CNBC Names Maine as One of the Best States to Live in

Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England contributor and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.

Maine Scores High, Again

Congratulations are in order for our beloved state of Maine. This coastal mecca was recently named the 2nd best state to live in by CNBC. The media company's annual list measures quality of life, including healthcare, crime rates, environmental quality, and many other categories.

Maine ended with a score just ahead of Hawaii, finishing in the 2nd position. Only Maine's New England cousin, Vermont, finished ahead of the Pine Tree State. This is what CNBC had to say about its scoring of Maine, specifically from a crime rate standpoint...

Maine isn’t just a safe state — it’s getting safer. The Maine Department of Public Safety reports that overall crime decreased for the 9th consecutive year in 2020, the most recent statistics available. Violent crime dropped nearly 5% and property crime fell more than 6%.

The article also cites Maine's strengths in voting rights and childcare. However, it does mention Maine's air quality as a weakness.

Maine's Quality of Life

It's no surprise to see Maine so highly ranked. I couldn't tell you the number of times I have promoted this state's incredible quality of life to outsiders. The places that rival it are few and far between. Honestly, when's the last time Maine wasn't close to the top for quality of life?

The rest of the Top 10 includes North Dakota, Minnesota, Washington, Nebraska, New Jersey (wait, what?), Oregon, and Iowa. I'm not going to lie, some of those are a bit of a shock. However, we must respect the methodology. I mean, it has Maine at #2, so it must be relatively legit.

The Worst State to Live In

And for the Bottom 10? That list was published as well. Congratulations to Arizona for pulling down the worst state award. The Grand Canyon State had zero strengths listed. That's quite the accomplishment.

Following Arizona is Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Missouri, Louisiana, New Mexico, Indiana, Tennessee, and Nevada.

You can read more about CNBC's best and worst rankings and methodology here.