25 Feb Is Salt Lake City Number One?

With the 2025 election bringing new leadership, and thus new financial and social policies, to many state capitals, WalletHub has released its report on 2025’s Best State Capitals to Live In. WalletHub compared all 50 state capitals across 48 key metrics, ranging from the cost of living to K-12 school-system quality to the number of attractions.

Top 20 State Capitals

1. Austin, TX
2. Madison, WI
3. Raleigh, NC
4. Boise, ID
5. Atlanta, GA
6. Lincoln, NE
7. Salt Lake City, UT
8. Denver, CO
9. St. Paul, MN
10. Columbus, OH
11. Concord, NH
12. Nashville, TN
13. Bismarck, ND
14. Montpelier, VT
15. Oklahoma City, OK
16. Des Moines, IA
17. Pierre, SD
18. Helena, MT
19. Boston, MA
20. Providence, RI

Best vs. Worst

• Concord, New Hampshire, has the lowest violent-crime rate per 1,000 residents, – 11.5 times lower than Little Rock, Arkansas, the city with the highest rate.
• Austin, Texas, has the highest median household income (adjusted for cost of living), – 2.1 times higher than Hartford, Connecticut, the city with the lowest.
• Montpelier, Vermont, has the highest share of adults ages 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree, – 4.2 times higher than Trenton, New Jersey, the city with the lowest.