Best States 2018

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FILE - In a Tuesday June 6, 2017 file photo, hydrologist William K. Jones, walks up a mountain near the route of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline in Bolar, Va. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees interstate natural gas pipelines, released an environmental impact statement Friday, July 21, 2017 for the proposed 600-mile (965-kilometer) pipeline, which has broad support from political and business leaders but is staunchly opposed by environmentalists and many affected landowners. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

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Appalachia’s buried treasure in natural gas means pipelines, and the controversy that comes with them, are headed south.

Best States 2018

Ranking Performance
Throughout All 50 States

  1. Iowa

    #1 Iowa
  2. #2 Minnesota
  3. #3 Utah
  4. #4 North Dakota
  5. #5 New Hampshire
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Overall Best States Rankings

Measuring outcomes for citizens using more than 75 metrics.

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Best States for…

  1. Health Care

    Rankings for health care access, health care quality and public health

    1. #1 Hawaii
    2. #2 Washington
    3. #3 Iowa
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  2. Education

    Rankings for states' higher education and Pre-K-12 education systems

    1. #1 Massachusetts
    2. #2 New Jersey
    3. #3 Utah
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  3. Economy

    Rankings for state growth, employment and business environment

    1. #1 Colorado
    2. #2 Utah
    3. #3 Washington
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  5. Opportunity

    Rankings for economic opportunity, affordability and equality for all citizens

    1. #1 New Hampshire
    2. #2 Maryland
    3. #3 Minnesota
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  6. Infrastructure

    Rankings for internet access, energy and transportation using metrics such as road quality

    1. #1 Iowa
    2. #2 North Dakota
    3. #3 Oregon
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  7. Crime & Corrections

    Rankings for public safety and and corrections using incarceration rates and more

    1. #1 Maine
    2. #2 New Hampshire
    3. #3 New Jersey
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  8. Fiscal Stability

    Rankings for states' short-term and long-term fiscal health

    1. #1 Utah
    2. #2 North Dakota
    3. #3 Florida
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  9. Quality of Life

    Rankings for social and natural environment using metrics such as drinking water quality

    1. #1 North Dakota
    2. #2 Minnesota
    3. #3 Wisconsin
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Which State Is the Best?

Visualize your state’s performance on the metrics that power the rankings.

Best States is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News for ranking the 50 U.S. states, alongside news analysis and daily reporting. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. The data was provided by McKinsey & Company’s Leading States Index.

Copyright 2018 © U.S. News & World Report L.P.