The U.S. states that provide the most supportive environment for raising a family combine affordability with safety, strong job opportunities and access to quality education, health care and entertainment, according to new research from WalletHub, the personal finance website.

“Raising a family has become significantly more expensive in recent years as the cost of living has risen quickly,” Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said in a statement. “In fact, it can cost a family as much as $320,000 to raise a child to age 18, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”

The expense and responsibility involved in parenthood, Lupo said, makes it important for families to live in a place that is both affordable and provides top-notch quality-of-life support.

Some states are much more supportive of growing families than others, the research showed.

To determine the best places to raise a family, WalletHub compared the 50 states across these key dimensions:

  • Family fun, including share of families with young children, number of attractions, and fitness and recreational facilities per capita
  • Health and safety, including pediatricians per capita, air and water quality, violent and property crimes per capita, and share of children 0 to 17 who live in supportive neighborhoods
  • Education and child care, including quality of public schools, child day-care costs and share of children 6 to 17 who participate in school extracurricular activities and/or in community service or volunteer work
  • Affordability, including housing affordability, mean mortgage and non-mortgage debt, average annual family health insurance premium and paid family leave
  • Socioeconomics, including separation and divorce rate, share of two-parent families, wealth gap and job security and opportunities

Researchers evaluated these dimensions using 50 relevant metrics and graded each one on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for family life.

See the accompanying gallery for the 12 best states for families, according to WalletHub.

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