The US states with the best quality of life

Whether you spend your days tightening up spreadsheets in the office or getting those steps in as you cater to customers in a busy retail environment, it’s safe to say that the fast-paced nature of modern life can easily take its toll on our mental well-being.

Naturally, we can’t be taking time out for ourselves at every waking moment, but with other areas of importance, like burnout and work-life balance, becoming ever more prominent in the forefront of our minds, more Americans than ever are starting to prioritize themselves and their quality of life over working past the typical 9-5 grind.

Case and point, according to a Gallup poll conducted in 2023, as many as 73% of Americans now rate what they call ‘community well-being’ as one of the top factors to consider when deciding on where to live – a stark rise compared to a decade ago.

And if we’re being honest, there’s a good reason for doing this. Not only does a poor quality of life contribute to lower levels of happiness and longevity, but it can have a major impact on productivity, both in and outside of work, hence why so many of us are now placing it as a more important factor in our lives.

So, which states in the US offer the best quality of life? To find out, we analyzed a variety of health factors, including life expectancy, cost of living, and poverty rate, and then scored each state out of 100.

Take a look at our index below to see what we discovered!

Which US states offer the best quality of life?

From the cold beauty of Alaska to the sunny sands of Arizona, here are the best states in the US when it comes to quality of life:

1. Vermont

Coming in at number 1, we have Vermont. Nestled comfortably along the Canadian border, the Green Mountain State boasts a brilliant quality of life score of 68.83 out of 100!

Indeed, Vermont has one of the highest life expectancies in the US at 78.8, putting it 7th overall, as well as the highest percentage of exercising residents by state population at 28.5%.

But the good news doesn’t stop there for Vermont residents, because this state also has the second lowest levels of unemployment in our ranking, just behind South Dakota at 2.2%, alongside the fourth highest number of health clubs per 100,00 people at 15.9 (which makes sense given they came top for exercising population).

However, it’s not all sunshine and roses for Vermont residents. With a high cost of living index score (113.8) living in Vermont is not cheap by any means, though Vermont’s middle-of-the-road household income of $85,190 means that enjoying a comfortable living is more than feasible.

2. Montana

Next up, we’re heading to the Western United States and dropping by Montana, which scored slightly behind Vermont at 60.66 – a little less than our first-place state but still excellent nevertheless!

For those interested in Montana, you’ll again be thrilled to hear that the state is home to plenty of exercise enthusiasts, with Montana coming second for this factor at 28.5%, as well as coming second for the number of health clubs per 100,000 at 18.1.

Perhaps more interestingly though, Montana actually placed towards the center of the table for most other factors. For example, Montana’s poverty rate is slap bang in the middle of our index at 11.7% – not bad by any means but certainly not stellar.

The same is true for Montana’s overall life expectancy, which currently sits at 76.8 and again puts it at 25th overall, alongside positioning 16th for unemployment rate at 3.2% – which is still certainly nothing to be sniffed at.

So, if Montana is relatively middle of the road overall, why did it place second? Well, despite not topping out in all areas, Montana ranked consistently at the center position or above in our index, giving it a more level score overall than many other states, which fluctuated between high and low positions.

3. New Hampshire

Travelling back to the North-East, our third-place state brings us the Granite State of New Hampshire. Boasting spectacular countryside (like all American states) and plenty of space to get away from the big cities, New Hampshire wound up just missing on second place with its great score of 60.60.

Much like Montana, New Hampshire scored consistently in all areas, coming close to the middle in 21st for GPs per 100,000 people (153.2), and 24th for the total number of parks in the state at 43.

However, where New Hampshire truly does stand out is in its poverty rate and air pollution, coming in 1st (7.2%) and 2nd (4.9) for each factor respectively, while also placing 4th overall for unemployment rate (2.6%) and life expectancy (79)!

Given New Hampshire came near the top for all these important factors, it’s a surprise that this state didn’t pip Montana to the second-place post, and given how close their total scores were, we’d argue that these two states offer potential new residents an equally satisfying quality of life.

4. Maine

Sticking in the north of America’s East Coast, we only need to step across the border to New Hampshire’s neighbor to find our fourth-placed state – Maine. Pulling together a total quality of life score of 60.33, Montana and New Hampshire Maine are again only just behind its nearest index rivals.

For starters, Maine is arguably one of the safest states in our index, with the 2nd lowest homicide rate in our index at 1.5 per 100,000 people, as well as having the 5th lowest rate of air pollution at 5.4.

On top of this, Maine also came 9th for the number of GPs per 100,000 (187.4) and 8th for unemployment rates (2.8%), although it placed much lower than New Hampshire and Vermont for poverty rate, with an overall percentage of 10.4%.

As for other factors that may be holding Maine back, unlike our other top three states, Maine has one of the lowest exercising populations, sitting at the lower end of our index at 20.2%. Add to this its high cost of living index score (111.0) and it’s clear Maine, while a great place to live, still has some work to do.

5. Wyoming

Last, but not least for our ranking index, we have Wyoming, which managed a respectable overall score of 58.97 despite placing near the bottom of our index for several important factors.

First and foremost, Wyoming actually came 45th for GPs per 100,000 at 120.4, while also sitting below the halfway point in our index for life expectancy (76.3) – though this is only a few points shorter than many of higher placed states.

Of course, Wyoming has plenty of other places where it shines, positions that were more than enough for it to win fifth place. Starting with air pollution, Wyoming came second in this factor (just behind Hawaii) at 4.9, while also placing 14th for unemployment rate at 3%.

In general, much like Montana, Wyoming earns its spot in our top 5 by being consistently above the halfway point of our table for the majority of our measured factors, with this consistency making for a much more favorable quality of living overall than other states than only did well in a few areas.

Which US states scored poorly for quality of life?

So, now that we’ve looked at the top five states for quality of life, which have the unenviable position of coming in last for our index?

1. Mississippi

Coming in at the very bottom of our table, with an unfortunately low score of 28.95, we have Mississippi, which had the lowest life expectancy of any state at 71.9, as well as the 3rd lowest exercising population in the US (15.7).

And the bad news doesn’t stop there for Mississippi residents, as the state also had the 2nd highest poverty rate overall (18%), though it’s not all bad news, as Mississippi did place fifth for our cost-of-living index at 87.7.

2. Kentucky

Trailing closely behind Mississippi, our next lowest-positioned state was Kentucky. Scoring just 31.88, Kentucky came bottom for exercising population at 15.3%, and fourth lowest overall for unemployment at 4.8%.

Not only that, but Kentucky was also fifth lowest for poverty rates (16.4%), however, with the fifth highest job openings rate (6.1), job prospects are at least thriving in this state for anyone looking to move there.

3. Louisiana

Finally, in 48th place, we have Louisiana, which only did ever so slightly better than Kentucky with its score of 31.99. Indeed, Louisiana came in 48th for life expectancy (73.1), as well as the second-highest homicide rate at 19.6 per 100,000.

Alongside this, Louisiana has the second lowest median household income in our index (one above Mississippi), with most households earning an average of $57,650. But in all, Louisiana does at least position itself above the middle for its rate of mental illness, which sits at 21.2%.

Other quality of life insights from our index

Now that we’ve covered the best and worst states in the US for quality of life, we thought it would be worth leaving you with a few interesting points that we noticed when examining our data.

For example, despite placing at the top of our index, neither Vermont, Montana, New Hampshire, Maine, or Wyoming scored past the halfway point for mental illness. Each state had rates above 21%, though why this is the case could be for any number of reasons. Indeed, given their northern position in the country, we wouldn’t be shocked if residents here experienced a higher degree of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

In other surprises, in spite of their amazing countryside, none of our top states placed high for hiking trails. Instead, this honor went to California, Colorado, and Washington, which had combined trail lengths of 18,467, 11,516, and 10,590 miles respectively.

Finally, for those more interested in having direct access to a GP or the longest life expectancy, then you’ll want to consider Rhode Island and Hawaii in your move list, as the former placed first for GPs per 100,000 (264.6), while the latter came first for life expectancy at a whopping 80.7!

How can you enhance your well-being and quality of life?

As helpful as it is to highlight what states in the US have the best quality of life overall, for many of us, moving to a new state simply isn’t going to be feasible straight away. However, the good news is that there are plenty of healthy things you can start doing right now to improve your quality of life and mental well-being:

  • Create a regular exercise routine – we’re sure you’re tired of hearing it at this point but the truth is that having a regular exercise routine can do wonders for your mental health. Be it taking a walk every day or hitting the gym two or three times a week after work, the trick is to find an exercise you enjoy doing, that way you’re more likely to stick with it.
  • Focus on healthy eating – going hand in hand with regular exercise, watching what you eat will go a long way to improving your mental well-being. Eating a more balanced diet and cutting out junk food (while delicious) will not only help you lose weight, but it will make you feel more comfortable in your body, and just because you’re eating better, that doesn’t mean you can’t have the occasional cheat day!
  • Prioritize your sleep – sleep is one of those things that’s so important but is often neglected. Simply put, better sleep means you’ll be more rested. This in turn will improve your mental resilience and make you better prepared to face whatever challenges come your way in the future.
  • Make time for friends and hobbies – they say that laughter is the best medicine, and what laughter could be better than that shared by friends and family. Even if you’re busy most of the week, it’s always worth making time to see close friends and family, even if it’s just for a quick coffee. On top of this, if you have a hobby that you absolutely love, make sure you leave time to do it at least once a week as a means to unwind and destress.
  • Try a sauna or cold plunge – if you’ve kept an eye on the health sphere recently, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about the benefits of saunas and ice baths. Both are phenomenal for helping your body remove stress, and ice baths come with a host of other mental health benefits when used regularly. Best of all, both of these spa systems can be found in plenty of gyms, meaning you can try them out before adding it to your wellness routine.

Indeed, when it comes to using ice baths, and improving your quality of life in general, [X] at Chill Tubs points out that:

“Nowadays, it’s more important than ever to prioritize our mental and physical well-being, and making sure we’re living in a location that we like is a huge part of this. You can have all the local amenities you need, but if the area you live in is rundown or lacks a bit of sunshine, it can make looking after yourself that much harder.

“Of course, we can’t all move to a new place at a moment’s notice, which is why we recommend focusing on the little things to improve your mental well-being. Eating properly and exercising regularly are part of this, but we’d also recommend common wellness activities like regular cold plunges.

“Cold plunges, while a shock to the system, are phenomenal for clearing your mind and making you feel more alert, which in turn can help boost productivity. Not only that, but their head-clearing benefits can reduce stress levels, which is something all of us need after a long day at work.”

Start your cold plunge journey today

And there you have it! Those are the US states with the highest quality of life, as well as some tips for what you can do to help enhance your own well-being on a day-to-day basis.

As we noted in our list, cold plunges can be a fantastic way to invigorate your body and mind, increasing alertness and helping you sleep better. So, if you want to start your cold plunge journey today, then you should check out the Chill Tubs range.

From beginner chill pods to pro ice baths, we’ve something for everyone in our range. Get in touch today to find out more and don’t forget to visit our blog for more insightful pieces like this one.