Pa. Named 12th Best State to Raise a Family

Pennsylvania was named the 12th best state to raise a family by WalletHub, which highlighted the state’s family fun offerings and relative affordability. 

With a total score of 57.91, Pennsylvania fell less than 10 points behind the number one state (Massachusetts, 67.60). 

Notably, the Keystone State ranked no. 8 in the family fun category, which looked at the share of families with children, number of attractions, fitness and recreational sports centers per capita and share of children who live in neighborhoods with parks/playgrounds. This does not come as a surprise, as Pennsylvania is home to numerous parks, nature offerings and family-friendly attractions. 

The state also ranked no. 17 in affordability – a category that analyzed a variety of factors, including housing affordability, median credit scores, median mortgage and non-mortgage debt, college savings, median annual family income and paid family leave. This relatively high rank in affordability is especially notable, as costs have risen in recent years, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that raising a child can cost as much as $320,000. 

In the other three categories, Pennsylvania ranked in the top 50% of states: 

• No. 20 in socio-economics 
• No. 23 in education and child care 
• No. 24 in health and safety 

In comparison, Pennsylvania’s neighboring states ranked overall: 

• New York: no. 6 (59.71) 
• New Jersey: no. 14 (57.44) 
• Maryland: no. 20 (53.94) 
• Ohio: no. 21 (53.77) 
• Delaware: no. 32 (49.36) 
• West Virginia: no. 49 (35.84)