These are the best states in the US…and there’s sure to be plenty of argument over the top 10

The top 10 best states have been revealed – and the list is sure to infuriate people across the country.

U.S. News and World Report, best known for its annual college rankings, released its 2024 list of the nation’s “best states” on Tuesday.

The results were based on the average of three years of data from recent national surveys that asked a total of nearly 70,000 people to prioritize issues such as public safety, crime and more in their home state.

Some categories were given more weight than others. Healthcare and education were weighted most heavily, followed by state economies, infrastructure and opportunity, a broad category that includes measures of affordability and equity.

The list is sure to infuriate those whose home countries are not eligible. Some may be dismayed to discover that New York is missing from the list; Arizona, despite its pristine natural landscape and growing economy, also lagged behind.

Read on to see if your state is on the list.

1.Utah

At the top of the list was none other than Utah. It achieved its high ranking thanks to its economy, which ranked third among all 50 states; education, which ranked second; and infrastructure, which ranked third. The landlocked state fell behind in terms of natural environment, dropping to 46th place. This category includes metrics that reflect threats to pollution and water and air quality that residents perceived as poor.

2. New Hampshire

Despite its small size, New Hampshire has made a strong impression in the rankings this year. The Granite State did by far the best in crime and corrections, coming in first. This metric took into account crime rates and the number of incarcerated people in the state. New Hampshire also fared well in the economy, natural environment and education categories, ranking seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.

New Hampshire came in second, scoring first in crime and corrections and doing well in the economy, natural environment and education categories. Pictured: the town of Littleton

3.Nebraska

The Cornhusker State secured its high ranking thanks to performance in fiscal stability, ranked third, and infrastructure, ranked fourth. The lowest figure was in the health care category, which takes into account public health perception, health care quality and access to health care.

Nebraska ranked third, thanks to residents’ positive perceptions of the state’s fiscal stability and infrastructure. Pictured: Toadstool Geological Park

4. Minnesota

Minnesota achieved an impressively high ranking in its natural environment, coming in second among all states in the country. The rankings in the fiscal stability and infrastructure categories were also quite high (seventh and ninth), but the state lost some ground on the economic front, finishing in 26th place. Although Minnesota’s economy is growing, it lags behind the U.S. as a whole.

Minnesota scored well in the natural environment category, ranking second among all 50 states. Pictured: Birch Lake, St. Louis County

5. Idaho

Idaho – known for its potatoes, trout and snow-capped mountains – beat out other contenders in the economy category to finish in second place. All other rankings were in double digits, with the exception of fiscal stability, which was in ninth place. Residents have cited the state for a number of points for its perceived lack of protection for the natural environment, which ranked 29th.

Idaho crushed its competitors in the economy category, but residents were less optimistic about the state’s protection of the natural environment. Pictured: the seaside town of McCall

6. Iowa

Iowa scored surprisingly high in the opportunity category, coming in third place. This measure included perceptions of affordability, economics, and equity. Despite its low unemployment rate and robust job creation, the state stumbled in the economy, landing 36th out of all 50 states.

Iowa scored surprisingly high in the opportunity category, coming in third place

7. Vermont

Vermont rose to the top of the list in terms of odds, reaching first place. It also did well in crime and corrections, ranking third. The small, rural state has long been considered one of the safest in the country. However, Vermont fared less well in the budget stability category, ranking 35th. This measure took into account liquidity, budget balance, liability of pension funds and the creditworthiness of the government.

Vermont, long considered one of the safest states in the country, ranked third in crime and corrections. It also ranked first in the opportunity category. Pictured: the village of Grafton

8. Washington

Washington, the only state named after a US president, received high marks in the infrastructure and healthcare categories, ranking seventh and tenth respectively. The Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, passed in 2021, provided billions of dollars in funding to the state, including more than $5 billion for 1,192 projects in roads, bridges, transit and climate resilience.

Washington performed well in the infrastructure and health care categories, ranking seventh and tenth, respectively. Pictured: Seattle’s Space Needle

9. Florida

Florida scores surprisingly well in the education and economic categories, ranking first in both. Residents across the state appear to rate highly on reading and math scores, tuition and fees, and willingness to attend college. However, Florida finished near the bottom of the list when it came to odds: 45th.

Florida residents rated their home state highly in education and economy, receiving the highest marks in both categories. In the photo: Miami Beach

10. Massachusetts

The Bay State narrowly cracked the top 10. It reached single-digit rankings in health care, education, crime and corrections, natural environment and economy. However, residents were dissatisfied with budget stability and infrastructure, both of which ranked 39th. Governor Maura Healey signed a law Sunday authorizing $200 million for fiscal year 2025 to fund bridge and road maintenance and other projects across the state.

Massachusetts rounded out the list, earning single-digit rankings in health care, education, crime, natural environment and economy. Pictured: Boston’s Charles River