Utah Ranked as Number One Best State

Utah is again in the headlines with another high ranking - this time as the #1 Best State. The Best States rankings by U.S. News & World Report compile thousands of data points into 71 metrics across eight categories to measure how well states perform for their citizens. Some categories have more weight than others, based on surveys of what people value the most. The eight categories, in order of importance, are; Health Care, Education, Economy, Infrastructure, Opportunity, Fiscal Stability, Crime and Corrections, and Natural Environment.

The 2023 list of Best States by U.S. News has Utah at #1, Washington (a previous winner) at #2, and Idaho at #3. For the individual categories, Utah ranked #1 for Economy, #1 for Fiscal Stability, #4 for Infrastructure, #5 for Education, #7 for Health Care, #15 for Crime and Corrections, #20 for Opportunity, and #46 for Natural Environment.

Surprisingly, there was no metric for outdoor recreation, which adds tremendous value to overall lifestyle and would push Utah further into #1 territory. With abundant outdoor recreation combined with amazing weather, Utah is one of the best states to live for winter and summer recreation, such as skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, camping, fishing, boating, biking, hiking, golf, etc.