10 State Economies That Really Stink

Illinois lawmakers ended their latest legislative session last week without agreeing on a budget — again.

This means the Prairie State is heading toward its second year with no state budget, putting public schools at risk of closure and state services at risk of elimination, the Associated Press recently reported.

Yet some states’ economies are worse off, according to WalletHub. The financial data website recently ranked Illinois’ economy No. 29 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, giving it an overall score of 46.41 out of 100.

WalletHub analyzed the condition of each state economy based on 23 factors like gross domestic product growth and unemployment rates.

The 10 worst-ranked state economies earned overall scores ranging from 31.86 in Mississippi to 39.35 in Hawaii. They are:

1. Mississippi
2. Arkansas
3. West Virginia
4. Maine
5. New Mexico
6. Louisiana
7. Kentucky
8. Alabama
9. Oklahoma
10. Hawaii

The 10 best-ranked economies earned overall scores ranging from 57.48 in Oregon to 71.55 in Utah:

1. Utah
2. Washington
3. California
4. Massachusetts
5. Colorado
6. Delaware
7. District of Columbia
8. New York
9. Texas
10. Oregon

For the rest of the rankings, check out WalletHub’s chart.

What’s your take on this news? How would you rate your own state’s economy? Let us know what you think below or over on our Facebook page.