Utah Tops US News' 2026 Best States Ranking, Louisiana at the Bottom
US News' 2026 Overall Best State Rankings rate all 50 states across eight categories with a 71-metric, point-based system plus a survey of more than 56,000 Americans from 2018–2025; Utah is No. 1, followed by South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska, while Arkansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Mississippi, Alaska and Louisiana sit at the bottom (Louisiana No. 50).