The State Of Quality
Every year, U.S. News & World Report releases its ranking of the “Best States to Live In”—and one of the biggest pieces of that puzzle is something called “Quality of Life.” But that score isn’t based on just one thing. Instead, it pulls from a mix of factors, grouped into four key categories: Affordability, Economy, Health and Education, and Safety. Together, these categories paint a broader picture of what day-to-day life actually looks like in each state. Here’s a closer look at how those rankings come together:
Healthcare: Quality, and affordability of healthcare, obesity rates, etc.
Education: Public school performance, graduation rates, tuition costs, etc.
Economy: GDP growth, migration to the state, new business, etc.
Infrastructure: Transportation availability, road quality, communications, etc.
Opportunity: Poverty rates, cost of living, housing costs, etc.
Fiscal Stability: Health of the government’s finances, how well the state balances its budget, etc.
Crime and Corrections: Public safety, prison systems and their populations, etc.
Natural Environment: Air quality, water quality, exposure to pollution etc.
Now, onto the rankings...(we'll go from lowest to highest quality of life scores)
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50: Louisiana
SCORE: 41.3
Affordability Rank: 23
Economy Rank: 50
Education & Health Rank: 48
Safety Rank: 44
Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
49: New Mexico
SCORE: 41.8
Affordability Rank: 25
Economy Rank: 26
Education & Health Rank: 47
Safety Rank: 49
Sahmeditor, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
48: Arkansas
SCORE: 43.3
Affordability Rank: 8
Economy Rank: 45
Education & Health Rank: 42
Safety Rank: 46
Law7833, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
47: Alaska
SCORE: 43.4
Affordability Rank: 42
Economy Rank: 9
Education & Health Rank: 37
Safety Rank: 43
Ehedaya, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
46: Nevada
SCORE: 44.1
Affordability Rank: 39
Economy Rank: 46
Education & Health Rank: 43
Safety Rank: 37
Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
45: Mississippi
SCORE: 44.6
Affordability Rank: 9
Economy Rank: 44
Education & Health Rank: 49
Safety Rank: 21
Kaotate, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
44: Oklahoma
SCORE: 45.2
Affordability Rank: 19
Economy Rank: 34
Education & Health Rank: 50
Safety Rank: 33
Nils Huenerfuerst, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
43: South Carolina
SCORE: 46.9
Affordability Rank: 10
Economy Rank: 38
Education & Health Rank: 40
Safety Rank: 45
Khanrak, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
42: Oregon
SCORE: 47.5
Affordability Rank: 41
Economy Rank: 28
Education & Health Rank: 26
Safety Rank: 47
M.O. Stevens, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
41: Arizona
SCORE: 48.1
Affordability Rank: 22
Economy Rank: 21
Education & Health Rank: 44
Safety Rank: 40
DPPed, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
40: West Virginia
SCORE: 48.1
Affordability Rank: 2
Economy Rank: 40
Education & Health Rank: 45
Safety Rank: 23
Tim Kiser (Malepheasant), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
39: Hawaii
SCORE: 48.5
Affordability Rank: 50
Economy Rank: 12
Education & Health Rank: 6
Safety Rank: 42
ArdentArbitration, Wikimedia Commons
38: Alabama
SCORE: 48.5
Affordability Rank: 1
Economy Rank: 39
Education & Health Rank: 46
Safety Rank: 25
37: Kentucky
SCORE: 49
Affordability Rank: 11
Economy Rank: 48
Education & Health Rank: 34
Safety Rank: 20
EEJCC, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
36: Texas
SCORE: 49.2
Affordability Rank: 34
Economy Rank: 36
Education & Health Rank: 38
Safety Rank: 34
75316serk, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
35: Washington
SCORE: 49.8
Affordability Rank: 36
Economy Rank: 10
Education & Health Rank: 13
Safety Rank: 50
Spicypepper999, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
34: Delaware
SCORE: 50.7
Affordability Rank: 5
Economy Rank: 27
Education & Health Rank: 39
Safety Rank: 32
33: Tennessee
SCORE: 51
Affordability Rank: 5
Economy Rank: 27
Education & Health Rank: 39
Safety Rank: 32
Thomsonmg2000, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
32: Michigan
SCORE: 51.2
Affordability Rank: 15
Economy Rank: 42
Education & Health Rank: 35
Safety Rank: 35
Michael Tighe, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
31: Missouri
SCORE: 51.4
Affordability Rank: 7
Economy Rank: 31
Education & Health Rank: 29
Safety Rank: 41
Glenn Kinyon, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
30: Ohio
SCORE: 51.7
Affordability Rank: 24
Economy Rank: 47
Education & Health Rank: 36
Safety Rank: 18
Paul Wasneski, Wikimedia Commons
29: California
SCORE: 51.8
Affordability Rank: 49
Economy Rank: 17
Education & Health Rank: 20
Safety Rank: 39
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
28: Rhode Island
SCORE: 52
Affordability Rank: 45
Economy Rank: 14
Education & Health Rank: 23
Safety Rank: 8
Gary Brownell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
27: Indiana
SCORE: 52
Affordability Rank: 4
Economy Rank: 43
Education & Health Rank: 32
Safety Rank: 22
Yahala, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
26: Maryland
SCORE: 52.2
Affordability Rank: 38
Economy Rank: 37
Education & Health Rank: 16
Safety Rank: 17
Matthew Binebrink, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
25: Georgia
SCORE: 52.5
Affordability Rank: 14
Economy Rank: 19
Education & Health Rank: 41
Safety Rank: 19
Allenman12, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
24: Nebraska
SCORE: 53.1
Affordability Rank: 33
Economy Rank: 29
Education & Health Rank: 17
Safety Rank: 30
Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
23: North Carolina
SCORE: 53.1
Affordability Rank: 17
Economy Rank: 16
Education & Health Rank: 33
Safety Rank: 38
Bz3rk, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
22: Connecticut
SCORE: 53.4
Affordability Rank: 46
Economy Rank: 33
Education & Health Rank: 3
Safety Rank: 14
PostMan1107, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
21: Colorado
SCORE: 53.8
Affordability Rank: 28
Economy Rank: 8
Education & Health Rank: 7
Safety Rank: 48
Mvanderkolk, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
20: Kansas
SCORE: 53.9
Affordability Rank: 27
Economy Rank: 18
Education & Health Rank: 27
Safety Rank: 28
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
19: Vermont
SCORE: 54.5
Affordability Rank: 43
Economy Rank: 1
Education & Health Rank: 5
Safety Rank: 26
Sdkb, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
18: South Dakota
SCORE: 54.9
Affordability Rank: 20
Economy Rank: 7
Education & Health Rank: 30
Safety Rank: 16
WeaponizingArchitecture, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
17: North Dakota
SCORE: 55
Affordability Rank: 31
Economy Rank: 4
Education & Health Rank: 21
Safety Rank: 24
Ron Reiring, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
16: Illinois
SCORE: 55.6
Affordability Rank: 37
Economy Rank: 49
Education & Health Rank: 22
Safety Rank: 6
Andrew Horne, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
15: Montana
SCORE: 56
Affordability Rank: 26
Economy Rank: 3
Education & Health Rank: 10
Safety Rank: 36
Mark Holloway, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
14: Maine
SCORE: 56.5
Affordability Rank: 35
Economy Rank: 5
Education & Health Rank: 14
Safety Rank: 13
Vasiliymeshko, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
13: Minnesota
SCORE: 57.4
Affordability Rank: 13
Economy Rank: 30
Education & Health Rank: 11
Safety Rank: 29
Wikideas1, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
12: Iowa
SCORE: 57.5
Affordability Rank: 21
Economy Rank: 32
Education & Health Rank: 15
Safety Rank: 12
Bohao Zhao, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
11: Virginia
SCORE: 57.9
Affordability Rank: 18
Economy Rank: 20
Education & Health Rank: 12
Safety Rank: 15
Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
10: Wyoming
SCORE: 58
Affordability Rank: 12
Economy Rank: 22
Education & Health Rank: 28
Safety Rank: 2
Mr. Satterly, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
9: New York
SCORE: 58.2
Affordability Rank: 47
Economy Rank: 24
Education & Health Rank: 18
Safety Rank: 5
Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
8: Wisconsin
SCORE: 58.2
Affordability Rank: 32
Economy Rank: 23
Education & Health Rank: 8
Safety Rank: 11
Isaac Rowlett, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
7: Pennsylvania
SCORE: 58.3
Affordability Rank: 29
Economy Rank: 41
Education & Health Rank: 19
Safety Rank: 9
Derek.cashman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
6: Idaho
SCORE: 58.8
Affordability Rank: 6
Economy Rank: 6
Education & Health Rank: 31
Safety Rank: 4
5: New Hampshire
SCORE: 59.1
Affordability Rank: 40
Economy Rank: 2
Education & Health Rank: 2
Safety Rank: 3
Mikespenard, Wikimedia Commons
4: Utah
SCORE: 59.6
Affordability Rank: 3
Economy Rank: 13
Education & Health Rank: 4
Safety Rank: 27
Javin Weaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
3: New Jersey
SCORE: 59.6
Affordability Rank: 48
Economy Rank: 25
Education & Health Rank: 9
Safety Rank: 1
Kidfly182, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
2: Florida
SCORE: 59.8
Affordability Rank: 30
Economy Rank: 11
Education & Health Rank: 24
Safety Rank: 10
Benoît Prieur, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
1: Massachusetts
SCORE: 60.5
Affordability Rank: 44
Economy Rank: 15
Education & Health Rank: 1
Safety Rank: 7
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