New Study Ranks the Best States in the U.S.

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Massachusetts — landing place of the pilgrims and one of the original 13 colonies — is the greatest state in the nation, according to a new report.

The Bay State is home to some of the nation’s best universities and hospitals. It also boasts one of the strongest economies and lowest unemployment rates in the country. Those factors helped push Massachusetts to the top spot in U.S. News & World Report’s Best States rankings of how well states are performing for their citizens.

The inaugural report combines a national survey on what matters most to Americans with state rankings for more than 60 metrics in the following categories, listed in order of weighted importance:

  1. Health care: 18 percent weight
  2. Education: 16 percent
  3. Opportunity: 14 percent
  4. Crime and corrections: 14 percent
  5. Infrastructure: 14 percent
  6. Economy: 13 percent
  7. Government: 10 percent

The Bay State placed first in education and second in health care — the two most heavily weighted categories. According to U.S. News & World Report:

Its vibrant academic environment, innovative and supportive health care policies and modernizing economy, measure for measure, make this small New England powerhouse with a population of 6.8 million the strongest state of all.

While New England states clinched the top two spots in the Best States rankings, Southern states performed the worst, with Louisiana coming in dead last among the states.

This is how the states measure up:

  1. Massachusetts
  2. New Hampshire
  3. Minnesota
  4. North Dakota
  5. Washington
  6. Iowa
  7. Utah
  8. Maryland
  9. Colorado
  10. Vermont
  11. Virginia
  12. Connecticut
  13. Nebraska
  14. New Jersey
  15. South Dakota
  16. Wisconsin
  17. New York
  18. Maine
  19. Oregon
  20. Delaware
  21. Rhode Island
  22. Indiana
  23. California
  24. Florida
  25. North Carolina
  26. Wyoming
  27. Hawaii
  28. Kansas
  29. Illinois
  30. Pennsylvania
  31. Montana
  32. Idaho
  33. Michigan
  34. Arizona
  35. Ohio
  36. Georgia
  37. Missouri
  38. Texas
  39. Tennessee
  40. Nevada
  41. West Virginia
  42. Kentucky
  43. Alaska
  44. Oklahoma
  45. South Carolina
  46. New Mexico
  47. Alabama
  48. Arkansas
  49. Mississippi
  50. Louisiana

Are you curious about how your state measures up in other arenas? Learn more about your state’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as other states across the U.S., by checking out the following:

What do you think of the best states rankings? Sound off below or on Facebook.

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