CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolinas are experiencing rapid growth with many new people moving to the region on a daily basis, but newcomers to the Queen City may be upset to learn we're near the bottom of the list when it comes to raising a family.
A new report from WalletHub rated the best and worst places to raise a family. North Carolina and South Carolina both ranked in the bottom half, with the Tar Heel State coming in at No. 37 and the Palmetto State a disappointing 42nd.
Researchers looked at several key factors when deciding where to place states. The priority list included safety, good-paying jobs, education, health care and of course, affordable housing. After ranking each state, writers made some smaller listings on who scored the highest and lowest on other factors.
Those other factors included average family income, child care costs, crime rate and how many neighbors are living in poverty. North Carolina and South Carolina scored somewhere in the middle for all of these.
North Carolina scored highest for family fun, but was still just No. 23 overall. The Tar Heel State was No. 31 when it comes to overall affordability. South Carolina was even worse, being ranked 41st for affordability and 47th for child care and education quality.
Contact Kia Murray at kmurray@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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