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

Polk540, Wikimedia Commons

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

Alevision 2020, Adobe Stock

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

Ninzie, Shutterstock

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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