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Every U.S. state capital acts as the legislative and administrative center for its respective state, however, the similarities between capitals typically end there. Some state capitals are major metropolitan areas, some are surrounded by incredible nature, and others are known for their small-town vibes.
This makes the experience of living in a capital, let alone buying a home in one, vastly different from one another. In some capitals, you can afford a nice home within walking distance of amenities, while in others, you might have to pay a premium price. Depending on what you value, be it safety, air quality, local income levels, or housing equity opportunities, the best state capital will be different for everyone, but we tried to find the best capital overall, with a particular emphasis on affordability.
Taking into account safety, well-being, convenience, and home prices, Zoocasa ranked the 50 state capitals to determine the best one to live in. The final score was calculated using key metrics: median home price, home price growth, median household income, walk score, transit score, safety index, and air quality.
Each metric was normalized and weighted to reflect its importance in assessing overall livability. For this study, the following weights were used to determine the ranking: home price (45%), home price growth (10%), income (20%), walk score (5%), transit score (5%), safety index (10%), air quality (5%).
Annapolis, Maryland is the Best Capital to Live In
As one of the smaller state capitals, Annapolis is perfect for those looking to escape the excitement of a big city and settle down next to historic buildings, a waterfront, and nautical villages.
Annapolis topped our list largely thanks to its high median household income of $104,257, which is the highest among all state capitals. This makes the median home price of $485,000 relatively within reach for most local residents. Homes are also appreciating at a faster rate than in many other state capitals, with the home price increasing by 8.9% from the third quarter of 2023 to the third quarter of 2024.
While Annapolis’s home price is a bit higher than the average price for other capital markets, it boasts moderately good walk and transit scores, making the city quite convenient for local residents.
If you’re considering a move to Annapolis, expect a competitively tight market. According to Maryland Realtors, Anne Arundel County (where Annapolis is located) had only 1 month of inventory in December 2024, with homes selling in just 12 days—faster than almost every other county in the state.
Montpelier and Nashville Earn Second and Third Place in Capital Rankings
With a population of just over 8,000, you might not have heard of Vermont’s small capital of Montpelier, but with its quaint downtown, New England charm, and fall scenery, you’ll wish you'd heard of it sooner.
Montpelier’s median home price is $60,000 below the national median, and with a relatively high median household income of $79,175, local costs are pretty affordable. In terms of safety and air quality, it also ranks highly among other capital cities.
If you’re ready to swap large chains for local stores, look no further than Montpelier. Per the state’s tourism website, Montpelier is the only state capital without a Starbucks or McDonald’s, instead prioritizing local crafts, eateries, and independently-owned boutiques.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a larger city with plenty of amenities to settle down in, Nashville is the next best capital city to choose. Nashville’s median home price of $421,500 is about on par with the national median. At the same time, the median household income of $80,217 is also similar to the national median, making Nashville right in the middle of affordability. Best of all? Nashville ranks number one on our list for walk and transit scores, giving locals the most convenient lifestyle.
Standout Capitals for Affordability
Springfield, IL, and Charleston, WV are the only state capitals with a median home price below $200,000, putting them in a league of their own for housing affordability. Springfield has the lowest price at $191,000, helping it rank 7th on our list. At the same time, it has seen impressive year-over-year price growth of 12.3%, indicating Springfield’s housing market is gaining in popularity and demand. Another factor helping Springfield stand out is that its median household income of $63,849 is more than most other capitals on the lower end of housing prices.
Topeka, KS is the next most affordable capital with a median home price of $214,100. However, it ranked 37th on our list due to its low median household income of $52,417 and lower-than-average scores for walk, transit, safety, and air quality.
Not far behind Topeka is Little Rock, AR, in 30th place for overall liveability. Little Rock’s median household income is higher than Topeka’s, but homebuyers may not build as much equity as the median home price has increased by only 0.1% year-over-year.
Why Some State Capitals Didn’t Rank Higher
Although many people would love to live in Hawaii’s tropical capital of Honolulu, it came in last place in our ranking because of its extremely high home price. This doesn’t mean Honolulu is a bad place to live. If you can afford the $1,138,000 median home price, then you’ll benefit from living in a city with good walkability and transit, clean air, and safer-than-average neighborhoods.
Similarly, Santa Fe has a high median home price compared to its median household income, making it challenging for residents to access affordable housing.
But low home prices alone don’t guarantee a city will be the best place to live. Other factors, particularly low incomes, in addition to poor environmental and social factors, can bring down a capital's ranking. This explains why Baton Rouge, LA, and Jackson, MS rank low on our list. Both cities have low median home prices under $300,000, however median household incomes are around $42,000.
On the other hand, a high median home price won’t immediately lower a city’s score if incomes are high. Take Boston, which is ranked 11 out of 50. Though Boston’s median home price of $758,700 might mean homeownership is out of reach for those moving from lower-income cities, those living and working in Boston have a high median household income of $96,931. On top of that, Boston ranks high for walkability and transit, making it a convenient place to live.
Methodology:
Home prices were primarily sourced from the National Association of Realtors’ Median Sales Price of Existing Single-Family Homes for Metropolitan Areas (Q3 2024 release). If a city’s median home price was not available through this source, data was obtained from the local real estate board for that city.
Median household income was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau using the latest available figures. Walk and transit scores were gathered from Walkscore.com to assess each city’s walkability and public transit convenience. Safety data was sourced from Neighbourhood Scout, which evaluates crime rates and community safety. Air quality rankings were determined by the number of days with “good” air quality in 2024, as reported in the United Staets Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index Report.
Each metric was normalized and weighted to reflect its importance in determining overall livability. The following are each category’s weight: Home prices (45%), home price growth (10%), income (20%), walk score (5%), transit score (5%), safety index (10%), air quality (5%).
The post From Affordability to Walkability: Ranking the Best U.S. State Capitals to Live In appeared first on Zoocasa Blog.
