California Ranked As Worst State To Raise A Family: Report

CALIFORNIA — The Golden State is setting anything but the golden standard when it comes to families, according to a new report.

California is the worst place to raise a family in 2025, according to ConsumerAffairs, a customer review and consumer news platform.

To determine the best states in which to raise a family in 2025, the ConsumerAffairs research team compared all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. across five key categories: affordability, education, health care, safety and quality of life.

California ranked 51st overall, according to the report. The Golden State ranked 46th for affordability, 32nd for education, 17th for pediatric health care, 40th for safety and 50th for quality of life.

Vermont ranked as the best state to raise a family, according to the report. The state ranked No. 1 in quality of life and ranked high in child health care, education and safety. Maine ranked second overall, followed by Pennsylvania in third.

California ranked No. 2 for worst quality of life. According to the report, the state has the worst air quality and the second-highest child poverty rate in the nation at 14%.

The Golden State also ranked No. 6 for worst affordability. Parents in California face the sixth-highest child care costs and the seventh-highest increase in housing expenses after having one child, the report found.

Additionally, the state ranked No. 11 for worst safety. California ranked ninth for worst property crime and 12th for worst violent crime nationwide, according to the report.

Read the full report here.