New England almost had a clean sweep when it comes to America’s best states to live in. CNBC recently released a report on “America’s 10 best states to live and work in for 2023.” The report notes that all 50 states are assessed on various factors relating to quality of life, health and inclusiveness.
We use hard data to measure factors including crime, environmental quality, health care and childcare in every state. We consider anti-discrimination laws and worker protections. And with surveys showing a significant percentage of women factoring reproductive rights into where they are willing to live, state abortion laws are a new metric in 2023.
The final list ranked the 10 states in the following order:
- Vermont
- Maine
- New Jersey
- Minnesota
- Hawaii
- Oregon
- Washington
- Massachusetts and Colorado (tie)
- Connecticut
Sadly, Rhode Island and New Hampshire got snubbed and are the only New England states that did not make the list. Luckily, they did not make the “worst states” roundup either. Vermont took home the number 1 spot:
By the numbers, living in the Green Mountain State is stress-free, easy and healthy. Vermont offers America’s best air quality with zero high ozone days per year, and the nation’s most accessible childcare. Vermonters enjoy broad protections against discrimination, and it is one of the nation’s easiest states to vote in. Life in Vermont is good.
Maine displayed many of the same strengths as Vermont but outperformed with crime rate (Maine has the lowest crime rate in the country). However, Maine took a bump down to number 2 because of poor air quality.
The Bay State is another health-care powerhouse, with the nation’s lowest percentage of people without health insurance. It is a legacy of Romneycare — the health-care reform signed into law by then-Governor Mitt Romney in 2006, which became a template for the Affordable Care Act. Worker protections are robust in Massachusetts, and so are reproductive rights.
Massachusetts’ advanced medicine, robust workforce, and reproductive medicine landed it on the list, tying with Colorado. Boston also ranked as one of the world’s best cities earlier this year. Connecticut followed and CNBC noted excellent wellness, low crime rates, workers protection, and 1 primary care physician for every 3 residents.