The Best State

WalletHub.com shared an article by Adam McCann on their website recently titled “The Best And Worst Places To Raise A Family (2025).”* Here is an excerpt: “Families move often and for various reasons. In fact, the average American can expect to move an estimated 11.7 times in a lifetime. Moving can be a sign of opportunity, such as a new job or long-term wealth accumulation, but people may also move because of instability such as foreclosure or job loss. During this period of significant inflation, many families might consider moving to a place with a relatively low cost of living. With families in mind, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 45 key metrics that consider essential family dynamics, such as the cost of housing, the quality of local school and health-care systems, and the opportunities for fun and recreation. While not perfect — given personal preferences and the limitations of publicly available data — our findings will hopefully give movers a better sense of their options.” In case you were wondering, the top five places were: (1) Fremont, CA., (2) Overland Park, KS., (3) Plano, TX., (4) Irvine, CA., and (5) South Burlington, VT. The five worst places were (182) Memphis TN., (181) Detroit, MI., (180) Cleveland, OH., (179) Gulfport, MS., and (178) Newark, NJ..

Of course, the absolute best “state” in which to raise a family is “in the Lord.” This is a state in which parents endeavor to bring up their children “...in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). It is a state where children are viewed as “...a gift of the Lord…” and not a burden. It is a state in which the commandments of the Lord are taught diligently “...when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Any earthly state will do when you are in the right spiritual state.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-families/4435?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&user_id=6705360be2fc7ec1680f85f6