Idaho rated one of the best states to live in the US. Here is where it ranked and why

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Have you ever considered leaving Idaho to find a state offering a better quality of life?

You’ll be hard-pressed to find it, at least according to personal finance website WalletHub’s 2022 report on the best states to live in.

WalletHub rated Idaho as the fourth-best state to live in, ranking in the top 10 nationwide for safety and the economy. The Gem State ranked the highest for Pacific Northwest states, with the closest-ranked neighbors being Wyoming at No. 8 and Utah at No. 13.

Idaho’s lowest-ranked neighbor is Oregon at No. 35.

To determine the best and worst states to live in, WalletHub used five key umbrellas to formulate the rankings: Affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Under those five umbrella terms are 52 metrics, such as the cost of living (affordability), quality of the public school system (education and health) and access to public education (quality of life).

Data was gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United Health Foundation and National Center for Education Statistics, among other sources.

Idaho tied for the fourth spot with Virginia with an overall score of 58.73 and was just 3.92 points off first-placed Massachusetts. Under the key dimensions, Idaho ranked 13th in affordability, ninth in the economy, 29th in education and health, 22nd in quality of life and sixth in safety.

Under the 52 metrics, Idaho notably ranked fifth-lowest in crime rate.

WHO IS IDAHO COMPETING WITH?

According to WalletHub, here are the states that Idaho is ranked alongside in the top 10 states to live in America:

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