Utah is best state in the U.S., says 2024 Best States rankings from U.S. News
For the second year in a row, Utah has been ranked the best state in the U.S in the 2024 Best States rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The news magazine evaluated all 50 states to capture how states best serve their citizens across a range of categories, including healthcare, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections and natural environment.
“Utah has a vibrant, diverse economy and unsurpassed natural beauty, but what truly sets our state apart is our people,” said Gov. Spencer Cox. “We lead the nation in volunteering and charitable giving every year and this spirit of community leads to a collaborative approach to problem-solving, an ecosystem that supports innovation and a culture that strengthens families and individuals. I’m proud of the Beehive State and appreciate the validation that Utah really is the best state in the nation.”
“Utah’s consistent standing as the nation’s best state is no coincidence,” said Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams. “Through our unwavering commitment to bolstering the economy and enabling our citizens to thrive, we’ve cultivated an environment where individuals and families can establish roots, pursue their goals and build the lives they want to live.”
Key findings in the 2024 Best States rankings:
- Utah achieved top 20 results in seven out of eight categories. However, it underperforms in the environment category (where it ranks No. 46), while New Hampshire — ranked No. 2 — underperforms in fiscal stability (where it ranks No. 38).
- The top 10 Best States are equally divided by past presidential preference. Ahead of November’s hotly contested presidential election, five red states (including Utah) and five blue states make the top 10 of the overall rankings.
- Western states generally perform much better in higher education than in pre-K-12. Washington, California and Nevada, for example, rank in the top 15 for metrics across higher education, but all three rank significantly lower (by at least 29 spots) for metrics assessing pre-K-12 education.
- Hawaii leads the way in healthcare. At No. 1 overall in this category, the state is also ranked No. 1 in the subcategory of healthcare access, No. 2 in the subcategory of healthcare quality and No. 3 in the subcategory of public health.
“As we anticipate this year’s presidential election — as well as critical races in the House and Senate and for governor’s mansions — Americans are taking a hard look at the policies and practices that impact them where they live,” said Gary Emerling, U.S. News managing editor for government rankings. “The 2024 Best States rankings and editorial content offer insightful information on where states are excelling and where the pain points are so citizens can be better informed going to the ballot box this November.”
Following Utah in the 2024 Best States rankings top 10 are New Hampshire, Nebraska, Minnesota, Idaho, Iowa, Vermont, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts.