Michigan Ranked in Lower Half of Best States to Raise a Family

Sure, you've heard of families making the move to different neighborhoods to be within certain school districts, but would you consider moving to a new state if it meant a better education for your children? WalletHub crunched some numbers to see what states are the best and the worst to raise a family. Surprisingly, Michigan ranks in the lower half of the list, coming in at number 31.

They based their results on several different factors; family fun, health and safety, education and childcare, affordability, and socio-economics. The first factor, family fun, is based on the number of families with small children, number of sports centers, and number of neighborhood parks. Michigan received a rating of 42.

Health and safety was based on numbers of active COVID cases, number of pediatricians, and quality of natural resources (air and water). Survey says Michigan's rate is 22.

Quality of public schools, cost of daycare, and parental leave fall under the Education and Childcare umbrella. Michigan scored 36 points.

Affordability looked at average costs of housing, median family income, and average credit score. Michigan's numbers? 8. That's not a typo.

And finally, the socio-economic category, which looks at number of two-parent households, factors in divorce rate, and includes job security, Michigan received a mark of 25.

It's awfully hard, and perhaps unfair, to rank an entire state on factors like these, considering that each city is so vastly different from the next, and rural areas and urban environments will vary greatly in each of these categories. A child living in a rural setting may not have easy access to a local playground, whereas the quality of the water in some cities may be seriously lacking. I suppose making a big move is all about what's best for you and your family, and what factors are most important to you.