Best and Worst States to Make A Living 2013 – Full List
Edited by
Kristin Marino 
Didn’t see your state on the lists of Best States to Make a Living or Worst States to Make a Living? Find it below in the full 50-state rankings.
Again, these rankings are based on an analysis that considered:
- Average wage and unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Cost of living data from C2ER (formerly ACCRA)
- State tax rate information from Tax-Rates.org
- The Workplace Environment rankings from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index poll
Going from best to worst, here is how all 50 U.S. states ranked for 2013:
| 1. | Washington |
| 2. | Virginia |
| 3. | Colorado |
| 4. | Texas |
| 5. | Wyoming |
| 6. | Minnesota |
| 7. | Nebraska |
| 8. | Utah |
| 9. | Kansas |
| 10. | Oklahoma |
| 11. | Arizona |
| 12. | Iowa |
| 13. | Massachusetts |
| 14. | Missouri |
| 15. | Indiana |
| 16. | Michigan |
| 17. | North Dakota |
| 18. | Nevada |
| 19. | Pennsylvania |
| 20. | Idaho |
| 21. | Ohio |
| 22. | Illinois |
| 23. | Georgia |
| 24. | Tennessee |
| 25. | Wisconsin |
| 26. | Maryland |
| 27. | Delaware |
| 28. | Florida |
| 29. | California |
| 30. | Kentucky |
| 31. | Arkansas |
| 32. | Louisiana |
| 33. | Oregon |
| 34. | Montana |
| 35. | New Mexico |
| 36. | New Hampshire |
| 37. | Connecticut |
| 38. | North Carolina |
| 39. | Alabama |
| 40. | Maine |
| 41. | South Dakota |
| 42. | Alaska |
| 43. | Vermont |
| 44. | West Virginia |
| 45. | New Jersey |
| 46. | South Carolina |
| 47. | New York |
| 48. | Rhode Island |
| 49. | Mississippi |
| 50. | Hawaii |
Our reviews are unbiased and thorough, focusing on consumer needs. For details, see our Editorial Policy & Methodology.
