You know Utah’s got some family vibes.
But it actually isn’t one of the top states for families, according to a new WalletHub report.
In January, WalletHub released a study that identified the top states to raise a family, comparing all 50 states and the District of Columbia on 40 different key indicators, including median family salary, house affordability and the employment rate.
North Dakota topped the list, with New Hampshire, Vermont, Minnesota and Nebraska rounding out the top five.
Utah ranked 12th on the list, just ahead of Kansas, Wyoming and Colorado in the top 15.
The bottom five states included New Mexico, Mississippi, the District of Columbia, Louisiana and Nevada, according to the report.
The Beehive State ranked first for having the most families with kids. Utah also has the lowest divorce rate, according to the report. The state also has a high ranking for family fun (fourth) and has the highest socio-economic rank for families, but it suffers from its low rankings in health and safety, as well as its education and child care costs.
Nicholas H. Wolfinger, a professor in the University of Utah's Department of Family and Consumer Studies, said states can become more attractive to young families if they create more jobs.
Wolfinger also said that lowering child care costs can influence families to flock to states.
“Child care costs are a formidable expense for most American parents, and most mothers go back to work far sooner than they’d like,” Wolfinger wrote for WalletHub. “Why shouldn’t America be more like the rest of the developed world by helping out working families?”
Want to know more about the study? Check out the map below.
Source: WalletHub