Best States To Raise A Family: Here's How NJ Ranked

NEW JERSEY — If you're a New Jersey resident hoping to start a family soon, living in the Garden State could make that choice a little easier, according to a new analysis.

Credit and finance website WalletHub on Monday released its annual list of best and worst states to raise a family. According to WalletHub researchers, the ideal state is affordable to live in and also offers safety and good job opportunities, as well as quality education, healthcare and entertainment.

To help people find places with the perfect combination of those factors, WalletHub compared each state across 50 key indicators of family-friendliness. Some factors included median annual family income, housing affordability, health care quality, crime rate and school quality.

New Jersey came in at No. 18 on this year's list. WalletHub also ranked the state in specific areas including family fun, health and safety, and affordability.

Here's how the Garden State ranked in each category:

• Family Fun: 28
• Health & Safety: 20
• Education & Child Care: 4
• Affordability: 4
• Socioeconomics: 37

According to this year's list, Massachusetts is the best state to raise a family, followed by Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska and New Hampshire.

On the other hand, New Mexico is the worst state to raise a family, followed by Mississippi, West Virginia, Nevada and Oklahoma.

"Raising a family has become significantly more expensive in recent years as the cost of living has risen quickly," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. "In light of the expensive nature of being a parent and the responsibility it entails, it’s important to live in a city that is affordable while still providing quality health care, education, safety and opportunities for enrichment."

See the full ranking at WalletHub.com.