New Jersey ranked 14th nationwide in the 2026 edition of WalletHub’s annual report evaluating the best and worst states to raise a family, a showing that reflects the state’s strong education and income metrics alongside weaker scores in affordability and family-oriented amenities.
The personal-finance website analyzed all 50 states using 50 indicators intended to measure overall family-friendliness. Those indicators included median annual family income, housing affordability, health care quality, crime rates, school performance, and access to entertainment and recreation.
States that performed best, according to WalletHub’s analysts, were those that successfully balanced affordability with safety, strong job opportunities, and broad access to quality education and health care.
New Jersey earned an overall score of 54.77. Among its strongest metrics were having the second-lowest separation and divorce rate in the country, the fourth-lowest infant mortality rate, and the fifth-highest median family income. These results point to relatively strong economic stability and health outcomes for families living in the Garden State.
The state’s performance varied significantly across categories. New Jersey ranked especially high in education and child care, finishing second nationwide, and also performed well in affordability, where it placed sixth. Its standing was more moderate in health and safety, and it lagged further behind in measures related to family fun and broader socio-economic indicators, which weighed down its overall ranking and kept it out of the national top ten.
Nationally, Massachusetts topped the list of best states to raise a family, followed by Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Other Northeastern states also performed strongly, with New York, Connecticut, and New Hampshire all landing in the top ten.
New Jersey’s 14th-place finish positioned it solidly in the upper tier, ahead of states such as Colorado, Rhode Island, Vermont, Utah, Iowa, and Maryland.
At the bottom of the rankings were states such as New Mexico, West Virginia, Mississippi, Nevada, and Alabama, which WalletHub identified as offering the least favorable conditions for families based on the same set of economic, safety, health, and education indicators.
While New Jersey did not break into the top ten, the report suggests that its strengths in education, income, and key health measures continue to make it an attractive place to raise a family, even as high costs of living and fewer family-oriented amenities remain persistent challenges.