Map Shows Best and Worst States To Move to in 2025—Ranked
Thinking about moving to another state? Utah, New Hampshire and Idaho are among the best states to head to, while New Mexico, Louisiana and California are among the worst.
That's according to a new study by ConsumerAffairs, which named the best—and worst—U.S. states to move to in 2025. Drawing on five key metrics—affordability, safety, economy, healthcare and education, and quality of life—the report ranks all 50 states based on their overall appeal for newcomers.
For the second consecutive year, Utah, New Hampshire, and Idaho claimed the top three positions, the study noted. These states offer strong scores across multiple categories, especially in safety, economic stability, and overall quality of life.
Harrison Stevens, VP of marketing at TurboTenant, cautioned that rankings may not apply equally to everyone. "Stats and lists like these can help, but also they're not the perfect indicator of what state is right for you," he told Newsweek. He pointed to New Hampshire—ranked second overall—but 33rd for affordability. "So, it's probably not the best state for someone looking for affordable housing."
New Mexico ranked lowest overall due to weak performance in safety, healthcare, and education, despite strengths like affordable housing and sunshine. "If New Mexico's affordable housing and abundant sunshine are calling your name, you might think again —the state scored poorly in safety, health care and education, making it the worst state to move to this year," the report warned.
What To Consider When Moving States in the U.S.
Jeremy Savory, founder of global consulting firm Millionaire Migrant, said tax incentives often play a central role in domestic migration. "Any country—or in this case, any U.S. state—with a low or zero-tax jurisdiction has been doing well in the real estate market and will continue to do well," he told Newsweek. "People are moving within their own country—to Florida and Texas—because people move to where their money goes further."
Chris Orestis, president of Retirement Genius, agreed that financial optimization drives migration. "Huge priorities for choosing where to live are making the most out of savings, investments, and entitlements during retirement while limiting the impact of taxes," he told Newsweek. Orestis noted that retirees are increasingly turning to inland, low-tax states away from climate-prone coastal areas.
"As Americans consider where they may live in retirement, they must also prepare themselves for the negative impact that climate change-driven disasters will have on their finances, health, and lifestyle," Orestis said. Rising insurance costs and environmental risks are shifting retirement preferences away from traditional sunbelt states like Florida and Arizona.
Max Dugan-Knight, a climate data scientist at Deep Sky, echoed those warnings. "Heat waves are becoming more common and more deadly in many places, hurricanes are causing worse flooding, and these trends impact all of the metrics in the study," he told Newsweek. He said affordability is now closely linked with climate resilience. "As risk in your area increases the cost of things like home insurance will skyrocket. You will end up paying for climate risk through the cost of insurance or the cost of damages if you choose to go without."
Dugan-Knight advised avoiding areas already struggling with climate pressures. "Hot places are going to get hotter," he said. "Extreme heat in places like Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas is only getting worse. These areas also have risks when it comes to water security, which is going to become a critical issue in the next few years."
As for coastal regions, the scientist issued a final note of caution: "Flooding tends to be the costliest kind of property damage...coastal and low-lying areas are most at risk, particularly on the Gulf and South Atlantic coasts."
Top 10 Best States To Move To in 2025
Utah New Hampshire Idaho Virginia South Dakota Maine Nebraska Massachusetts Wisconsin Wyoming
Top 10 Worst States To Move To in 2025
New Mexico Louisiana California Oregon Arkansas Nevada Oklahoma Alaska Arizona New York
Source: Based on a study by ConsumerAffairs that looked at five key metrics—affordability, safety, economy, healthcare and education, and quality of life. See the full ranking of all 50 states at the ConsumerAffairs website.
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