Stunning northeastern state full of history and gorgeous beaches tops list of best places to live in 2024

The five most livable states for 2024 have been announced – and the number one location is bursting with history and beauty.

To determine the best states to call home, WalletHub compared the 50 states on 51 quality of life indicators—and Massachusetts came out on top overall.

These factors included housing costs and income growth, education levels and hospital quality.

An experienced financial analyst said, “When deciding where to move, you should first consider financial factors such as cost of living, property prices and job availability.”

With that in mind, here are the very best states to live in – for your wallet and your happiness.

The five most livable states for 2024 have been announced – and the number one location is full of history and beauty

1. Massachusetts

Massachusetts takes first place on the list, with high rankings in all areas, but especially in education and healthcare.

The state of New England is known for its historical density – as a place of early English colonization.

The state is also known for its stunning beaches – such as Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

Massachusetts enjoys a high reputation as an educational location and has two of the most prestigious universities in the world: Harvard and MIT.

2. Florida

The Sunshine States rank second on the list of places to live in 2024.

With such wonderful weather year-round, it’s no surprise that Florida ranks so highly.

Florida is one of the best states in terms of economy, quality of life and safety.

3. New Jersey

New Jersey ranks third among the most livable states.

The Mid-Atlantic state did not fare well in terms of affordability, but made up for this with its quality of life, education and health.

New Jersey is home to the Ivy League university Princeton University and the renowned Rutgers University.

The state also has famous beach promenades – such as the Jersey Shore and the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

New Jersey ranked third among the most livable states in 2024

4. Utah

Utah is the first western state on the list, ranking fourth.

The state is known for its incredible snow-capped mountains and numerous national parks – no wonder it receives such a high ranking.

The city scored well in affordability (ranking third overall) and also ranked highly in economics and education and health.

5. New Hampshire

New Hampshire is the second New England state, along with Massachusetts, to make it into the top five.

The state is known for its picturesque towns and large wilderness areas – and also has beaches like Hampton and lakes.

New Hampshire ranked second in the economy and education and health categories.

It also performed well in terms of safety.