U.S. News & World Report is an American media company that publishes consumer advice, rankings, and analysis. They recently released their list of US states from Best to Worst based on more than 60 metrics. Our very own Bay State snagged the number one spot overall for outstanding marks in the Education, Healthcare, Economy and Crime & Corrections categories.
Massachusetts scored the number 1 spot for Education and second best in the country for Healthcare – behind Hawaii. We also placed within the top ten for Economy and Crime & Corrections, giving us the greatest overall ranking.
US News & World Report had this to say regarding the Bay State victory:
Its vibrant academic environment, innovative and supportive health care policies and modernizing economy, measure for measure, make this small New England powerhouse with a population of 6.8 million the strongest state of all.
It’s really not surprising that Massachusetts should take the gold when you examine the parameters. The Commonwealth has long been known for it’s superior public and private educational institutions. Almost half of Massachusetts residents have a college degree, and the state boasts an 86 percent high school graduation rate.
In terms of healthcare, Boston is a hub for the finest doctors and most innovative medical research. The rankings indicate our healthcare availability as the best in the country with the lowest number of uninsured residents.
As for the economy, Massachusetts was found to have the fourth highest ranking for jobs and a 2.9 percent unemployment rate – well below the national average of 4.7 percent. More than 120,000 new jobs have come to the Commonwealth in the past 2 years and the state’s welfare caseload has dropped 25 percent.
Governor Charlie Baker expressed his state pride in a press release:
“Massachusetts is a great place to live, work and raise a family because of the strength and character of all those who call the Commonwealth home. Everyone should be proud that Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in health care access and public education for all citizens, and our administration will continue to build on these accomplishments to bring more economic success to every corner of Massachusetts.”
The rest of New England also performed quite well in the state rankings. New Hampshire is nipping at our heals in the number 2 spot with top marks for Opportunity and the 3 and 4 spots in Education and Healthcare respectively.
Vermont sits at number 10 with the top honors for Crime & Corrections. Connecticut came in at number 12 with top ten placements in Education and Crime & Corrections. At number 18, Maine impressively snagged number 2 for Crime & Corrections and number 3 for Opportunity. Finally, Rhode Island came in at #21 for their 7th highest score in Healthcare and third best ranking for Crime & Corrections.
Way to go New England! It’s certainly been a wining year so far, let’s keep it up!