NEWS
Florida makes US News top 10 for best states. Why and how high we rank
Samantha NeelyUSA TODAY NETWORK – Florida
July 28, 2026, 12:05 a.m. ET
- U.S. News & World Report ranked Utah as the best state in the nation for the fourth consecutive year.
- The report assesses states based on 71 metrics across eight categories, including healthcare and education.
- Louisiana was ranked as the worst state in the U.S., placing last at number 50.
Nothing gets people more fired up than a friendly debate over why their state is better than the others —”Our food is out of this world,” “Dude, our sports teams can mop the floor with yours,” or “Does your state have 825 miles of beaches? I think not!”
But which state is actually the best? U.S. News & World Report released its list of the “Best States for 2026,” ranking all 50 states from best to worst
The report assesses the performance of the 50 U.S. states using 71 metrics across eight categories, such as education, economy and healthcare. In calculating the rankings, the report states each of the eight categories was assigned weights based on the average of three years of data from recent national surveys that asked tens of thousands of people to prioritize various issue areas in their state
Where did Florida rank on the list of best states in 2026?
Despite falling two spots, Florida still placed within the top 10 best states, nabbing the eighth slot on the ranking. The Sunshine State saw high scores in education and economy but tanked when it came to opportunity
See Florida’s scores in all eight categories; the higher the score, the worse the category ranking:
- Crime and Corrections – 14
- Economy – 7
- Education – 3
- Fiscal stability – 16
- Healthcare – 20
- Infrastructure – 11
- Natural environment – 15
- Opportunity – 47
What is the best state in the U.S.?
For the fourth year in a row, Utah was declared the best state in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Utahachieved top 10 results in five of the eight categories, with the highest rankings in economy, fiscal stability and infrastructure
“Being named the No. 1 state is an honor, but what matters most is what that ranking represents: hardworking people, strong families, and neighbors who look out for one another,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in a press release. “Utah’s success has never been about government. It comes from Utahns who serve, build, innovate, and invest in thefuture. I’m grateful to everyone who helps make our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
See the top 10 best states News & World Report
- Utah
- South Dakota
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- Idaho
- Florida
- Washington
- Vermont
What is the worst state in the U.S.?
Once again on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best States for 2026” ranking, Louisiana ranked last at number 50. It saw particularly low scores in all categories, especially education, infrastructure, crime and corrections
See the 10 lowest-ranked states by U.S. News & World Report
From worst to best, here are the 10 states at the bottom of the ranking:
- Louisiana
- Alaska
- Mississippi
- New Mexico
- Michigan
- Arkansas
- West Virginia
- Alabama
- Ohio
- Kentucky
See best places to live in Florida News & World Report
Earlier in May, U.S. News & World Report published its “2026-2027 Best Places to Live rankings,” evaluating U.S. cities, with over 20 Florida cities appearing on the list
The top city in Florida on the list was Parkland. The Broward County city ranked 14th out of 250, a significant gain from last year’s 59th place. Twenty-one other Florida cities landed on the list; see where the cities ranked:
- Palm Harbor, 62
- Weston, 70
- Riverview, 97
- Pensacola, 115
- Spring Hill, 121
- Kendall, 155
- Alafaya, 159
- Doral, 161
- Crestview, 163
- Jupiter, 170
- Apopka, 178
- The Villages, 186
- Homosassa Springs, 205
- Naples, 215
- Brandon, 217
- Clermont, 222
- Wellington, 226
- Tampa, 228
- Ormond Beach, 236
- Pembroke Pines, 246
- Bonita Springs, 248
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters
