Which state is the best to live in? Massachusetts takes the cake, a new national ranking found.

Personal finance company WalletHub just released its annual list of the best states to live in, and the Bay State was named No. 1.

WalletHub said the list was compiled based on livability factors, with finances generally being a major component.

“You should also consider a wide variety of other factors, such as how where you live will impact your health and safety, and whether you will have adequate access to activities that you enjoy,” a WalletHub analyst said. 

Here’s why Massachusetts came out on the top of the list.

Why is Massachusetts the best state to live in?

WalletHub found Massachusetts is the best state to live in mostly because of the state’s strong health care and education systems.

The state has the lowest premature death rate and the lowest share of adults in fair or poor health. It also has the highest number of residents with health insurance, at 97.3%.

Additionally, Massachusetts has the best school systems in the country, WalletHub found. It also has the fourth-best high school graduation rate in the country, at over 90%.

Other factors that put Massachusetts at the top of the list were that it has the third-lowest property crime rate and the third-best access to public transportation.

Which other New England states are good places to live?

On WalletHub’s 2024 list of the best states to live, New Hampshire was the only New England state other than Massachusetts that made the top ten. It was named the fifth best state to live.

Maine and Vermont came in under the top 20, at No. 14 and No. 19, respectively.

Connecticut was No. 22 on the list and Rhode Island was No. 28.

What makes a state a good place to live?

To determine the best and worst places to live, WalletHub said it compared states based on five different factors: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life and safety.

These factors were broken down into further categories to calculate scores for each state. For example, in terms of affordability, categories included housing affordability, median annual property taxes, cost of living, median annual household income and home ownership rates.

Scores totaled up to 100 and were weighted to find the average. Higher scores indicated better rankings. Massachusetts’ score was 60.52.

Massachusetts won more medals than over 50 countries at the 2024 Olympics.

The Bay State has always been a top producer of Olympians, ranking seventh on BeenVerified’s list of states with the most athletes with a total of 326, and ranking ninth for states with the most medals with 136.

This year, Massachusetts sent 16 summer Olympians, who were born and raised here, to the Paris games which means that the state had more representation than 114 countries.

Out of the 16, six athletes won a total of eight medals – three gold, one silver and four bronze – putting Massachusetts ahead of 55 countries in the total medal count. For perspective, Norway, Switzerland and Greece each also won nine medals.

Read all about the 2024 Olympic medalists from Massachusetts below.

Gabby Thomas

The track and field athlete from Northampton, Massachusetts won gold in the women’s 200m, women’s 4x100m relay and women’s 4x400m relay, which means she won all three of the state’s gold medals. Thomas is a graduate of Williston Northampton School and Harvard University.

Gabby’s first gold: Gabby Thomas Olympics: See the Massachusetts sprinter’s priceless reaction to winning gold

Ruby Remati

Remati helped the women’s artistic swimming team win silver, the first medal for team USA in the sport since 2004. Though she was born in Australia, Remati grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, where she trained at the Andover YMCA.

More: She can moonwalk underwater. MA’s Ruby Remati wins medal in artistic swimming at Olympics

Stephen Nedoroscik

Better known as “pommel horse guy” for his specialty event under the same name, Nedoroscik won two bronze medals – one for the men’s gymnastics individual pommel horse event, and one for the men’s gymnastics all-around team with the rest of team USA. Nedoroscik is from Worcester, where he went to Sterling Academy of Gymnastics.

More: Full coverage of Stephen Nedoroscik, from Worcester to Paris

Frederick Richard

Also winning the bronze medal in the men’s gymnastics all-around team is Fred Richard, Nedoroscik’s teammate from Stoughton, Massachusetts. The athlete is also popular on social media, where be post gymnastics videos on multiple platforms under the handle @FrederickFlips.

Internet fame: Olympian Frederick Richard, of MA, is viral on TikTok. Watch 3 of his best videos

Kristi Kirshe

Kirshe, who was born and raised in Franklin, Massachusetts, made history by winning bronze with the women’s rugby team, the first medal the United States has ever won in women’s rugby sevens.

Hometown hero: Town of Franklin will host homecoming for Olympic rugby 7s bronze medalist Kristi Kirshe

Henry Hollingsworth

The Dover native is a member of the bronze-winning men’s eight team in rowing. Although he was born in Virginia, Hollingsworth grew up in Massachusetts, getting his career start at Fessenden School in West Newton and becoming captain of the rowing team at Brooks School.

What about Massachusetts college athletes?

If we count athletes who went to college in the Bay State, the number goes up even higher. Six Harvard graduated received medals at the Olympics. Three – Clark Dean, Christian Tabash and Pieter Quinton – were part of the Men’s Eight Rowing Team, who won bronze. Also in rowing, Liam Corrigan won a bronze in the four class rowing event. Harvard student Laura Scruggs won gold in women’s team foil, and a silver in women’s individual foil in fencing. And Kristen Faulkner of Harvard, an alternate, ended up winning gold in women’s individual road race and a second gold in women’s track cycling.

Sam Coffey of Boston College won a gold medal as a midfielders with the Women’s Soccer Team.

If these athletes are counted, then Massachusetts jumps up to 15 medals – seven gold, two silver and six bronze. Overall, 15 medals would place Massachusetts right between Uzbekistan, with 13 medals, and Spain with 18.

What about professional athletes?

If you add in the Celtics players who went to the Olympics – Jrue Holiday, Derrek White and the much talked about Jayson Tatum – then Massachusetts adds one more gold medal to its tally for men’s basketball, which puts the state right behind Canada, with nine gold medals.

Monday, August 12, 2024

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, has deemed more than 60 beaches and water locations throughout the state closed due to high bacteria levels.

It is working in conjunction with the Department of Recreation and Conservation.

High bacteria levels close beaches

“No, I didn’t know that and I think it’s pretty gross and I won’t get in the water,” said Dorchester resident Caitlin Couture at Savin Hill Beach.

DCR calls it excessive bacteria. They conduct weekly water quality tests to count bacteria levels.

The Department of Public Health has posted signs warning people not to swim to avoid risk of illness.

Michael Campbell has lived near Savin Hill Beach for 18 years and is not surprised, which is why he’s keeping his family at the water’s edge.

“We just were telling him we’re going to wash our hands if we’re playing before we eat anything and keep our head out of the water,” said Campbell.

Trevor Hawkins is being extra careful with his dog Scout.

“Knowing that there’s high levels of bacteria in the water is definitely keeping us out and being cautious with her going in.

She doesn’t really go up past knee level and we usually rinse her off over at the showers.”

Morgan Ronzca said she wishes the no swimming signs were more noticeable.

“The only reason I know is because I work at a Boys and Girls Club,” said Ronzca.

Meanwhile, folks at the beach spent Sunday making the most of the incredible weather.

“It’s just a little frustrating when it’s really hot outside and you want to cool off but it’s still nice to get out and enjoy the breeze,” said Campbell.

The Department of Public Health said they will continue to publish and update daily a list of beach closure so the public is well aware of which locations are closed and which are safe to swim in.

What beaches were closed Sunday?

Amherst – Puffers Pond (Bacterial Exceedance)
Amherst – Stanley Street Swimming Hole (Bacterial Exceedance)
Ashby – Damon Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Ashland – Ashland Reservoir-Main Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Athol – Ellis Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Beverly – Dane Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
Beverly – Mingo (Bacterial Exceedance)
Boston – Constitution (Bacterial Exceedance)
Boston – Malibu (Bacterial Exceedance)
Boston – Savin Hill (Bacterial Exceedance)
Boston – Tenean (Bacterial Exceedance)
Braintree – Smith Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Brewster – Upper Mill Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Concord – Walden Pond – Red Cross (Other)
Danvers – Sandy Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Dartmouth – Hidden Bay (CSO/SSO Event)
Dartmouth – Jones Town Beach North and South (CSO/SSO Event)
Dartmouth – Moses Smith Creek (Bacterial Exceedance)
Framingham – Learned Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Grafton – Silver Lake Beach (Other)
Harwich – Sand Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Haverhill – Plugs Pond (Bacterial Exceedance)
Hingham – Hingham Town Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Holland – Collette Drive Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Hubbardston – Asnacomet Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Lowell – Merrimac River – Bath House (Bacterial Exceedance)
Lynn – Kings (Bacterial Exceedance)
Lynn – Lynn Shore Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Nahant – Nahant Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Nantucket – Sesachacha Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Natick – Cochituate State Park Beach (Bacterial Exceedance and Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
North Andover – Stevens Pond – Center (Bacterial Exceedance)
Northampton – Musante Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Oxford – Carbuncle Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Salem – Camp Naumkeag (Other)
Salem – Children’s Island – Back, Dock and Wally (Bacterial Exceedance)
Salem – Collins Cove (Bacterial Exceedance)
Salem – Juniper Point (Bacterial Exceedance)
Salem – Ocean Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
Salem – Osgood (Bacterial Exceedance)
Salem – Willow Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
Saugus – Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation (Bacterial Exceedance)
Shutesbury – Lake Wyola (Bacterial Exceedance)
Springfield – Bass Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Swampscott – Fisherman’s (Bacterial Exceedance)
Swampscott – Kings (Bacterial Exceedance)
Taunton – Watsons Pond (Bacterial Exceedance)
Templeton – Beamans Pond (Bacterial Exceedance)
Townsend – Pearl Hill Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Truro – Longnook (Other)
Wayland – Wayland Town Beach (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
West Stockbridge – Card Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
West Tisbury – Seth’s Pond (BActerial Exceedance)
Westboro – Lake Chauncey Beach (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Williamstown – Margaret Lindley Park (Bacterial Exceedance)
Winchendon – Lake Dennison State Park (Bacterial Exceedance)
Winchester – Shannon Beach at Upper Mystic (Bacterial Exceedance)
Winthrop – Halford (Bacterial Exceedance)
Winthrop – Winthrop Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Worcester – Indian Lake Public Beach (Sherburne Avenue) (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Worcester – Lake Quinsigamond – Lake Park Beach and Regatta Point Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
Worcester – Shore Park (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)