With 17 state capitals being the most populated cities in their states, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best State Capitals for Safety & More, and Annapolis comes in at #17. To identify the most livable seats of state government, WalletHub compared all 50 state capitals across 49 key metrics, ranging from the cost of living to K–12 school-system quality to the share of residents who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
| Top 20 State Capitals | |
| 1. Austin, TX | 11. Nashville, TN |
| 2. Raleigh, NC | 12. Oklahoma City, OK |
| 3. Madison, WI | 13. Des Moines, IA |
| 4. Boise, ID | 14. Helena, MT |
| 5. Lincoln, NE | 15. St. Paul, MN |
| 6. Salt Lake City, UT | 16. Olympia, WA |
| 7. Concord, NH | 17. Bismarck, ND |
| 8. Denver, CO | 18. Annapolis, MD |
| 9. Atlanta, GA | 19. Cheyenne, WY |
| 10. Columbus, OH | 20. Santa Fe, NM |
Best vs. Worst
- Concord, New Hampshire, has the lowest violent-crime rate per 1,000 residents, 1.92, which is 9.6 times lower than in Little Rock, Arkansas, the city with the highest at 18.50.
- Raleigh, North Carolina, has the highest median household income (adjusted for cost of living), $75,048, which is 2.3 times higher than in Hartford, Connecticut, the city with the lowest at $33,078.
- Montpelier, Vermont, has the highest share of adults age 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree, 61.20 percent, which is 4.3 times higher than in Trenton, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at 14.20 percent.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-state-capitals/19030
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