Education scores well here, but other things? Not so much: Child care and a whopping 7 percent sales tax — second highest in the country — will eat up your funds.

The state also has the ninth-highest unemployment rate in the nation and one of the lowest health care scores.

Groceries are cheaper in Texas, but the poor health care score and the unemployment rate aren't helpful to families, especially outside the big cities, such as Dallas, above. (Photo: iStock)

7. Texas

Jobs and income score: 46.

Housing score: 49.

Lifestyle score: 53.

Health care score: 31.

Safety score: 55.

You might not feel all that home on the range in Texas, where high property taxes and low schooling grades will likely not make you feel much like playing.

But you may have the time to, since the state's unemployment rate isn't great at 4.5 percent.

The good news? Groceries are the second-cheapest in the country, and child care costs are pretty reasonable, too, at $15,489 a year. But then there's its health care score, the worst in the country — nope, you can do better than that.

Sure, the seafood is great in Washington state, but the child care costs are high and so are groceries. (Photo: iStock)

6. Washington state

Jobs and income score: 41.

Housing score: 62.

Lifestyle score: 47.

Health care score: 50.

Safety score: 45.

An unemployment rate of 5.8 percent, coupled with grocery costs in the top 10, the 10th-highest child care costs in the country, and the eighth-highest median home price at $299,999 means you'll be spending plenty and probably not feeling rich about it.

Property taxes might not be so bad, at 1.09 percent, but you'll get hit every time you go to the store, with sales tax the fifth-highest in the country (tied with Arkansas for that dubious honor).

Low property taxes make Nevada helpful for families, but can they offset the second-highest violent crime rate in the United States? (Photo: iStock)

5. Nevada

Jobs and income score: 22.

Housing score: 74.

Lifestyle score: 40.

Health care score: 61.

Safety score: 60.

Property taxes are fairly low in Nevada, and home prices are around the country's median level. But there are other reasons not to seek out the Silver State — for one thing, if you have any silver, you'll probably lose it, and not necessarily to the one-armed bandits.

Nevada has the second-highest violent crime rate in the country, tied with Alaska for that dubious honor, and its sales tax is the fourth highest nationally.

The unemployment rate is the second highest, at 6.4 percent, and you'll be spending whatever silver you do have on groceries and child care costs. Then there's the school district's last-place ranking. This is a gamble you probably don't want to make.

Connecticut's high home prices and high property taxes make it tough to have a rich life for the average family. (Photo: iStock)

4. Connecticut

Jobs and income score: 55.

Housing score: 42.

Lifestyle score: 47.

Health care score: 59.

Safety score: 70.

High home prices — 11th highest median home listing in the country, at $293,948 — coupled with the fourth-highest property taxes nationally make it tough to have a rich family life in the Nutmeg State.

Child care and groceries are both expensive here, too, which adds to the cost; they're among the five highest in the country. But in compensation, low crime rates and good schools do keep the state from an even lower ranking.

Illinois The state's unemployment rate is one reason why Illinois ranks low on the family-prosperity scale. (Photo: iStock)

Chicago (seen here) may be one of the country's most populated cities, but it resides in a state where the unemployment rate is one reason why Illinois ranks low on the family-prosperity scale. (Photo: iStock)

3. Illinois

Jobs and income score: 32.

Housing score: 43.

Lifestyle score: 53.

Health care score: 45.

Safety score: 67.

Jobs and income don't do all that well in Illinois, and the state's 6.2 percent unemployment rate has a lot to do with that.

Prices on housing are way lower than in California, which might make you think it's a promising location — but you'll be paying more and more for that house every year in property taxes, the second-highest in the country at 2.32 percent.

Low scores for affordable housing in Los Angeles, seen here, and across California is a main reason the state ranks low for families wanting to make a better life. (Photo: iStock)

2. California

Jobs and income score: 48.

Housing score: 49.

Lifestyle score: 38.

Health care score: 40.

Safety score: 62.

If you've been California dreaming, stop it — you're older than that now.

Nasty scores in housing, lifestyle and health care combine to make it a tough place to raise kids. The median home list price here is $475,000 — in fact, the Palo Alto planning commissioner just quit, citing the high cost of housing — and groceries and child care are also pricy.

Schools aren't good enough to justify all that expense, and the family health insurance premium is among the 10 most expensive in the nation.

The second-highest median home price is just one reason why Washington, D.C. ranks low for families. (Photo: iStock)

The second-highest median home price is just one reason Washington, D.C. ranks low for families. Row houses in Logan Circle mirror the city's charm and complex history. (Photo: iStock)

1. Washington, D.C.

Jobs and income score: 52.

Housing score: 46.

Lifestyle score: 29.

Health care score: 56.

Safety score: 25.

If you're thinking of moving, you might want to eliminate our nation's capital as a potential family residence destination.

The fourth-highest unemployment rate in the country and the second-highest median home price — $549,900 — can knock you for a loop before you even get settled.

Then there's that abysmal lifestyle score — the worst in the nation, thanks in part to expensive groceries and even more-expensive child care costs: something at which D.C. ranks No. 1, at $40,473 a year.

Add to that the highest violent and property crime rate, and it's clear that D.C. is not really your best choice to raise a family.

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