With only 17 state capitals being also the largest cities in their respective states and nearly a fifth of Americans still preferring to live in smaller areas, the personal finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2016’s Best & Worst State Capitols. Phoenix did not make the top ten and avoided the bottom ten by coming in at number 27 – missing number 24 by less than one point.
Most Americans come to know the seat of their state government in elementary school, perhaps by way of a field trip or geography quiz. As adults, we might perceive them as mostly political centers lacking much social luster. In other words, they’re boring. Only 17 capitols are the most populated cities in their states. So unless they’re major hubs of all activity — or we happen to be geography buffs — most of us are bound to commit these lawmaking cities to our short-term memory.
But regardless of how many we can actually remember beyond grade school, some state capitals are among the most livable places in the nation, according to WalletHub’s analysts. They compared the 50 state capitols to identify which among them combines the best of everything an ideal city has to offer: affordability, a strong economy, high education standards and overall excellent quality of life.
To identify the state capitols that offer the best of an ideal city, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 state capitols across 35 key metrics, ranging from cost of living to K–12 school-system quality to number of attractions.
| Best State Capitols | Worst State Capitols | ||||
| 1 | Austin, TX | 41 | Boston, MA | ||
| 2 | Lincoln, NE | 42 | Baton Rouge, LA | ||
| 3 | Bismarck, ND | 43 | Dover, DE | ||
| 4 | Madison, WI | 44 | Honolulu, HI | ||
| 5 | Raleigh, NC | 45 | Trenton, NJ | ||
| 6 | Boise, ID | 46 | Providence, RI | ||
| 7 | Montpelier, VT | 47 | Jackson, MS | ||
| 8 | Pierre, SD | 48 | Montgomery, AL | ||
| 9 | Helena, MT | 49 | Carson, NV | ||
| 10 | Columbus, OH | 50 | Hartford, CT | ||
Comparing the Best & Worst
- Juneau, Alaska, has the highest cost of living-adjusted median household income, $64,893, which is three times greater than in Hartford, Conn., the place with the lowest, $23,564.
- Hartford, Conn., has the highest unemployment rate, 8.9 percent, which is five times greater than in Bismarck, N.D., the place with the lowest, 1.9 percent.
- Juneau, Alaska, has the highest presence of state and local government employees, 41.1 percent, which is five times greater than in Providence, R.I., the place with the lowest, 8.4 percent.
- Indianapolis has the highest K-12 school-system quality, which is nine times greater than in Sacramento, the place with the lowest.
- Madison, Wis., has the highest percentage of residents with at least a bachelor’s degree, 55 percent, which is five times greater than in Trenton, N.J., the place with the lowest, 10.7 percent.
- Richmond, Va., has the highest premature death rate, which is two times greater than in Austin, Tex., the place with the lowest.
- Harrisburg, Pa., has the highest number of restaurants per 100,000 residents, which is five times greater than in Phoenix, the place with the lowest.
- Denver has the highest percentage of millennial newcomers, 8.1 percent, which is 2 times greater than in Jackson, Miss., the place with the lowest, 3.6 percent.
- Little Rock, Ark., has the highest violent-crime rate per 1,000 residents, 13.9, which is 10 times greater than in Cheyenne, Wyo., the place with the lowest, 1.4.
To read the full report and to see where other cities rank click here.