US News: Iowa 'Best State,' Vermont 9th

Vermont Business Magazine Iowa is the best state in the country, according to the second annual2018 Best States studyfrom USNews & World Report, the global authority in rankings and civic journalism. USNews evaluated all 50 states across a range of criteria, fromeducationandhealth caretoinfrastructureand theeconomy, to capture how states best serve their citizens. Vermont ranked 9th overall, with its best sub-categories being Health Care, Opportunity and Crime & Corrections. It lagged in Economy and Infrastructure and was only average in Quality of Life.

"Our Best States ranking from U.S. News is a humbling tribute to our people who have proven time and again that inIowa, if you're willing to work hard, you can accomplish anything. My top priority as governor is to build on our current success by bringing new resources and opportunities to every corner of our state," said GovernorKim ReynoldsofIowa. "Every Iowan contributes to the success of their community and our state, and we celebrate this honor knowing that our work to build a betterIowawill never be finished."

Quality of lifewas added as a new category this year in an effort to factor in the natural and social environment in a state. Metrics include drinking water quality, pollution, voter participation and community engagement.North Dakotatakes the top spot on that list, followed by No. 2Minnesotaand No. 3Wisconsin.

"U.S. News & World Report is well-known for producing in-depth, data-driven rankings in education and health care that help people make key life decisions," saidEric Gertler, chairman of U.S. News & World Report. "In evaluating the best states in the nation, we have combined trusted, high-quality data with the power of journalism to fill the current gap in local reporting, and ultimately to empower citizens, business leaders and policymakers to engage in improving their states."

Key findings in the 2018 Best States Report:

• Thetop 10 states overallare geographically and politically diverse.Iowais No. 1 due to its strong performance in two important categories:opportunityand access to high-qualityhealth care. Opportunity takes into account metrics such as education and income inequality to evaluate whether a state is granting all its residents the tools to succeed economically.Minnesotafollows at No. 2 andUtahcomes in at No. 3.
• In the thick of Congressional debates on the topic, citizens around the country weighted health care as the most important topic for their governments to solve.Hawaiiremains the No. 1 state for health care quality and has the second-healthiest population in the nation.WashingtonandIowaare No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on the list.
• Massachusettsis the best state for education,New Jerseycomes in at No. 2 andUtahrounds out the top three. States that rank highly in education do well in the overall rankings, with eight of the top 10 states overall also landing in the top 10 for education. This ranking looks at metrics for Pre-K–12 and higher, such as high school and college graduation rates, college readiness and low debt at graduation.
• Rocky Mountain statesColoradoandUtahtake the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the economy, respectively, which factors in GDP growth, unemployment rate and a state's business environment. While energy production and resource mining are large industries in a number of states, those known for coal mining or crude oil production –Alaska,New MexicoandWyoming– generally rank at the bottom of the list due to high unemployment and lower GDP growth.
• Iowacomes out on top for infrastructure, due to high scores for internet access, public transportation, commute times and bridge and road quality.Utahis No. 1 forfiscal stability,New Hampshireis the best foropportunityandMaineis at the top forcrime and corrections.

Therankings are based on77 metrics and tens of thousands of data points provided by McKinsey & Company's Leading States Index. In determining the weights of the eight categories in the rankings, two years of data were used from McKinsey's "citizen experience" survey, which asked more than 30,000 people to prioritize each subject in their state and provide levels of satisfaction with government services. Health care and education remain the most highly weighted factors in the methodology, followed closely by the economy.

The Best States rankings are the centerpiece of the growing U.S. News Best States portal, a platform combining analysis, daily reporting, historical information and photos on state issues. The interactivedata explorer toolallows citizens and government leaders to draw comparisons between their own states and others through more than 100,000 charts. Best States is part of the expanding civic journalism at U.S. News, which includes theBest Countries reportand the upcomingHealthiest Communities project.

2018 Best States Rankings

(See full table below)

Overall – Top 10

1. Iowa
2. Minnesota
3. Utah
4. North Dakota
5. New Hampshire
6. Washington
7. Nebraska
8. Massachusetts
9. Vermont
10. Colorado

Health Care

1. Hawaii
2. Washington
3. Iowa

Education

1. Massachusetts
2. New Jersey
3. Utah

Economy

1. Colorado
2. Utah
3. Washington

Opportunity

1. New Hampshire
2. Maryland
3. Minnesota

Infrastructure

1. Iowa
2. North Dakota
3. Oregon

Crime & Corrections

1. Maine
2. New Hampshire
3. New Jersey

Fiscal Stability

1. Utah
2. North Dakota
3. Florida

Quality of Life

1. North Dakota
2. Minnesota
3. Wisconsin

Best States Overall Ranking

Download Full Rankings:2018

For more information on Best States, follow coverage onFacebookandTwitterusing #BestStates.U.S. News will also host its "Workforce of Tomorrow" summitApril 4-6, 2018inWashington, D.C. Committed to examining and advancing solutions for a STEM skilled workforce, the U.S. News STEM Solutions Presents: Workforce of Tomorrow conference is the preeminent conference for leaders in education, policy and workforce development. To learn more, visitUSNewsSTEMsolutions.com.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is a global digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion,USNews.comprovides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 30 million people visitUSNews.comeach month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered inWashington, D.C.

SOURCE WASHINGTON,Feb. 27, 2018/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Reportwww.usnews.com