The Best County to Live In Every State

Shelby County, just outside of downtown Birmingham, ranks as the best county to live in in the state. A college education is linked to longer life expectancies, greater financial security, and a stronger sense of control over one’s life — and in Shelby County, 44.8% of the adult population have a Bachelor’s degree, the largest share of any of Alabama’s 67 counties. Additionally, with a life expectancy at birth of 80.5 years, half a decade longer than the average across Alabama, Shelby County also has some of the best health outcomes in the state.

Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the county offers a range of outdoor recreation activities as well as access to places like Oak Mountain State Park and the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum.

The borough of Juneau, conterminous with the city of Juneau, the state capital, ranks as the best place to live in Alaska. Life expectancy in the borough is over two years longer than the statewide average. Juneau residents are also less likely to live below the poverty line and more likely to have a four-year college degree than the typical Alaskan.

Juneau residents have access to a variety of outdoor recreation, including the Tongass National Rainforest that surrounds the city.

Home to the city of Phoenix, Maricopa is by the most populous county in Arizona – and also the best to live in in the state. One reason for the county’s rank is the area’s relatively low poverty rate of 12.0%, which is nearly the lowest of any county in the state and below the 13.5% poverty rate in Arizona as a whole. Additionally, life expectancy in the county is half a year longer than it is across the state as whole.

Benton County ranks as the best county to live in in the state. Only 8.1% of the local population lives below the poverty line, well below the 16.0% poverty rate across Arkansas. Additionally, the typical household in the country earns well above the median household income across the state. The county is home to Walmart’s corporate headquarters, which provides the area with over 14,000 jobs.

Marin County ranks as California’s best county to live in and one of the best places to live nationwide. Life expectancy at birth in the coastal county, located just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, is well above both the state and national averages of 81.5 years and 79.1 years, respectively.

Health outcomes tend to be better in areas with well educated, financially secure populations. In Marin County, 60.1% of adults have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, and only 6.9% of the population live below the poverty line, compared to California’s 35.3% Bachelor’s degree attainment rate and 12.3% poverty rate.

Pitkin County, southwest of Denver in the Rocky Mountains, ranks as the state’s best county to live in. With an estimated life expectancy at birth that’s over a decade longer than the national average, the county has one of the healthiest populations in the United States. Health outcomes tend to be better in areas with well educated, financially secure populations. In Pitkin County, 62.3% of adults have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, and only 5.2% of the population live below the poverty line, compared to Colorado’s 42.8% Bachelor’s degree attainment rate and 9.6% poverty rate.

Home to the ski resort town of Aspen, Pitkin County is a popular destination for the wealthy and appeals to outdoor lovers at all levels. In addition to skiing and other winter sports, recreational opportunities in the area include hiking, climbing, biking, fishing, and more.

Fairfield County, located along Long Island Sound in the southwestern corner of Connecticut, ranks as the best place to live in the state. Life expectancy at birth in the county is two years above the statewide average. Additionally, only 9.2% of county residents live below the poverty line, compared to 10.0% of the state population.

Fairfield’s economy benefits from being within commuting distance of New York City, one of the largest job markets in the country, and many of those jobs are well-paying. The county’s cities of Greenwich and Stamford are home to many major investment firms and other high-end financial groups.

A geographically small state, Delaware has only three counties. As a result, even though New Castle County ranks as the best county to live in in the state, its advantage over the state as a whole in several key socio-economic indicators is not especially pronounced. The county’s poverty rate of 10.6% is only slightly lower than the 11.4% state rate. Additionally, at 78.3 years, life expectancy at birth in New Castle County is in line with the statewide average.

However, adults living in New Castle are considerably more likely to have a four-year college degree than the typical adult in Delaware. An estimated 37.5% of the county’s 25 and older population have a Bachelor’s degree, compared to 33.6% of the state’s 25 and older population.

Collier County is located in southwestern Florida along the Gulf Coast. With a well-educated, healthy, and financially secure population, it ranks as the best county to live in in the state. An estimated 37.9% of the county’s adult population have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 31.5% of all adults in Florida. Financial security and health outcomes tend to improve with educational attainment, and in Collier County only 10.6% of the population live below the poverty line, compared to 13.1% of all Florida residents. And at 85.3 years, life expectancy at birth is nearly six years longer than it is across the state.

Forsyth County in north-central Georgia ranks as the best county to live in in the state. It is located within the Atlanta metropolitan area, giving residents access to employment opportunities in one of the largest cities in the United States. Job availability has translated to greater financial security. The county’s poverty rate is less than half that across Georgia.

Conditions associated with poverty can contribute to negative health outcomes, while health outcomes tend to improve with education – and over half of all adults in Forsyth County have a Bachelor’s degree, compared to a third of adults across the state. These factors may help explain why Forsyth County’s population appears to be far healthier than average. Life expectancy at birth in the county is 82.2 years, over four years longer than the average across the state.

Hawaii is a geographically small state consisting of only five counties, and as a result, variation in socio-economic outcomes between a given county and the state as a whole are relatively small. Still, based on several key measures, Honolulu County, coterminous with the Island of O’ahu, ranks ahead the other counties in the state.

The local poverty rate is the lowest among the counties in Hawaii and slightly below the state rate. Additionally, at 82.1 years, life expectancy at birth in the county is slightly higher than the statewide average life expectancy.

Teton County, in southeastern Idaho along the Wyoming border, ranks as the state’s best county to live in. With a local poverty rate of 8.1%, Teton County residents are far less likely to face serious financial hardship than the typical resident of Idaho, where the poverty rate stands at 11.4%. Life expectancy in Teton County is also about three and a half years longer than the state average.

DuPage County, just west of downtown Chicago, ranks as the best county to live in in Illinois. Slightly more than half the adults in the county have a Bachelor’s degree, the largest share of any of the 102 counties in the state.

With a well-educated labor force and access to jobs in the largest city in the Midwest, serious financial hardship is not common in DuPage County. Only 6.1% of the local population live below the poverty line, nearly half the statewide rate.

Hamilton County ranks as Indiana’s best county to live in, partially because its 4.0% poverty rate is the lowest of the 92 counties in Indiana and less than one-third the 12.5% state poverty rate. Also, at 81.9 years, life expectancy in the county is nearly five years longer than the state average. Health outcomes and financial security tend to improve with educational attainment, and in Hamilton County 60.5% of the adult population have a Bachelor’s degree, more than double the share of adults across Indiana who do.

Like many counties with similarly strong socio-economic indicators, Hamilton is in close proximity to a major city. Located north of Indianapolis, well within commuting distance, Hamilton County’s offers its population access to jobs and cultural attractions in one of the Midwest’s largest cities.

Due to a number of key socio-economic indicators, Dallas County, located just west of Des Moines, ranks as the best county to live in in Iowa. The local poverty rate of 5.7% is nearly half the 11.0% poverty rate across the state. Additionally, at 82.3 years, life expectancy at birth in the county is more than three years greater than it is in Iowa as a whole.

Johnson County, in the Kansas City metropolitan area, ranks as the best county to live in in the state. An estimated 56.3% of adults in the area have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, well above the average across the state.

In Johnson County, life expectancy at birth is nearly 82 years, over three years greater than the state average. Additionally, the local poverty rate of 5.1% is less than half the 11.5% statewide rate.

Kentucky is one of the poorest states in the country, with a poverty rate of 16.3%. Not all parts of the state have such high rates of financial insecurity, however. In Oldham County, only 4.2% of the population live below the poverty line. The reduced likelihood of financial insecurity is likely due in part to greater educational attainment. An estimated 44.4% of the county’s adult population have a Bachelor’s degree, well above the attainment rate statewide.

As is the case with many counties on this list, Oldham is in close proximity to an urban area – in this case, Louisville.

St. Tammany Parish, located just across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, ranks as the state’s best parish (as counties are called in the state) to live in. While the poverty rate across Louisiana of 18.8% is well above the 12.6% national rate, in St. Tammany, only 11.7% of the population live below the poverty line.

Conditions associated with poverty can contribute to negative health outcomes, and the greater financial security in St. Tammany Parish may partially explain why the population appears to be far healthier than average. Life expectancy at birth in the area is over two years longer than the average across the state.

Cumberland County, which encompasses the city of Portland along the Atlantic coast, ranks as the best county to live in in Maine. To begin with, it’s the best educated county in the state, with about half the adults in the area having a Bachelor’s degree, compared to a third in the whole state.

In addition, life expectancy at birth is 80.2 years, about a year and a half greater than the state average – and the local poverty rate is considerably lower than the rate statewide.

Howard County, located in central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington D.C., ranks as its state’s best county to live in. Almost two-thirds of adults in the county have a Bachelor’s degree, the largest share of any of the 24 counties and county equivalents in the state. With a well-educated labor force and access to jobs in two major cities, only 4.4% of the county labor force is unemployed.

As is typically the case in well-educated areas in close proximity to major cities, Howard County has a high-earning, financially secure population. Only 5.5% of the population live below the poverty line, compared to 9.2% of the state population. .

Middlesex County, located north of Boston, stretching from Cambridge up to the New Hampshire border, ranks as the best county to live in in the state. The county is home to several colleges and universities, including Harvard and MIT, and also has one of the best-educated populations in the country, with 57.8% of the adult population having earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

In Middlesex County, life expectancy at birth is 81.9 years, nearly two years greater than the state average. Additionally, the poverty rate is considerably lower than the statewide average.

Leelanau County, Michigan, extends into Lake Michigan in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula, just outside Traverse City. The county’s poverty rate is less than half the statewide rate. Additionally, at 82.6 years, life expectancy at birth is the highest of all of Michigan’s 83 counties and more than years above the state average.

Carver County ranks in first place as a desirable place to live partially because its 3.8% poverty rate is the lowest of the 87 counties in Minnesota. At 82.8 years, life expectancy in the county is also over two years longer than the state average. Also, about half the adult population have a Bachelor’s degree, well above the 37.6% statewide average.

Like many counties with similarly strong socio-economic indicators, Carver is close to a major city, situated southwest of downtown Minneapolis and well within commuting distance.

Mississippi is the only state in the country where over 19% of the population live below the poverty line. Though it ranks as the poorest state, not all parts of Mississippi experience financial hardship. In Rankin County, located just west of Jackson across the Pearl River, 9.6% of the population live below the poverty line, less than half the state poverty rate – one of the reasons Rankin ranks as the best county to live in in the state.

The likelihood of poverty is considerably lower for Americans with a college education, and in Rankin County, 31.5% of the adult population have a Bachelor’s degree, one of the higher shares of all 82 counties in Mississippi and well above the statewide Bachelor’s degree attainment rate.

Platte County, in northwestern Missouri within the Kansas City metropolitan area, ranks as the state’s best county to live in. The local 6.0% poverty rate is less than half the statewide average, and 44.4% of the adult population have a Bachelor’s degree, compared to 30.7% of adults overall in Missouri.

Gallatin County, which includes the city of Bozeman, is where you’d want to live in Montana. Of all 56 counties in the state, Gallatin is the only one where over half the adults have a four-year college degree or higher. In addition, the county’s life expectancy of 82.2 years is about three-and-a-half years longer than the state average.

Sarpy County ranks as the best county to live in in the state. The best educated of all 93 counties and county equivalents in Nebraska, Sarpy County’s Bachelor’s degree attainment rate is well above the state average. County residents are about half as likely to live below the poverty line as the typical Nebraska resident, and life expectancy at birth in the county is 81.4 years, nearly two years longer than the state average.

It doesn’t hurt that like many of the best counties on this list, Sarpy is close to a major city – located south of downtown Omaha and well within commuting distance.

Of the 17 counties and equivalents in Nevada, Storey County, located just east of Reno and north of Carson City, ranks as the best to live in, with a life expectancy more than four-and-a-half years higher than it is across Nevada as a whole.

Residents of Storey County are also more likely to be financially secure than the typical Nevada resident, too, though the poverty rate of 12.0% is a bit below the 12.9% statewide average.

Rockingham County, located along New Hampshire’s only stretch of Atlantic coastline between Massachusetts and Maine, ranks as the best county in the state to live in.

Of all 10 counties in New Hampshire, Rockingham’s population is the best educated, most financially secure, and among the healthiest. Life expectancy at birth in the county is a year longer than the state average, and the county’s poverty rate of 4.9% is well below the 7.4% statewide rate.

Life expectancy at birth in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, is 83.5 years, nearly three years longer than the state average. The county, located directly west of New York City and partially along the Pennsylvania state border, also has the lowest poverty rate of any county in New Jersey.

Los Alamos County leads New Mexico in several key socio-economic indicators. Of the 33 counties in the state, Los Alamos’ population is the healthiest, best educated, and most financially secure. Life expectancy at birth in the county is 83.9 years, over five years longer than the state average, and the county’s poverty rate of 4.2% is a fraction of the 18.3% statewide rate.

The county’s local economy is supported by the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The lab, funded by the federal government, has a $4 billion annual budget and employs over 14,000 people in a range of programs, including weapons development and security.

New York County is coterminous with the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Ranking as the best county to live in in New York state, New York County has a life expectancy at birth of 85.1 years, the highest of any of the state’s 62 counties and nearly four years longer than the state average. The county is also the best educated in the state with a 61.3% Bachelor’s degree attainment rate.

New York County does not lead the state in every key socio-economic measure, however. The county’s poverty rate of 15.6% is higher than the 13.5% rate across all of New York state.

Orange County ranks as the best county to live in in North Carolina. The area, home to Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina, is part of the state’s so-called Research Triangle, known for its concentration of tech companies and skilled labor force. In the county, 61.3% of adults have a Bachelor’s degree, the largest share of the 100 counties in the state, and the typical household earns nearly $20,000 more than is typical in North Carolina.

Orange County also has a healthy population. Life expectancy at birth is about four years longer than it is across the state.

Golden Valley County, located in western North Dakota along the Montana border, ranks as the best county to live in in the state. The local poverty rate is well below that across the state as a whole. Additionally, at 83.1 years, average life expectancy at birth is the highest of all 53 counties in the state.

Areas with low poverty and higher than average life expectancy are often home to well-educated populations – but Golden Valley is a notable exception. Only 23.5% of adults in the county have a Bachelor’s degree, compared to over 30% of adults across the state.

Delaware County, located just north of downtown Columbus, ranks as Ohio’s best county to live in. Well over half the adults in the area have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, the largest share of all 88 counties in Ohio.

Health outcomes and financial security follow suit. In Delaware County, life expectancy at birth is 82.1 years, over five years greater than the state average. Additionally, the local poverty rate is less than half the statewide rate.

Cleveland County, located in central Oklahoma and including parts of Oklahoma City, ranks as the best county to live in in the state. The county is one of only three in the state where more than one in every three adults have a Bachelor’s degree. Life expectancy at birth is 79.1 years, nearly three years greater than the state average. Additionally, the local poverty rate of 12.3% is less than the 15.2% statewide rate.

Life expectancy at birth in Washington County, is 82.4 years, nearly three years longer than the statewide average. The best county to live in in the state, Washington also has a well-educated, financially stable population. The local Bachelor’s degree attainment rate of 45.6% is well above the 35.0% rate across Oregon, and only 8.0% of the local population live below the poverty line, compared to 12.1% of the state population.

Washington is just west of downtown Portland, and well within commuting distance.

Of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, Chester County, located just outside of Philadelphia, ranks as the best to live in. The county’s poverty rate of 6.1% is nearly half the 11.8% rate across the state as a whole. Life expectancy at birth in the county, at 81.5 years, nearly three years longer than it is across Pennsylvania. Chester is also one of only two counties in Pennsylvania where over half of all adults have a Bachelor’s degree.

A geographically small state, Rhode Island has only five counties. Of them, Newport County, which borders Massachusetts in the southeastern corner of the state, ranks as the best to live in. The county’s poverty rate of 8.3% is well below the 11.3% rate across the state as a whole. Life expectancy at birth is nearly two years longer than it is across Rhode Island. The county’s adults also have the largest share of higher education degrees of any county in the state and well above the 35.3% share across Rhode Island.

Beaufort County is located in the southern part of the state along the Atlantic coast. Home to the resort community of Hilton Head Island, it ranks as the best county to live in in the state. Of all 46 counties in South Carolina, Beaufort has the longest life expectancy at birth, which, at 82.4 years, is nearly six years longer than the state average. The county also ranks as best to live in in the state also because of the relative lack of serious financial hardship, with a poverty rate far lower than the state average.

Lincoln County, located near the southeast corner of South Dakota just outside Sioux Falls, ranks as the best county to live in in the state. Life expectancy at birth in the county is about a half a decade longer than it is across the state as a whole, and only 4.7% of residents live below the poverty line, less than half the 12.5% statewide poverty rate.

Life expectancy at birth in Williamson County, Tennessee, is 81.7 years, nearly six years longer than the statewide average. The best county to live in in the state, Williamson County also has a well-educated, financially stable population, with a Bachelor’s degree attainment rate of 61.9%, more than double the rate across Tennessee, and only 3.9% of the local population living below the poverty line. Williamson is also within commuting distance of Nashville.

Collin County, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, ranks as the best county to live in in the state. Of all 254 counties that make up the Lone Star State, Collin County has the best-educated population, with a Bachelor’s degree attainment rate of 53.4%. In addition, the 6.5% poverty rate is less than half the 14.0% state poverty rate,and the county has a life expectancy at birth in the county is three-and-a-half years longer than it is across Texas.

Based on key socio-economic indicators, Utah’s Summit County, located just outside Salt Lake City, outranks all 28 other counties in the state as the best place to live in. At 83.6 years, life expectancy at birth in the county is more than three years longer than it is across the state as a whole and the poverty rate is well below the national average.

Summit County is by far the best educated county in the state, with more than half of its adults having attained a Bachelor’s degree.

Chittenden County, located in northwestern Vermont along the shore of Lake Champlain, is far and away the most populated county in the state, with over 160,000 residents. With a relatively healthy and well educated population, it also ranks as the best of the state’s 14 counties to live in.

Life expectancy at birth in Chittenden County is 81.8 years, about two years longer than the state average. Additionally, Chittenden is the only county in the state where over half of all adults have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Of the 133 counties and county equivalents in Virginia, Arlington County, located across the Potomac River from Washington D.C., ranks as the best place to live. It’s one of the best educated counties in the United States, where over three-quarters of adults in the area have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

With a well-educated labor force and access to employment opportunities in the nation’s capital, Arlington has a high-earning and a financially secure population. The typical area household earns $128,145 a year, well above the median earnings statewide.

San Juan County is made up of a cluster of islands near the northwestern corner of Washington state. Of the 39 counties in the state, San Juan ranks as the best to live in, largely because of health outcomes among local residents. At 84.4 years, life expectancy at birth in the county is over four years longer than the statewide average.

San Juan also has a well-educated population. An estimated 51.3% of adults in the county have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Monongalia County, located in northern West Virginia, along the Pennsylvania border, ranks as the best county to live in the state. The county’s ranking is largely due to its well educated population. An estimated 46.4% of local adults have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, by far the largest share of the 55 counties in the state. Health outcomes tend to improve with educational attainment, and at 80 years, life expectancy at birth in the county is nearly half a decade longer than it is across the state as a whole.

Despite these positive socio-economic indicators, serious financial hardship is more common in Monongalia County than average. The local poverty rate of 19.3% is well above the 16.9% poverty rate in West Virginia as a whole, and West Virginia itself has the nation’s highest poverty rate of any state..

Of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, Ozaukee County ranks as the best place to live in. Residents of the area, located just north of Milkwaukee along the shore of Lake Michigan, are less than half as likely to live below the poverty line as the typical Wisconsin resident. Life expectancy at birth in the county is also about three and a half years longer than it is across the state as a whole.

The local Bachelor’s degree attainment rate of 50.4% is considerably higher than the statewide average.

Teton County, located in northwestern Wyoming, covers parts of both Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. The county is home to the healthiest and best educated population of all 23 counties in the state. An estimated 57.9% of adults in the county have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, and at 85.9 years, life expectancy at birth in the county is nearly seven years longer than it is across the state.