State rankings

Best States to Live In

Utah ranks 1st on Overall Best - US News in 2026, followed by South Dakota (2nd) and Minnesota (3rd); rank 1 is the best. Louisiana ranks last (50th).

Culture50 states · 15 metricsUpdated Jul 11, 2026Original page
3 sources
49 of 51 states
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Overall Best - US News, 2026

Green is better, red is worse (rank 1 is the best). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 49 ranked

Best first; rank 1 is the best and has the longest bar.

Biggest changes · 2025 → 2026

49 states have a value in both years; rank 1 is the best.

Climbed

Fell

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

49 states · # = rank by Overall Best - US News
#
1Utah1st
2South Dakota2nd
3Minnesota3rd
4North Dakota4th
5Nebraska5th
6New Hampshire6th
7Idaho7th
8Florida8th
9Washington9th
10Vermont10th
11Massachusetts11th
12Iowa12th
13North Carolina13th
14Delaware14th
15Wisconsin15th
16Wyoming16th
17Connecticut18th
18Virginia19th
19New Jersey20th
20Maryland21st
21Georgia22nd
22New York23rd
23Kansas24th
24Tennessee25th
25Texas26th
26Maine27th
27Hawaii28th
28Montana29th
29Indiana30th
30Missouri31st
31South Carolina32nd
32Rhode Island33rd
33Arizona34th
34California35th
35Oklahoma36th
36Illinois37th
37Nevada38th
38Oregon39th
39Pennsylvania40th
40Kentucky41st
41Ohio42nd
42Alabama43rd
43West Virginia44th
44Arkansas45th
45Michigan46th
46New Mexico47th
47Mississippi48th
48Alaska49th
49Louisiana50th

What correlates with Overall Best - US News (2026)?

Pearson r against 2,062 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that rank better on Overall Best - US News tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Overall Worst States Rank (US News)Worst States to Live inA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.97 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Education RankWorst States to Live inA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.77 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Best Education Rank (USNews)Best States for EducationA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.77 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  4. Work Environment RankHappiest StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.75 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  5. Economic RankDisability Benefits by StateA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.74 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. Work Environment RankSaddest StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.74 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that rank better on Overall Best - US News tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. ScoreMost Stressed States
    r = +0.76 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. % Of Population Below Poverty LevelPoverty Rate by State
    r = +0.70 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Most Unhealthy States Total ScoreMost Unhealthy States in the U.S.
    r = +0.66 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  4. Premature Deaths Per 100kHealthiest States
    r = +0.66 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  5. Household Diversity RankMost Diverse US StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.66 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. SNAP RecipiencyFederal Spending by State
    r = +0.66 · strong · n = 49
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state ranks first on Overall Best - US News?
Utah ranks first on Overall Best - US News in 2026, at 1st, followed by South Dakota (2nd) and Minnesota (3rd). Rank 1 is the best state.
Which state ranks last on Overall Best - US News?
Louisiana ranks last of the 49 US states with data in 2026, at 50th.
Where does this best states to live in data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Best States to Live in 2023 - Scholaroo; Best States Rankings - US News; Best States to Live In - WalletHub.