NJ Ranks 19th In New 'Best States' List From U.S. News: See Details

NEW JERSEY — Good schools, health care access and job opportunities are just a few factors Americans take into account when deciding which state to call home. Some states, however, do a better job than others when it comes to serving residents and providing for communities, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual best states ranking released Tuesday.

New Jersey ranked 19 out of all 50 states overall, coming in second for education and in the top 10 in two other categories: crime and corrections, and health care. The Garden State ranked in the bottom 10 in measures of fiscal stability and opportunity.

The 2023 rankings show that Utah is the No. 1 state in the country. The state earned the spot because it ranked among the top 20 states in seven of the eight categories.

Following Utah in the overall rankings are Washington at No. 2 and Idaho at No. 3.

U.S. News ranks each state using more than 70 metrics across eight categories: health care, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and natural environment. The state’s overall ranking is based on the weighted average of the state’s individual rankings in the eight categories.

According to researchers, some categories, like education and health care, are given more weight in the rankings because they matter more to residents.

Here’s how New Jersey ranked in the eight categories:

• Health care: 8
• Education: 2
• Economy: 24
• Infrastructure: 35
• Opportunity: 43
• Fiscal stability: 49
• Crime and corrections: 5
• Natural environment: 26

Top-performing states in each category include:

• Health care: Hawaii
• Education: Florida
• Economy: Utah
• Infrastructure: Minnesota
• Opportunity: New Hampshire
• Fiscal stability: Utah
• Crime and corrections: New Hampshire
• Natural environment: Hawaii

This year’s report noted the national mortality rate increased by 23 percent, rising from 715.2 per 100,000 in 2019 to 879.7 per 100,000 two years later. The leading cause of death in states was heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19, researchers said, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hawaii had the lowest mortality rate in 2021, while West Virginia had the highest.

This year’s report also revealed systemic flaws in equality by state. In all states, women are 90 percent as likely as men to work. For every $1 earned by white workers, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and other people of color only make 63.9 cents.

Here's a closer look at some of the components measured in the ranking, and how New Jersey scored (these are weighted differently to calculate the overall ranking):

Healthcare (8th overall)

• Access: 13
• Public health: 3
• Healthcare quality: 20

Education (2nd overall)

• Higher education: 29
• Pre-K through 12th grade: 1

Economy (24th overall)

• Business environment: 25
• Employment: 24
• Growth: 20

Infrastructure (35th overall)

• Energy: 36
• Internet: 19
• Transportation: 37

Opportunity (43rd overall)

• Affordability: 48
• Equality: 11
• Economic opportunity: 10

Fiscal Stability (49th overall)

• Long-term: 49
• Short-term: 45

Crime and Corrections (5th overall)

• Public safety: 3
• Corrections: 13

Natural environment (26th overall)

• Air and water quality: 21
• Pollution: 31