Idaho Is Only The 4th Best State To Live In The U.S.

The growth rates would beg to differ, but there are a few factors that keep Idaho from being the best state in the country to live in.

Wallethub released their annual list of the best states to live in based on some key factors: Safety, affordability, the economy, health and education, and overall quality of life. This year, New Jersey took the number one spot, despite being one of the lowest states for affordability, they were the top state for safety. Massachusetts and New York took the number two and three spots, respectively.

Idaho ranked 4th. With safety and our economy being the leading factors. Education and health and quality of life were the categories that brought Idaho down the most in this study. That said, there are still 46 states that are worse to live in than Idaho. The honor for the worst in the country goes to New Mexico where safety ranks the absolute lowest. Interestingly, six out of the bottom ten "best to live" states in the country are Southern states; Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana.

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There's lots of studies and rankings, some make Idaho shine, some make Idaho look not so great, but when you look at the housing market and other trends, it's clear that a lot of people see the appeal to moving to Idaho as it's consistently been one of the fastest growing states in the nation for years, so do what you will with all this information, Idaho is definitely on an upswing!