If you're looking to raise a family — or already have one, and you'd like to better its circumstances — you know that a lot of what goes into family life isn't money at all, but the intangibles that make life worth living.
Related: 10 states with the best economies
Not to downgrade the importance of the financial aspect of raising a family, but there are other factors to consider, such as housing, lifestyle, health care and safety.
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All of these — including the financial aspect, in terms of jobs and income — were considerations as GOBankingRates.com took a hard look at all 50 states and the District of Columbia in figuring out which places in the country are the best — and which are the worst — for families.
Within those five basic categories GOBankingRates broke things down further, into a dozen aspects of family life, and compared them to the national average scores for the country. Among those dozen considerations are schooling opportunities and ratings, the cost of child care, the cost of groceries and the cost of housing. Unemployment rates, median household income and the cost of health insurance for families, as well as violent and property crime rates, also factored into the equation.
Related: Top 10 best states for retiring
If you're wondering about the national average in each category, here's how the country did as a whole (based on a score of 0 to 100): jobs and income averaged 46; housing averaged 68; lifestyle averaged 57; healthcare averaged 55; and safety averaged 60.
To see how the 10 best states did, just keep reading:
Colorado always finds itself on any list when it comes to healthy and happy living. Despite having low property taxes, the capital city, Denver, has high rental and purchase prices for homes. (Photo: iStock)
10. Colorado
Jobs and income score: 66.
Housing score: 66.
Lifestyle score: 60.
Health care score: 54.
Safety score: 61.
In addition to its overall ranking in each category, Colorado has the seventh-lowest property taxes in the country, and the second-lowest sales tax rate; that means that families get to keep more of what they earn, so that it can be spent on other things — both tangible and intangible — that improve a family's life. In addition, the state boasts a low unemployment rate — 3.7 percent — and a median household income that ranks pretty high compared to other states.
Boise, Idaho's capital, is the 99th largest city in the country. (Photo: iStock)
9. Idaho
Jobs and income score: 49.
Housing score: 78.
Lifestyle score: 53.
Health care score: 56.
Safety score: 70.
Idaho has the same unemployment rate as Colorado, at 3.7 percent, but its housing is cheaper, placing it ahead in the rankings. It also boasts the third-lowest grocery costs and third-lowest average health insurance premiums, affordable child care costs and the fourth-best safety score in the country.
Arkansas is famous for notable faces like former President Bill Clinton and music legend Johnny Cash. (Photo: iStock)
8. Arkansas
Jobs and income score: 39.
Housing score: 90.
Lifestyle score: 55.
Health care score: 81.
Safety score: 50.
Don't look for outstanding schools here, and the state doesn't do all that well on jobs and income, either. But it has its compensations. It has the fourth-lowest median home price in the country, and at 0.62 percent, its property taxes are lower than those of most other states.
The University of Virginia is one of the original "Public Ivies." The College of William & Mary, also in Virginia, makes the list. (Photo: iStock)
7. Virginia
Jobs and income score: 74.
Housing score: 71.
Lifestyle score: 64.
Health care score: 33.
Safety score: 69.
If you're looking for good schools for the kids, think Virginia — with a school district grade that's among the best 15 states, it will give your kids a good start. Surprisingly, too, groceries are the ninth cheapest in the country. The state boasts other benefits: that low 3.7 percent unemployment rate coupled with a median household income of $64,792 — a pretty respectable figure. The crime rate is low, but the state does have a drawback: the employer contribution to insurance is just 68 percent.
As the most iconic image in the state (and certainly a popular one nationwide), Mount Rushmore finds its home in the Black Hills in South Dakota. (Photo: iStock)
6. South Dakota
Jobs and income score: 66.
Housing score: 68.
Lifestyle score: 62.
Health care score: 47.
Safety score: 70.
How did South Dakota top Virginia as a best place for families? The third-lowest child care costs in the country. Couple that with the lowest unemployment rate of all, at 2.7 percent, the sixth-lowest property crime rate in the nation and the third-best safety score, and the state is sitting pretty.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, gets its moniker from early trappers and hunters that entered the area from the north and east, making their journey into the valleys over steep slopes that was reminiscent of entering a hole. (Photo: iStock)
5. Wyoming
Jobs and income score: 40.
Housing score: 81.
Lifestyle score: 73.
Health care score: 59.
Safety score: 69.
High-quality schools, low childcare costs, good scores in lifestyle and safety — low property crime rates and the third-lowest violent crime rate, per 1,000 residents, in the country — make Wyoming practically a family idyll. And when it comes to property taxes, the state has the seventh-lowest in the country.
Montana gets its name from the Spanish word "montaña," meaning "mountain." (Photo: iStock)
4. Montana
Jobs and income score: 42.
Housing score: 70.
Lifestyle score: 73.
Health care score: 61.
Safety score: 62.
The theme seems to be "Go West, Young Family" as Montana takes fourth place on the 10 best list. It has zero sales tax — a major consideration, particularly when outfitting the kids for going back to school — and also boasts the fifth-lowest family insurance premiums in the nation.
Considered the "first state," Delaware hosts a reenactment each December to commemorate George Washington's Christmas Day river crossing. (Photo: iStock)
3. Delaware
Jobs and income score: 61.
Housing score: 79.
Lifestyle score: 71.
Health care score: 57.
Safety score: 55.
Another state with zero sales tax, Delaware also offers families the fourth-lowest average property tax in the country. Employer contributions to health insurance, at 76 percent, is pretty high compared to the national average, which helps to make up for somewhat higher premiums. But watch out for the state's safety score — not as good as many other states.
North Dakota also topped the list for best states for millennials, but its open space and access to nature makes it great for families, too. (Photo: iStock)
2. North Dakota
Jobs and income score: 67.
Housing score: 69.
Lifestyle score: 61.
Health care score: 68.
Safety score: 67.
The law of averages helped North Dakota rise to the number-two spot on the list, since its average scores — compared with those of other states — make a pretty good showing. Of particular interest may be its fourth-lowest unemployment rate and its finish in the top 10 for scores in both the health care and jobs and income categories.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire is a historical seaport and popular tourist destination. (Photo: iStock)
1. New Hampshire
Jobs and income score: 87.
Housing score: 42.
Lifestyle score: 83.
Health care score: 39.
Safety score: 69.
Low crime rates, highly rated schools, the second-lowest unemployment rate in the country and the eighth-highest median income all combine to push New Hampshire to the top of the list, despite the fact that its groceries aren't the cheapest — they rank sixth most expensive in the country. But if those good points aren't enough for you, there are also the lures of zero sales tax and low childcare costs.
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