10 Best States for Single Parents To Raise Families

The life of a single parent isn’t an easy one. It can definitely be rewarding, but there are so many factors that you need to consider when choosing where to raise your family that it can all feel very complicated.

To help simplify things a little, GOBankingRates conducted a study using data from Missouri Economic and Research Information Center (MERIC), the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index, and the FBI’s crime data.

According to these findings, these are the best states to raise a family as a single parent (in reverse order).

• Population total: 3,200,517 (U.S. total population: 333,287,562)
• Household median income: $70,571 (U.S. household median income: $74,755)
• Home average value (May 2024): $225,470 (U.S. home average value: $361,498)
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,343 (U.S. average monthly mortgage cost: $2,154)
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $3,535
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 19.118
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.682
• Difference in home value from national average: $136,028

“Among the most affordable states, Iowa enjoys very low housing rates and a fair cost of living–good news for a single parent who must try to squeeze their budget,” said Don Wede, President of Heartland Funding Inc. “It’s also one of the safest places to live, with lots of small towns and cities famous for such low crime rates.”

Iowa also has many highly-rated schools for the kids.

• Population total: 5,717,184
• Household median income: $84,313
• Home average value (May 2024): $344,891
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,055
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $4,260
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 24.617
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.375
• Difference in home value from national average: $16,607

Minnesota also ranks high on places to raise a family as a single parent.”The whole state has excellent schools, and especially in the Twin Cities metro area, you can also expect affordable rents (Minneapolis is one of the few major cities in the country where new construction is actually driving down rent), good public services, and decent public transportation,” said Martin Orefice, the CEO of Rent To Own Labs. “Throw in one of the best park systems in the nation, and it’s a great place to raise a family.”

• Population total: 12,582,032
• Household median income: $78,433
• Home average value (May 2024): $270,566
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,612
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $3,797
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 20.518
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.744
• Difference in home value from national average: $90,932

In Illinois, single parents can find reasonable housing prices — whether they’re looking to buy or rent. Both property and violent crime are on the lower side. According to US News, the state also ranks 16th in terms of education.

• Population total: 3,626,205
• Household median income: $90,213
• Home average value (May 2024): $433,999
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,586
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,057
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 16.755
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.676
• Difference in home value from national average: $72,501

Connecticut has some expensive areas, but its low crime rate is a definite draw. The state also ranks 3rd in pre-K-12 education and has high graduation rates.

• Population total: 1,939,033
• Household median income: $70,214
• Home average value (May 2024): $459,463
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,737
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $4,953
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 11.544
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.758
• Difference in home value from national average: $97,965

Idaho has risen in price over the years as more people move into the area. That said, the state is still more affordable than most. The cities of Boise, Nampa, Meridian all ranked high on Livability’s top 100 list of most livable small- and mid-sized American cities.

• Population total: 3,380,800
• Household median income: $86,833
• Home average value (May 2024): $533,112
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $3,176
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,416
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 20.099
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.572
• Difference in home value from national average: $171,614

When it comes to education, Utah ranks sixth overall. Between that, the high safety rate, and overall low cost of living, this is another great place to raise a family. The main downside is that the average cost of homes is on the more expensive side.

• Population total: 1,395,231
• Household median income: $90,845
• Home average value (May 2024): $501,203
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,986
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,565
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 10.378
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.270
• Difference in home value from national average: $139,705

“Safety is an important consideration for [single] parents,” said Rinal Patel, a real estate agent. “Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire are the best places to live in if you want to make sure your family is safe.”

Add that to the lower cost of living — home prices aside — and the strong sense of community, and New Hampshire could very well be worth calling home.

• Population total: 581,381
• Household median income: $72,495
• Home average value (May 2024): $346,709
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,066
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $4,206
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 19.678
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.292
• Difference in home value from national average: $14,789

Wyoming ranks 19th in pre-k-12 education and seventh in education overall. Housing prices are a little below the national average, a plus for those who want to raise their kids in a home — potentially one with a yard. Safety is high, crime is low overall, and the cost of living is cheaper than many other states.

• Population total: 1,093,734
• Household median income: $81,370
• Home average value (May 2024): $476,239
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,837
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,140
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 12.726
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.660
• Difference in home value from national average: $114,741

Despite being the smallest state in terms of geographical size, Rhode Island has a lot to offer — not least of which is a high quality of life to young and growing families. Again, the cost of buying a home is higher than the average, but the low crime rate, high median income, and general quality of life could more than make up for that.

• Population total: 9,261,699
• Household median income: $97,126
• Home average value (May 2024): $545,028
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $3,247
• Average monthly expenditure (with mortgage): $5,604
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 13.851
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.926
• Difference in home value from national average: $183,530

New Jersey has had a mixed reputation for years, but there are quite a few benefits to living in the state. Property and violent crime are low and the median household income is comparatively higher than the rest of the country.

Certain suburbs, like Haworth, are also great places to live and raise a family.

“It’s critical for single parents to have access to programs and activities that advance their kids’ growth,” said Patel. Many places within New Jersey offer just that.

_{Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed each state to find the best states for a single parents to raise a family. First GOBankingRates found the cost of living indexes for each state as sourced from Missouri Economic and Research Information Center. For each state the average expenditure costs was sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey for a single parent with at least one child under 18. The average single family home value was soured from Zillow Home Value Index and by assuming a 10% downpayment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, the average mortgage cost can be calculated. Using the average mortgage and expenditure costs, the total monthly cost of living can be calculated. Using the FBI’s crime data explorer, the crime rate per 1,000 residents can be calculated for violent crime and property crime. The household median income was scored and weighted at 1.00, the average mortgage cost was scored and weighted at 1.50, the average expenditure cost was scored and weighted at 1.50, the property crime rate was scored and weighted at 0.75, the violent crime rate was scored and weighted at 0.75, and the difference in home value from the national average was scored and weighted at 1.00. All the scores were summed and sorted to show the best states to raise a family as a single parent. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 10th, 2024.}