Where is the best place to make a living? In today's tough economy, it's an especially relevant question. A recent CareerBuilder survey found that 44 percent of workers said they'd be willing to relocate for a job opportunity.
For the second year in a row, MoneyRates.com sought to answer this question through a state-by-state look at four things:
- Average income
- Cost of living, based on the ACCRA Cost of Living Index
- State income tax rate (based on the bracket for the state's average income)
- Unemployment rate
To determine rankings, this study uses an adjusted average income figure based on these factors. This figure is intended to provide insight into the earning environment of each state, and determine which places fare best -- and worst -- when all four variables are taken into account.
Newcomer Utah, climbed 13 places from last year. Utah benefits from having cost of living and unemployment figures that are well below the national averages. MoneyRates
