Does Your State Make The Cut?
Everyone has an opinion about the best state in America. But do the numbers agree?
We looked at the 2026 rankings from U.S. News, WalletHub, and ConsumerAffairs, converted each state’s placement into points out of 100, and averaged the three equally to calculate our ultimate Best States Score (BSS).
Where did your state land? Are you surprised?
30: Illinois (BSS: 41.5)
Illinois just makes our top 30, and the rankings show why it doesn’t climb higher. U.S. News places it 13th for education but 45th for natural environment. Chicago’s museums, restaurants, and lakefront certainly help the appeal, but one impressive city can’t carry an entire state.
Daniel Schwen, Wikimedia Commons
29: Indiana (BSS: 47.6)
Indiana’s biggest selling point might be what you have left in your bank account. WalletHub puts it fourth for affordability, although its economy ranks 40th in that study. That’s the tradeoff: everyday costs look attractive, but the broader economic picture keeps Indiana from finishing higher.
Carol M. Highsmith, Wikimedia Commons
28: Kansas (BSS: 49.7)
Kansas lands near the middle in all three rankings, which makes this placement fairly consistent. And there’s more happening here than wheat fields. Wichita is a major aviation manufacturing center, giving the state an industrial side that often gets overlooked when people picture life in Kansas.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
27: New York (BSS: 51.0)
New York takes first place for quality of life in WalletHub’s study, but 47th for affordability. That pretty much captures the dilemma. There’s plenty to enjoy, from city entertainment to the Adirondacks, but paying for life here can make those advantages feel a little less convincing.
![500px provided description: #newyorkcityskyline #nycskyline #newyorkcity #nyc #sunset #cityscape [#Photo taken a few years ago of the NYC skyline during sunset]](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/splashtravels/2026/10/17/1792239845579bdea52e0edda6bf7ef22093b9a0d0868d0e63.jpeg)
Ralph Mendoza, Wikimedia Commons
26: Delaware (BSS: 51.7)
Delaware gets its strongest endorsement from U.S. News, which ranks it 14th overall. The other two lists are less enthusiastic, pulling it down in our combined score. Still, Atlantic beaches and a location near several major East Coast cities give this small state some practical appeal.
25: Maryland (BSS: 51.7)
Maryland has a lot going on beyond its proximity to Washington, D.C. Johns Hopkins, the National Institutes of Health, and a substantial biotechnology industry give it a serious research presence. ConsumerAffairs ranks it 18th overall, its best showing among the three rankings we examined.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
24: Washington (BSS: 52.4)
Washington is one of the biggest disagreements in our ranking. U.S. News puts it ninth, while the other two sources place it outside their top 30. Mountains, islands, and city life offer plenty of appeal, but that uneven performance keeps it well below our top tier.
Daniel Schwen, Wikimedia Commons
23: Rhode Island (BSS: 52.4)
Rhode Island might be tiny, but its results aren’t quite so simple. ConsumerAffairs ranks it 17th, while U.S. News puts it 33rd. Its coastline and Providence’s cultural attractions give residents plenty to enjoy without crossing a huge state. The overall rankings, however, tell different stories.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
22: Georgia (BSS: 53.1)
Georgia stays between 22nd and 27th across all three lists, making it a fairly consistent contender. Its economy has some substantial foundations: Atlanta’s airport and Savannah’s port support a major logistics industry. There’s more behind the state’s appeal than warm weather and a good peach.
ericstokley, Wikimedia Commons
21: Pennsylvania (BSS: 55.8)
Pennsylvania gets very different reviews depending on who’s doing the ranking: ninth from WalletHub and 40th from U.S. News. ConsumerAffairs places it 19th. With Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, small towns, and rural communities all sharing one state, a single overall number can only tell you so much.
20: North Carolina (BSS: 59.2)
North Carolina’s appeal goes beyond beaches and mountain weekends. The Research Triangle brings together major universities and a substantial biotechnology industry, adding career possibilities to the scenery. U.S. News ranks the state 13th overall, although its weaker placements in the other lists bring our combined ranking down.
Abhiram Juvvadi, Wikimedia Commons
19: Colorado (BSS: 61.2)
Colorado earns first place for education in U.S. News’ rankings, helped by improvements in associate degree completion and preschool enrollment. That’s a meaningful achievement beyond the usual talk about skiing and mountain views. But one winning category doesn’t automatically make it the best state overall.
18: Montana (BSS: 62.6)
Montana’s strongest overall results come from WalletHub and ConsumerAffairs, which place it 14th and 15th. U.S. News is less impressed, ranking it 29th. The scenery is an obvious attraction, but living among mountains and wide-open spaces is a different proposition from visiting them for a week.
PotatoCow25, Wikimedia Commons
17: Connecticut (BSS: 66.0)
Connecticut’s strengths include industries that don’t always make the vacation brochures: insurance, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. It also takes third place for healthcare in U.S. News’ rankings. Those are substantial advantages, even if a discussion about insurance companies sounds less exciting than one about beaches.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
16: Maine (BSS: 70.1)
Maine gets its biggest boost from ConsumerAffairs, which ranks it fifth overall. U.S. News also puts it second for public safety and corrections and third for opportunity. The coastline gets plenty of attention, but these results suggest there’s more to Maine’s appeal than a good lobster roll.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
15: New Jersey (BSS: 73.5)
New Jersey finishes second overall in WalletHub’s ranking and second for education in U.S. News’ study. That’s a pretty good answer to anyone whose opinion of the state comes entirely from turnpike jokes. Its other overall placements are lower, which brings it to 15th in our ranking.
14: Florida (BSS: 75.5)
Florida has more going for it than winter sunshine. U.S. News ranks it third for education, a category covering both higher education and pre-K through 12th grade. It also makes the overall top 10 in two of our sources. ConsumerAffairs’ lower placement keeps it outside ours.
Sonny SideUp, Wikimedia Commons
13: Vermont (BSS: 76.2)
Vermont takes first place for opportunity and third for public safety and corrections in U.S. News’ rankings. Those are useful strengths for somewhere often associated with maple syrup and fall foliage. It also finishes in the overall top 10 with two sources, earning a strong combined result.
Ascended Dreamer, Wikimedia Commons
12: Virginia (BSS: 77.6)
Virginia reaches fourth place in ConsumerAffairs’ ranking, giving it a substantial boost in our score. Its geography offers very different versions of daily life, from Northern Virginia’s Washington suburbs to Richmond, mountain communities, and coastal cities. Choosing Virginia is really only the beginning of the decision.
11: Iowa (BSS: 78.2)
Iowa might be the least controversial state in this countdown. Its three rankings are 11th, 12th, and 12th, so nobody is wildly disagreeing about where it belongs. U.S. News also places it second for opportunity. Sometimes a consistent performance is more convincing than one spectacular result.
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, Wikimedia Commons
10: Wisconsin (BSS: 78.9)
Wisconsin gets a particularly strong endorsement from WalletHub, which ranks it third overall. That study places it in the top 10 for economy, education and health, and safety. It’s a useful mix of strengths, even if the state’s winter weather still requires a separate conversation.
9: Nebraska (BSS: 79.6)
Nebraska’s advantages include things you tend to appreciate most when they stop working. U.S. News ranks it third for infrastructure, with strengths in reliable electricity, public power, and transportation. Roads and utility service might not sell postcards, but they certainly matter when you actually live somewhere.
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, Wikimedia Commons
8: Wyoming (BSS: 80.3)
Wyoming takes first place for fiscal stability in U.S. News’ rankings. That measures state government finances, rather than how much money residents have in the bank. Add Yellowstone and Grand Teton to the picture, and there’s an appealing combination of practical strength and remarkable scenery.
Vasiliymeshko, Wikimedia Commons
7: North Dakota (BSS: 81.0)
North Dakota probably wasn’t everyone’s first guess for a top-10 finish, but its numbers make a convincing case. U.S. News places it second for employment and third for fiscal stability. Those advantages help explain why a state famous for challenging winters still scores so well overall.
WeaponizingArchitecture, Wikimedia Commons
6: South Dakota (BSS: 84.4)
South Dakota jumped from eighth to second in U.S. News’ overall ranking, helped by improvements in healthcare, economy, and opportunity. It also ranks second for natural environment in that study. Clearly, there’s more happening here than Mount Rushmore, even if that remains the best-known selling point.
WeaponizingArchitecture, Wikimedia Commons
5: Minnesota (BSS: 85.0)
Minnesota has some substantial assets behind its strong showing, including the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and major employers such as Target, 3M, and General Mills. It finishes third overall with U.S. News. The winters might test your enthusiasm, but healthcare and employment give you reasons to stay.
AlexiusHoratius, Wikimedia Commons
4: Massachusetts (BSS: 87.8)
Massachusetts gets strong marks across our sources, finishing fourth with WalletHub and sixth with ConsumerAffairs. U.S. News also ranks it second for healthcare. Those results give the state a convincing case beyond its famous universities, although they don’t mean every household will find living here affordable.
Nelson48 at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
3: New Hampshire (BSS: 93.9)
New Hampshire wins ConsumerAffairs’ ranking and finishes in the top six with all three sources. U.S. News also puts it first for public safety and corrections. That level of agreement earns it a place near the top of our list. Apparently, this small state is doing plenty right.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
2: Idaho (BSS: 94.6)
Idaho wins WalletHub’s ranking, finishes third with ConsumerAffairs, and places seventh with U.S. News. It also takes third for economy in the U.S. News study. That combination pushes it ahead of several much bigger states. The mountains are impressive, but the numbers are doing the work here.
Charles Knowles, Wikimedia Commons
1: Utah (BSS: 95.2)
Utah takes our top spot with rankings of first, seventh, and second. U.S. News places it second for economy and fiscal stability, but 48th for natural environment, which measures pollution and air and water quality. Even with that weakness, Utah finishes just ahead of Idaho.
Garrett from Salt Lake City, Wikimedia Commons
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