Virginia ranked 13th Best State in the Nation to Live in 2026

Virginia was ranked the 13th best state to live in in the nation on Wallet Hub's recent 2026 ranking, up from 14th in last year's ranking. The study compared the states across five dimensions, affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. While Virginia had no metrics that it ranked particularly poorly on, it excelled in the economic... education, and health dimensions. Chip Lupo, writer and analyst for Wallet Hub, explains what could have made the difference in this year's ranking. Usually it's tied to the economy, whether it's in terms of the unemployment rate, the share of population living in poverty, those things kind of fluctuate. So typically when you have like a slight bump or a slight drop of one or two spaces, usually it's tied to things such as the economy and affordability issues. Lupo adds that Virginia's large size and diverse regions strike a good balance across all the metrics. measured in the study, helping its ranking. Emma Thomas, WFIR News.