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Austin named best state capital to live in for 2026

Austin ranks No. 1 among the best state capitals to live in for 2026, according to a new WalletHub analysis.

Published February 18, 2026 at 10:03pm by Julianna Duennes Russ

For the second year in a row, Austin has been named the best state capital to live in across the United States, according to a 2026 WalletHub analysis released this week. The personal finance website evaluated all 50 state capitals across 48 metrics, including affordability, economic well-being, education, health care and quality of life. Austin earned the highest overall score.

Why is Austin ranked the best state capital?

Austin scored particularly high in economic well-being, quality of education and health care, and median household income adjusted for cost of living. Its adjusted median household income was the highest among all 50 capitals, the report noted, coming in at $93,902.

The quality of its public schools stood out, with Austin coming in first for public schools ranked “above average” by GreatSchools.org. It’s also one of the most educated cities overall, coming in with the fourth-highest percentage of people over 25 years old with a bachelor’s degree.

It also boasts the second-highest life expectancy of the other capitals and has a high number of restaurants and attractions per capita.

See full list of state capitals, ranked

  1. Austin, Texas
  2. Raleigh, N.C.
  3. Atlanta
  4. Madison, Wis.
  5. Boise, Idaho
  6. St. Paul, Minn.
  7. Lincoln, Neb.
  8. Bismarck, N.D.
  9. Denver
  10. Salt Lake City
  11. Oklahoma City
  12. Nashville, Tenn.
  13. Pierre, S.D.
  14. Concord, N.H.
  15. Columbus, Ohio
  16. Montpelier, Vt.
  17. Providence, R.I.
  18. Annapolis, Md.
  19. Des Moines, Iowa
  20. Phoenix
  21. Richmond, Va.
  22. Jefferson City, Mo.
  23. Boston
  24. Charleston, W.Va.
  25. Albany, N.Y.
  26. Helena, Mont.
  27. Olympia, Wash.
  28. Columbia, S.C.
  29. Indianapolis, Ind.
  30. Tallahassee, Fla.
  31. Sacramento, Calif.
  32. Springfield, Ill.
  33. Juneau, Alaska
  34. Honolulu, Hawaii
  35. Cheyenne, Wyo.
  36. Salem, Ore.
  37. Santa Fe, N.M.
  38. Topeka, Kan.
  39. Lansing, Mich.
  40. Harrisburg, Pa.
  41. Carson City, Nev.
  42. Frankfort, Ky.
  43. Hartford, Conn.
  44. Montgomery, Ala.
  45. Dover, Del.
  46. Little Rock, Ark.
  47. Baton Rouge, La.
  48. Trenton, N.J.
  49. Augusta, Maine
  50. Jackson, Miss.