SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah has placed itself in the top 10 in WalletHub’s annual ‘Best States to Live In’ report for 2025. This recognition highlights the Beehive State’s strengths in education, health services, and affordability.
The study from WalletHub assessed all 50 states using five primary criteria: affordability, economic conditions, access to education and health care, quality of life, and safety. The list provided a ranking of the 10 best states.
- Massachusetts
- Idaho
- New Jersey
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
- Florida
- New Hampshire
- Utah
- New York
- Pennsylvania
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This year, Utah claimed the eighth spot overall. When breaking down the factors like affordability and economic performance, Utah showed varied results. Notably, it ranked as the sixth most affordable state, considering factors like median income, property taxes, and overall living expenses.
On the economic front, Utah landed in 19th place, evaluated through metrics such as unemployment rates and growth in population. Though it doesn’t have the highest ranking here, the state boasts the second-lowest poverty rate compared to the rest of the nation.
The area where Utah excelled was in education and health, coming in second place nationally, just behind Massachusetts. This heavy ranking comes after analyzing high school graduation rates, life expectancy, and the quality of its public hospitals and schools. Utah has consistently shown up as a top contender for having some of the best educational systems across the U.S.
However, Utah’s score in quality of life wasn’t as impressive, landing at 29th. This ranking reflects average weekly work hours, commute durations, available recreational activities, and traffic issues. Yet, it’s interesting to note that Utah shows the shortest average work hours when compared to the other states.
Safety was another area where Utah’s performance was moderate, ranking 23rd. The evaluation looked at various factors including crime rates and traffic-related fatalities. Despite being generally regarded as a safe state, Utah grapples with higher rates of car accidents, particularly during busy summer and winter travel periods.
If you’re keen to dive deeper into WalletHub’s methodologies or see how other states scored, check out their comprehensive analysis in this Best States to Live In study.
