Best States 2018: How They Were Ranked

 The Best States rankings from U.S. News and  World Report shows how each of the 50 U.S. states ranks in 77 metrics across eight categories. U.S. News evaluates each state in 77 metrics across eight weighted categories: health care, education, economy, opportunity, infrastructure, crime and corrections, fiscal stability, and quality of life.

 

TOP 5 STATES TO LIVE IN

 Iowa got the top honor, followed by Minnesota, Utah, and North Dakota, and New Hampshire,  respectively. Massachusetts, which was named the top state in the country last year by U.S. News and World Report, has dropped down in the rankings for 2018 to No. 8.

NOTE: Best States didn't rank Washington, D.C., or U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico. Data for Washington, D.C., were included for national averages.

 

Iowa Ranked Best state to live in 2018

WHAT THEY LOOKED AT: 

The data behind the rankings were based on McKinsey & Company's Leading States Index. In calculating the rankings, each of the eight categories was assigned weightings based on the average of two years of data from an annual national survey that asked a total of more than 30,000 people to prioritize each subject in their state:

• Health Care: 16.1 percent
• Education: 15.5 percent
• Economy: 14.4 percent
• Opportunity: 13.4 percent
• Infrastructure: 12.5 percent
• Crime & Corrections: 10.6 percent
• Fiscal Stability: 9.5 percent
• Quality of Life: 8.1 percent

 For more information, go to the  story: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/methodology