ICYMI: Massachusetts Tops Study As 'Best State To Live In'

A new report on the best states to live in says people tend to rely on subjective factors – like weather – to rank their home states. But 24/7 Wall St. recently reviewed three fairly objective statewide measures and found that Massachusetts comes out on top.

If weather was included, we probably would have lost.

24/7 Wall St. published a report this week that looked at the poverty rate, educational attainment and life expectancy at birth to determine the quality of life in each state. According to the site, Massachusetts has one of the wealthiest and most highly educated populations.

Here's why Massachusetts is the best, according to the 24/7 Wall St. report:

• More than 2 out of 5 adults have at least a bachelor's degree: The highest ratio of any state. Theoretically, the high level of education helps lower the poverty rate.
• The poverty rate is 11.5 percent. Ideally it would be 0, but the rate is significantly lower than across the U.S.
• Massachusetts residents' life expectancy at birth is 80.2 year old, the fifth highest in the nation, signifying a healthy state.

The top five best states to live in according to the list are Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Minnesota and New Jersey.

The lowest ranked states were Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Kentucky.

Click here to read the full report.

Image via WikiCommons