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2nd Best State To Live In U.S. Awarded To FL

Only one state in the U.S. is better than Florida. See how the Sunshine State fares among the best states in which to live.

Amanda Lumpkin, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
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Florida is the second best state to live in, per a WalletHub ranking.
Florida is the second best state to live in, per a WalletHub ranking. (D’Ann Lawrence White/Patch)

FLORIDA — Only one state in the U.S. is better than Florida, according to a survey that named its best states to live in this year.

With a low unemployment rate, and its popular beaches, Florida came in second on the nationwide list released Monday. It was topped by No. 1 Massachusetts but defeated No. 3 New Jersey.

WalletHub analyzed housing costs, income growth, education rates and the quality of hospitals when ranking all 50 states. Experts said Florida has an overall score of 59.82.

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“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability," WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said in a news release this week.

"Many states have strong economies, though, so you should also consider a wide variety of other factors, such as how where you live will impact your health and safety, and whether you will have adequate access to activities that you enjoy. If you have children, a robust education system is also key.”

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Source: WalletHub

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See Florida's full ranking below:

  • Affordability: 30
  • Economy: 11
  • Education and Health: 24
  • Quality of Life: 4
  • Safety: 10

Here are the top 10 best states to live in, per WalletHub:

  1. Massachusetts
  2. Florida
  3. New Jersey
  4. Utah
  5. New Hampshire
  6. Idaho
  7. Pennsylvania
  8. Wisconsin
  9. New York
  10. Wyoming

Experts said Florida has a 2.9 percent unemployment rate and has the sixth-most job opportunities per capita.

The Sunshine State also is also seventh among the lowest tax rates and sixth among the highest median household income growth, "making it a great place to build and grow wealth," WalletHub said.

Florida sat at No. 46 for having one of the highest housing costs nationally.

Additionally, Florida hosts a variety of well-known attractions for tourists, including the Walt Disney World and Universal Studios resorts in Orlando.

Other attractions include historic downtown Venice, ZooTampa in Tampa, the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium in Orlando, the Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island and Adventure Island, Busch Gardens' Waterpark in Tampa.

Florida is home to the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Florida Marlins, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

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"To top things off, Florida is a pretty safe state. It has the ninth-most law enforcement employees per capita, which has contributed to the 13th-lowest violent crime rate and the 15th-lowest property crime rate," WalletHub said.

In June, Delray Beach was named the No. 1 Florida beach in USAToday's 10Best Readers' Choice 2024 Awards.

Travel + Leisure added Florida to its recent list of 25 Best Summer Vacations Everyone Should Consider in 2024, and U.S. News and World Report said Florida has 57 of the best bed and breakfast spots.

See WalletHub's full methodology here.

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