Washington Tops State Rankings for 2019

Washington topped the U.S. News & World Report 2019 ranking of the best states.

The annual ranking takes into account a state’s health care, education, economy, infrastructure, public safety, stability, opportunity, and more. Washington, which scored especially high in the first four categories, was followed by New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah, and Vermont.

More weight was accorded to some state measures than others, based on a survey of what matters most to people. Health care and education were weighted most heavily. Then came state economies, infrastructure, and the opportunity states offer their citizens. Fiscal stability followed closely in weighting, followed by measures of crime & corrections and a state's natural environment.

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