Feb. 8.  With 17 state capitals being the most populated cities in their states, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best State Capitals for Safety & More.

To identify the most livable seats of state government, WalletHub compared all 50 state capitals across 49 key metrics, ranging from the cost of living to K–12 school-system quality to the share of residents who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Raleigh placed 2nd, behind Austin, Texas.

Best vs. worst

—Concord, New Hampshire, has the lowest violent-crime rate per 1,000 residents, 1.92, which is 9.6 times lower than in Little Rock, Arkansas, the city with the highest at 18.50.
—Raleigh, North Carolina, has the highest median household income (adjusted for cost of living), $75,048, which is 2.3 times higher than in Hartford, Connecticut, the city with the lowest at $33,078.
—Montpelier, Vermont, has the highest share of adults age 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree, 61.20 percent, which is 4.3 times higher than in Trenton, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at 14.20 percent.