Illinois Ranks Among the Best States to Raise a Family

If you happen to be a Illinois hater, you're going to love to hate this. The Land of Lincoln has just been declared one of the best states in America to raise a family. Let the saucy comments begin.

I've never fully understood some of the loud voices that love to give the state of Illinois a hard time. I have either lived and/or worked in Illinois often in my life and have never had anything but great experiences, but I also don't get involved in political fist fights, so that's probably why I don't get the anti-Illinois crowd. If you don't like good news about Illinois, you might want to look the other way.

The site that loves to rank everything, WalletHub, has just release their 2026 version of the best and worst states to raise a family. Illinois is ranked as the 9th best state to raise a family. Go figure.

Why is Illinois considered a great state to raise a family?

The WalletHub study is based on some real science. According to their methodology, they have factored in family fun, health, safety, education, child care, affordability and a number of other family-oriented metrics. Illinois really shines in their family fun category ranked as the 3rd best place for families to enjoy recreation in the nation. When you think about the wide variety of outdoor activities, Illinois really does shine. You have beaches near Chicago and some of the nation's best hiking in the southern part of the state.

It's typical for the national media to share negative data about Illinois. Positive stories like this get overlooked which is unfortunate. No state is without its problems and Illinois has its fair share, but it's also a pretty great place for families according to science.