Florida cracks top 10 in new ranking of best states in America
Tue, July 28, 2026 at 11:40 AM
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Florida ranked No. 8 overall in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best States rankings, slipping two spots from its 2025 position. (WPEC)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) —Florida is again considered one of the best states in the country, according to a new report, but the Sunshine State did not rank as highly as it did last year
Florida placed No. 8 overall inU.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best States rankings, released Tuesday
That is down two spots from 2025, when Florida ranked sixth nationally. Florida ranked ninth in 2024
The annual report compares all 50 states using 71 measurements covering education, health care, the economy, infrastructure, affordability and other factors that can affect residents’ quality of life
Florida’s highest ranking came in education, where it placed third in the country behind Colorado and New Jersey. The state has regularly scored well because of its public colleges and universities, including relatively low tuition and student debt
Utah was named the best state in America for the fourth consecutive year
Here is what to know about Florida’s showing and which states finished at the top and bottom of the list
How did Florida rank among the best states?
Florida ranked No. 8 overall
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The seven states ahead of Florida were:
- Utah
- South Dakota
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- Idaho
Washington ranked ninth, and Vermont completed the top 10
Florida was the only Southeastern state to finish among the 10 best states in the country
How did Florida perform in education?
Florida ranked No. 3 nationally in education, trailing only Colorado and New Jersey
The education category considers both higher education and pre-K-through-12 performance. Measurements include college affordability, graduation rates, student debt, preschool enrollment and standardized test results
Florida has ranked especially well in higher education. The state’s public university system says Florida has held U.S. News’ No. 1 higher-education ranking every year since the category was introduced in 2017
However, Florida’s overall education ranking combines its strong college performance with its results in elementary and secondary education
What were Florida’s strengths?
Education remained one of Florida’s clearest strengths in the report
Florida also benefited from continued economic and population growth. The state ranked first nationally for its economy in the 2025 Best States report, although Texas took the top economic ranking in 2026
U.S. News said Texas’ rise was fueled by job growth, gross domestic product growth, migration and growth among younger residents. Utah ranked second in the economy, followed by Idaho
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What challenges affected Florida’s ranking?
Opportunity and affordability have been among Florida’s biggest weaknesses in recent editions of the report
The opportunity category considers housing costs, household income, economic mobility and equality. Florida ranked 47th in opportunity in the 2025 report as residents faced rising home prices, rents, insurance premiums and other living expenses
Those pressures can offset some of the benefits of Florida’s strong economy. The state continues to attract residents and businesses, but the cost of living has become an increasing concern, particularly in South Florida and other rapidly growing areas
What categories did U.S. News measure?
The Best States report ranked states in eight major categories:
- Health care
- Education
- Economy
- Infrastructure
- Opportunity
- Fiscal stability
- Crime and corrections
- Natural environment
Health care and education carried the most weight because U.S. News surveys found those issues were most important to Americans
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The measurements also included job growth, health care access, graduation rates, roads and bridges, internet access, public safety, government finances, pollution and air and water quality
Which states ranked first in each category?
The states that led the eight categories were:
- Health care: Hawaii
- Education: Colorado
- Economy: Texas
- Infrastructure: Nevada
- Opportunity: Vermont
- Fiscal stability: Wyoming
- Crime and corrections: New Hampshire
- Natural environment: Hawaii
Utah did not finish first in any individual category but ranked among the top 10 in five of the eight, helping it retain the overall No. 1 position. It placed second in both the economy and fiscal stability and fourth in infrastructure
Which states ranked last?
Louisiana finished at the bottom of the 2026 Best States list
The five lowest-ranked states were:
46. Michigan
47. New Mexico
48. Mississippi
49. Alaska
50. Louisiana
U.S. News said the rankings are intended to show how well states serve their residents across a broad range of areas rather than judge them on a single issue
For Florida, the results show a state that remains a national leader in education and a strong overall performer but continues to face challenges involving affordability and opportunity
