State rankings

Best State for Fall Colors

Vermont ranks 1st on Fall Color Ranking, followed by Minnesota (2nd) and Colorado (3rd); rank 1 is the best. Arizona ranks last (50th).

EnvironmentGeographyTravel50 states · 1 metricUpdated Mar 14, 2023Original page
4 sources
Fall Color RankingBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
50 of 51 states
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Fall Color Ranking

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

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All 50 ranked

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

Data

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

50 states · # = rank by Fall Color Ranking
#
1Vermont1st
2Minnesota2nd
3Colorado3rd
4Maine4th
5Michigan5th
6Massachusetts6th
7New York7th
8Wisconsin8th
9Pennsylvania9th
10Virginia10th
11Oregon11th
12Washington12th
13Maryland13th
14New Jersey14th
15Rhode Island15th
16Wyoming16th
17Hawaii17th
18Kentucky18th
19Montana19th
20Missouri20th
21New Mexico21st
22New Hampshire22nd
23North Carolina23rd
24California24th
25South Dakota25th
26Idaho26th
27Illinois27th
28Tennessee28th
29Utah29th
30Connecticut30th
31Oklahoma31st
32Delaware32nd
33Arkansas33rd
34Texas34th
35South Carolina35th
36Georgia36th
37Indiana37th
38Ohio38th
39West Virginia39th
40Nebraska40th
41Alabama41st
42Mississippi42nd
43Kansas43rd
44Iowa44th
45North Dakota45th
46Alaska46th
47Louisiana47th
48Florida48th
49Nevada49th
50Arizona50th

What correlates with Fall Color Ranking?

Pearson r against 2,116 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 Fall Color Ranking tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. % That Received Updated BoosterVaccination Rates by State
    r = +0.69 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. Greenest StatesMost Beautiful StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.67 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  3. Eco-Friendliness ScoreUgliest States
    r = +0.67 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Overall Education RankLeast Educated StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.65 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. AccessibilityBest States for Hiking
    r = +0.64 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. WH 2023 Total ScoreGreenest States
    r = +0.63 · strong · n = 50
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that rank better on Fall Color Ranking tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Cooling Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages)
    r = −0.67 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  2. # of Snake SpeciesSnake Population by State
    r = −0.60 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Teen Birth RateTeen Pregnancy Rates by State
    r = −0.57 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. PrisonersPrison Spending by State
    r = −0.56 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. Obesity Rate 18-39Most Obese States
    r = −0.55 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. Republican Vote Share (President, %)Presidential Election Results by State, 2016–2024
    r = −0.55 · strong · n = 50
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state ranks first on Fall Color Ranking?
Vermont ranks first on Fall Color Ranking, at 1st, followed by Minnesota (2nd) and Colorado (3rd). Rank 1 is the best state.
Which state ranks last on Fall Color Ranking?
Arizona ranks last of the 50 US states with data, at 50th.
Where does this best state for fall colors data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Far & Wide; Travel and Leisure; Earth Networks; Thrillist.

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