Here's How MA Compares In New Best States Ranking

Massachusetts is the 11th best in the country in a new ranking Wednesday that shows how well states are working for the people who live there.

Rather than focus on any one issue, U.S. News & World Report pulled together dozens of measures covering health care, education, the economy, infrastructure, public safety, opportunity and other factors that shape everyday life for its 2026 Best States Rankings.

To determine the rankings, categories were weighted differently according to a public survey on key priorities. The most critical areas identified were healthcare and education, receiving the highest importance.

These were followed by state economies, infrastructure, and citizen opportunity. Fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and the natural environment were also factored in, with fiscal stability carrying slightly more weight than the latter two.

Where Massachusetts Shines

The Bay State ranks top 10 in several categories, including education, healthcare, economy and crime. U.S. News & World Report noted that Massachusetts employs the most people in the country in the education and health services sectors.

The state also was toward the top for its natural environment, scoring well in air quality, drinking water quality and pollution.

Here’s where Massachusetts ranked in the following categories:

Crime and corrections: 4th

Education: 7th

Health care: 2nd

Natural environment: 4th

Economy: 8th

Fiscal stability: 39th

Infrastructure: 38th

Opportunity: 41st

The top 10 states in the U.S. News ranking are, respectively, Utah, South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Idaho, Florida, Washington and Vermont.

Read more: 3 MA Resorts Land On New List From Prestigious Travel Magazine

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