15 Best State Capitals to Live In

Population and Social Characteristics

Published: March 13, 2024 9:30 am

From sea to shining sea, the United States covers more than 3.7 million square miles, not including additional territories and dependencies. That’s a lot of space to live, and a lot of good and bad places. With remote and hybrid work becoming more popular, Americans have more choices when it comes to where they live. Knowing the best and worst states to live in is a great first step in the right direction, but if you get more specific, consider a state capital. Living in a state capital, you get a pulse on what the state values more than anything. Most state capitals also offer more job opportunities, increased pay, educational opportunities and a feel for the state’s culture.

Quality of life in the states and the cities varies greatly. While the diversity of America is something to celebrate, there are areas where that’s not the reality. State capitals give a good baseline for what the rest of the state is like. As the government seat, the capital should reflect the efforts to improve the well-being and safety of residents, but every single capital is different.

Methodology

This is a photo of a map of the United States of America.

To find the state capitals considered the best to live in, we reviewed 48 indicators of economic well-being, education and health, quality of life, population and median household income. Data was pulled data from the United States Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and many other government agencies to create an index ranking system.

The theory is that state capitals show the best the state has to offer. The reality is that some capitals are the best city in the state to live in, while others are the worst. For your convenience, we’ve numbered the top 15 state capitals to live in, from worst to best. Starting at 15 means there are still 35 that Wallethub’s index considered worse, but for purposes of this article, we focused on the last 15. Population numbers were rounded to the nearest thousand or million, and income numbers were rounded to the nearest thousand.

The Midwest makes a strong showing in the top 15 with the capitals of Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa on the list. Austin, Texas, comes in as the top state capital to live in, ranking number one in education and health, and economic well-being.

15. Des Moines, IA

Corn Field in Iowa — This is a picture of a cornfield in Iowa.

Affordability rank: 3
Economic well-being rank: 35
Education and health rank: 22
Quality of life rank: 34
Population: 213,000
Median household income: $59,000

14. Bismarck, ND

This is an aerial view of a city in North Dakota.

Affordability rank: 10
Economic well-being rank: 17
Education and health rank: 20
Quality of life rank: 37
Population: 135,000
Median household income: $76,000

13. Pierre, SD

This is an image of a couple viewing Mt. Rushmore.

Affordability rank: 1
Economic well-being rank: 32
Education and health rank: 31
Quality of life rank: 31
Population: 20,000
Median household income: $80,000

12. Oklahoma City, OK

This is a view of downtown in a city in Oklahoma.

Affordability rank: 2
Economic well-being rank: 21
Education and health rank: 30
Quality of life rank: 29
Population: 1 million
Median household income: $64,000

11. Nashville, TN

Tennessee | Nashville, Tennessee downtown skyline at twilight — This is a view of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, at sunset.

Affordability rank: 20
Economic well-being rank: 4
Education and health rank: 28
Quality of life rank: 18
Population: 1.3 million
Median household income: $71,000

10. Concord, NH

This is a view of a freeway in New Hampshire.

Affordability rank: 4
Economic well-being rank: 23
Education and health rank: 26
Quality of life rank: 27
Population: 157,000
Median household income: $78,000

9. Denver, CO

Red Rocks Park at Sunrise, near Denver Colorado — This is a view of the Red Rocks Park in Denver, Colorado, at sunset.

Affordability rank: 33
Economic well-being rank: 5
Education and health rank: 9
Quality of life rank: 16
Population: 2.9 million
Median household income: $86,000

8. Columbus, OH

This is a view of downtown Columbus, Ohio.

Affordability rank: 13
Economic well-being rank: 18
Education and health rank: 27
Quality of life rank: 10
Population: 2.2 million
Median household income: $63,000

7. Salt Lake City, UT

This is an aerial view of Utah in the fall

Affordability rank: 35
Economic well-being rank: 3
Education and health rank: 4
Quality of life rank: 11
Population: 1.2 million
Median household income: $82,000

6. Lincoln, NE

Nebraska | Omaha skyline and lake at Autumn — This is a picture of Omaha, Nebraska.

Affordability rank: 7
Economic well-being rank: 19
Education and health rank: 13
Quality of life rank: 20
Population: 3444,000
Median household income: $68,000

5. Atlanta, GA

Georgia | Atlanta, Georgia, USA — This is an image of Atlanta, Georgia, at twilight.

Affordability rank: 25
Economic well-being rank: 8
Education and health rank: 11
Quality of life rank: 6
Population: 6.1 million
Median household income: $78,000

4. Boise, Idaho

This is a view of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho.

Affordability rank: 27
Economic well-being rank: 2
Education and health rank: 8
Quality of life rank: 4
Population: 470,000
Median household income: $98,000

3. Raleigh, NC

This is an image of a mansion in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Affordability rank: 5
Economic well-being rank: 10
Education and health rank: 7
Quality of life rank: 13
Population: 1.6 million
Median household income: $79,000

2. Madison, WI

This is an aerial view of downtown Madison, Wisconsin.

Affordability rank: 14
Economic well-being rank: 14
Education and health rank: 2
Quality of life rank: 3
Population: 693,000
Median household income: $75,000

1. Austin, TX

Austin Texas USA sunrise skyline cityscape over Town Lake or Lady Bird Lake with amazing reflection. Skyscrapers and Texas capital building in distance you can see the entire city during summer — This is a photo of Austin, Texas, at sunrise.

Affordability rank: 12
Economic well-being rank: 1
Education and health rank: 1
Quality of life rank: 9
Population: 2.5 million
Median household income: $122,300

Deeper Into the Data

This is a picture of a keyboard with a person typing on it.

When you dig deeper into the data, you can separate the things that are most important to you. For example, if you’re looking for affordable housing look no further than Des Moines, IA, Topeka, KS, or Pierre, SD. Unemployment rates are lowest in Lincoln, NE, Annapolis, MD, and Bismarck, ND.

Poverty Level

More people live in poverty in the Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mississippi and Louisiana state capitals. Fewer people live in poverty in the capitals of Maryland, Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska and Vermont.

Crime Rate

Crime rates are ranked highest in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisana, Utah and New Mexico state capitals. They are ranked lower in Vermont, Missouri, Kentucky, Idaho and New Hampshire.

Average Weekly Work Hours

Work hours are ranked highest in the capitals of Wyoming, Georgia, Colorado, Alaska and Texas. They are ranked lowest in Rhode Island, New Mexico, New York, Connecticut and Florida.

Health Conditions

Health conditions are ranked worst in West Virginia, Virginia, Indiana, Arkansas and Oregon. Residents are generally ranked healthier in North Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Wisconsin and Alaska.

Education Levels

When looking at the percentage of adults with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Delaware have the lowest numbers. Education levels are higher in Colorado, Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin and Vermont.

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate is ranked highest in the capitals of New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan, Illinois and California. It’s lowest in Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Maryland and North Dakota.

What Does Austin Have to Offer?

When you review all the data, Austin, Texas, comes out as the number one state capital to live in. It has the highest median household income, is number four in the number of adults who hold college degrees, lowest in the premature death rate and has more restaurants per capita than any other capital. Austin has more attractions than every state except Hawaii and is the second highest when it comes to the number of new residents. Greatschools.org rates Austin public schools as “above average,” and the city is home to some of the best universities in the country. The high schools also have high graduation rates.

Residents state some other good reasons to live in Austin. They cite great companies to work for, access to nature and live music, friendliness to creatives and artists, and super-friendly locals. Small businesses thrive in Austin and there are many fun things to do, according to some residents. Austin, Texas, has been the best capital to live in for the last two years, according to Wallethub’s measuring data.