Where do you think New York landed on the list of best states to live in? New York State often gets a bad wrap for one reason or another, but is it actually deserved? WalletHub.com put together a list of the best states to live in and you might be surprised where New York landed on it.

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My mother's family is from Western New York, so I spent time in the Buffalo area during my childhood. But I remember when I decided to move to New York City to attend grad school at New York University. I was living in Florida and had just graduated with my bachelor's degree. The only place I want to go was to NYC. Then I got there...

Unfortunately for me, I arrived in the city two weeks before the tragic, history-changing attacks on September 11, 2001. Not only was I a new resident in NYC, but I also lived just several blocks from the World Trade Center. I had to flee my apartment on the day of the attacks and couldn't return for more than two weeks. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have escaped with my life when thousands of people weren't so lucky. However, it did change my perspective on how great New York was. I used to think it was the best place on earth, but then reality set in.

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Fast forward 14 years later and I moved back, this time to Western New York. Living in WNY has made me believe in New York State again. It's obviously quite different than the city, but it gives me the space to appreciate what the state has to offer.

Is New York One Of The Best Or Worst States To Live In?

WalletHub looked at a variety of factors when determining which states are the best to live in,

If you do the math, some states clearly outshine others in various categories. To find out the best states to live in, WalletHub compared the 50 states based on 52 key indicators of livability. They range from housing costs and income growth to education rate and quality of hospitals.

According to the WalletHub study,

New York is ranked the #3 best state to live in

I know a lot of people might have differing opinions, but let's face it, opinions don't stand up to facts. Men lie, women lie, numbers don't lie. WalletHub used statistics to create its list,

In order to determine the best and worst states to live in, WalletHub compared the 50 states across five key dimensions: 1) Affordability, 2) Economy, 3) Education & Health, 4) Quality of Life, and 5) Safety.

The two states that ranked #1 and #2, Massachusetts and New Jersey, respectively, might also surprise you. I can't lie, I'm a bit surprised myself, but I know that WalletHub is very reliable and uses stats and expert analysis to create its lists.

Highlights of Living Conditions in New York (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

14th – Income Growth
8th – % of Insured Population
16th – % of Adults in Fair or Poor Health
10th – Avg. Weekly Work Hours
1st – Restaurants per Capita
7th – Percentage of Residents 12+ Who Are Fully Vaccinated