The Best and Worst State Capitals To Live In

State capitals serve as cultural and political hubs for the states they represent, so moving to a state capital can come with a certain amount of bragging rights. Additionally, state capitals are often centrally located near sights and amenities worth visiting.

However, every state has its own issues to consider, positive and negative, and their capitals are no exception. It’s important to understand some key demographics when considering a move to a state capital, as well as determining whether living in a state capital means a higher quality of life. To assess which state capitals are the best, and the worst, to live in, GOBankingRates analyzed all 50 state capitals by a set of criteria including such details as crime rates, cost of living, median household income, unemployment rate and the percent of people living below the poverty line.

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These rankings might prove helpful in your search for the right place to live.

The best state capitals all share a few characteristics, including a solid median household income, low poverty and unemployment rates, a low cost of necessities, affordable homes and a good grade for school districts.

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Tallahassee has one of the highest poverty rates of all state capitals, with more than a quarter of the population living below the poverty line. It also suffers from a low household median income of $45,734, though Florida residents can keep more of that money because there’s no state income tax. On the bright side, Tallahassee’s school district received a grade of B+.

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.70% 
• % of people below poverty line: 24.3 
• 2023 home value: $262,963
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,271.42

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 4.30%
• % of people below poverty line: 17.6
• 2023 home value: $136,430 
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,134.74

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.00%
• % of people below poverty line: 14.9
• 2023 home value: $195,204 
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,297.14

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.90% 
• % of people below poverty line: 17.5 
• 2023 home value: $152,865 
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,234.37 

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.10% 
• % of people below poverty line: 15.2 
• 2023 home value: $169,832 
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,363.30

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.10% 
• % of people below poverty line: 15.2 
• 2023 home value: $169,832 
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,363.30

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 5.20% 
• % of people below poverty line: 14.0
• 2023 home value: $500,131
• Non-housing expenditures: $18,399.53

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.30%
• % of people below poverty line: 15.3
• 2023 home value: $190,118
• Non-housing expenditures: $18,659.75

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.30%
• % of people below poverty line: 15.3
• 2023 home value: $190,118
• Non-housing expenditures: $18,659.75

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 5.20%
• % of people below poverty line: 10.0
• 2023 home value: $448,604
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,080.08

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.80%
• % of people below poverty line: 7.2
• 2023 home value: $459,845
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,561.93

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.00%
• % of people below poverty line: 12.5
• 2023 home value: $565,992
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,054.20

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.00%
• % of people below poverty line: 16.3
• 2023 home value: $197,118
• Non-housing expenditures: $18,271.19

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.60%
• % of people below poverty line: 9.4
• 2023 home value: $424,724
• Non-housing expenditures: $18,018.72

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.10%
• % of people below poverty line: 12.1
• 2023 home value: $419,586
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,678.30

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.40%
• % of people below poverty line: 12.6
• 2023 home value: $224,379
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,908.67

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.00% 
• % of people below poverty line: 16.6
• 2023 home value: $370,096
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,365.40

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.00%
• % of people below poverty line: 13.0
• 2023 home value: $263,302
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,665.90

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.00%
• % of people below poverty line: 13.0
• 2023 home value: $263,302
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,665.90

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.80%
• % of people below poverty line: 11.6
• 2023 home value: $469,840
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,003.29

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.70%
• % of people below poverty line: 8.7
• 2023 home value: $333,220
• Non-housing expenditures: $18,395.13

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.70%
• % of people below poverty line: 9.3
• 2023 home value: $364,129
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,136.10

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.80%
• % of people below poverty line: 4.9
• 2023 home value: $358,723
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,459.91

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 1.60%
• % of people below poverty line: 15.9
• 2023 home value: $271,762
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,122.77

The worst state capitals usually feature low household income, high poverty and unemployment rates and high crime rates. They might also have expensive necessities and housing costs or poor school district grades. These factors become more extreme the lower a capital is in the rankings.

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.80%
• % of people below poverty line: 21.2
• 2023 home value: $132,256
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,401.24

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.90%
• % of people below poverty line: 15.4
• 2023 home value: $401,335
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,158.20

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.90%
• % of people below poverty line: 15.4
• 2023 home value: $401,335
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,158.20

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.30%
• % of people below poverty line: 18.5
• 2023 home value: $527,906
• Non-housing expenditures: $18,556.21

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.60%
• % of people below poverty line: 17.6
• 2023 home value: $676,915
• Non-housing expenditures: $23,170.31

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.70%
• % of people below poverty line: 14.5
• 2023 home value: $422,587
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,698.68

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.40%
• % of people below poverty line: 19.8
• 2023 home value: $323,892
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,483.22

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.40%
• % of people below poverty line: 19.8
• 2023 home value: $323,892
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,483.22

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 4.00%
• % of people below poverty line: 19.3
• 2023 home value: $238,910
• Non-housing expenditures: $18,705.90

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.00%
• % of people below poverty line: 11.6
• 2023 home value: $567,384
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,592.48

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 4.30%
• % of people below poverty line: 14.8
• 2023 home value: $462,952
• Non-housing expenditures: $22,212.16

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 4.10%
• % of people below poverty line: 18.4
• 2023 home value: $234,537
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,506.60

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.20%
• % of people below poverty line: 18.5
• 2023 home value: $374,018
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,929.31

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.10%
• % of people below poverty line: 11.0
• 2023 home value: $810,660
• Non-housing expenditures: $27,362.99

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 2.50%
• % of people below poverty line: 13.3
• 2023 home value: $536,558
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,841.83

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 4.00
• % of people below poverty line: 21.7
• 2023 home value: $267,515
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,297.00

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.90%
• % of people below poverty line: 21.5
• 2023 home value: $342,763
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,494.12

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.40
• % of people below poverty line: 15.6
• 2023 home value: $189,770
• Non-housing expenditures: $18,791.78

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.70%
• % of people below poverty line: 28.2
• 2023 home value: $20,417.79
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,417.79

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.70%
• % of people below poverty line: 28.2
• 2023 home value: $220,537
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,417.79

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 5.20%
• % of people below poverty line: 20.5
• 2023 home value: $296,526
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,772.43

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 5.20%
• % of people below poverty line: 20.5
• 2023 home value: $296,526
• Non-housing expenditures: $20,772.43

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 5.00%
• % of people below poverty line: 21.8
• 2023 home value: $131,435
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,091.44

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 3.30%
• % of people below poverty line: 27.7
• 2023 home value: $261,225
• Non-housing expenditures: $21,313.56

• January 2023 unemployment rate: 4.90%
• % of people below poverty line: 26.1
• 2023 home value: $66,854
• Non-housing expenditures: $19,262.27

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Jordan Rosenfeld, Sean Dennison and Jami Farkas contributed to the reporting for this article.

_{Methodology: GoBankingRates analyzed data from all 50 states capitals to find the best (and worst) capitals to live in. GoBankingRates usedthe following criteria: (1) violent crime rate per 1,000 residents, and (2) property crime rate per 1,000 residents, both sourcedfrom Neighborhood Scout; (3) median home value, sourced from Zillow’s 2023 Home Value Index; (4) annual cost of livingexpenditures, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey and local cost of living indicessourced from Sperling’s Best Places; (5) school district score, based on Niche’s Best School District index; (each school districthad an alphabetical grade, A+ through F, which was converted into a numerical value in order to score); (6) percent ofpopulation living below the poverty line and (7) the median household income sourced from the 2021 American CommunitySurvey done by the United states Census Bureau; and (8) unemployment rate for Janruary 2023 as sourced from the Bureau ofLabor Statistics: Janruary 2023 rates for Metropolitan Areas. All these factors were scored, summed up and then ranked frombest to worst for each state capital. All data was collected and is up-to-date as of April 27th, 2023}