The latest U.S. News & World Report Best States rankings are out, offering a look at how all 50 states stack up on measures ranging from healthcare and education to economic strength, infrastructure and public safety.
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The annual report evaluated state performance across dozens of metrics to determine which states were serving their residents best overall.
“Some states shine in healthcare. Some soar in education. Some excel in both – or in much more. The Best States rankings by U.S. News draw on thousands of data points to measure how well states are performing for their citizens,” the report said.
Utah ranked best state in America
Big Picture View: Utah claimed the top spot in the 2026 rankings for the fourth consecutive year, driven by top-tier performances in several key categories.
The state ranked No. 2 for both its economy and fiscal stability, No. 4 for infrastructure and No. 6 for education. It also earned a No. 7 ranking for crime and corrections.
While Utah excelled in many areas, it ranked lower in others, including No. 18 for healthcare, No. 24 for opportunity and No. 48 for natural environment.
Downtown of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. (Credit: Getty Images)
“Utah’s No. 1 ranking comes down to consistency,” U.S. News Executive Chairman and CEO Eric Gertler said, pointing to the state’s strong economy, fiscal stability and education system, along with its young and growing workforce.
South Dakota finished second overall in the national rankings, followed by Minnesota, North Dakota and Nebraska, highlighting the strength of Upper Midwest and Mountain West states in the annual assessment.
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New Hampshire, Idaho, Florida, Washington and Vermont rounded out the Top 10.
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Gertler said the results reflect what he called “a broader realignment of American economic growth,” with states in the Midwest and South gaining ground as businesses and workers increasingly gravitate toward faster-growing, lower-cost regions.
“States in the Midwest and South generally moved up the rankings, while several Northeastern states fell substantially, showing how human and financial capital are actively migrating away from high-cost areas into more affordable regions,” Gertler told Fox News Digital.
Dig Deeper: Texas climbed to the No. 1 spot in the economy category. U.S. News credited the state with leading the nation in job growth while posting among the country’s strongest performances in GDP growth, net migration and youth population growth.
South Dakota, meanwhile, posted one of the year’s biggest gains, climbing from No. 8 overall to No. 2, while North Dakota jumped from No. 12 to No. 4, driven by improvements in health care, education, fiscal stability and economic performance.
Colorado climbed to No. 1 in education, Hawaii topped the nation in health care, Nevada ranked first in infrastructure, Wyoming led in fiscal stability, New Hampshire earned the highest marks in crime and corrections, Vermont ranked first in opportunity and Hawaii also claimed the top spot in natural environment.
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America’s top states revealed
- Utah
- South Dakota
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
See the full report here.