Springfield Lands on a Top 20 List of Best State Capitals

We all know that our state doesn't always fare so well on lists of the "Best of," and unfortunately shows up too often on the "Worst of" lists. However, when it comes to the "livability" of state capitals around the US, our Springfield does pretty well.

(As a side-note, for all those who've had a problem knowing which spelling to use, "capitol" is the building in which a legislature meets and conducts business, while "capital" is the city in which the building is located.)

The numbers-crunchers at WalletHub took a look at all 50 state capital cities to determine which ones offered the highest quality of life:

Many state capitals actually are thriving hubs of activity and thus some of the most livable places in America. But not all state capitals are created equal. And though 17 of them are the largest cities in their states, the biggest population doesn’t always represent the best quality of life. So in order to determine what state capitals are worth, WalletHub’s data team compared all 50 across 42 key indicators of affordability, economic strength, quality of education and health, and overall living standards. Our data set ranges from “cost of living” to “K–12 school-system quality” to “number of attractions.”

First, the Top 5 Best State Capitals: