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Utah isn't giving up its crown.
The Beehive State came successful astatine America's No. 1 authorities for nan 4th consecutive twelvemonth successful U.S. News & World Report's 2026 Best States rankings, holding onto nan apical spot wide while Texas claimed nan nation's highest-ranked economy.
The database points to a notable regional trend, pinch Mountain West, Midwest and Sun Belt states claiming galore of nan country's highest wide rankings. Four of nan apical 5 states are located successful nan Mountain West aliases Upper Midwest, pinch Utah, South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota and Nebraska starring nan wide rankings successful order. New Hampshire, Idaho, Florida, Washington and Vermont rounded retired nan Top 10.
U.S. News Executive Chairman and CEO Eric Gertler said nan results bespeak what he called "a broader realignment of American economical growth," pinch states successful nan Midwest and South gaining crushed arsenic businesses and workers progressively gravitate toward faster-growing, lower-cost regions.
"States successful nan Midwest and South mostly moved up nan rankings, while respective Northeastern states fell substantially, showing really quality and financial superior are actively migrating distant from high-cost areas into much affordable regions," Gertler told Fox News Digital.
THIS RED STATE IS STRENGTHENING ITS GRIP AS AMERICA'S NEXT ECONOMIC HEAVYWEIGHT
Texas climbed to nan No. 1 spot successful nan economy class aft nan Lone Star State ranking nan twelvemonth prior. U.S. News credited nan authorities pinch starring nan federation successful occupation maturation while posting among nan country's strongest performances successful GDP growth, nett migration and younker organization growth.
South Dakota, meanwhile, posted 1 of nan year's biggest gains, climbing from No. 8 wide to No. 2, while North Dakota jumped from No. 12 to No. 4, driven by improvements successful wellness care, education, fiscal stableness and economical performance.
Gertler described 2026 arsenic nan "Year of nan Midwest," pointing to nan Dakotas' accelerated ascent arsenic grounds of a broader displacement successful economical momentum.
"Low costs of surviving mixed pinch strategical manufacturing investments are making these states premier destinations for young workers and expanding businesses," Gertler said.
BILLIONS IN TAXPAYER INCOME ARE LEAVING TWO ICONIC STATES — AS A NEW ECONOMIC MAP EMERGES
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Utah, meanwhile, maintained its power by placing successful nan Top 10 crossed 5 of nan report's 8 awesome categories, including No. 2 successful nan system and fiscal stableness and No. 4 successful infrastructure.
Gertler attributed Utah's sustained occurrence to nan state's wide consistency.
"Utah's No. 1 ranking comes down to consistency," he said, pointing to nan state's beardown economy, fiscal stableness and acquisition system, on pinch its young and increasing workforce.
One of nan report's astir striking findings was that nan nation's top-ranked authorities besides placed 48th successful earthy environment, underscoring that nary azygous class determines nan wide standings.
No authorities dominated each category. Colorado climbed to No. 1 successful education, Hawaii topped nan federation successful wellness care, Nevada classed first successful infrastructure, Wyoming led successful fiscal stability, New Hampshire earned nan highest marks successful crime and corrections, Vermont classed first successful opportunity and Hawaii besides claimed nan apical spot successful earthy environment.
The Beehive State vanished successful nan Top 10 crossed 5 of nan report's 8 awesome categories, helping it clasp nan nation's highest wide ranking. (George Rose/Getty Images)
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Among nan nation's largest states, Florida was nan only 1 to ace nan wide Top 10, finishing eighth. Texas paired its top-ranked system pinch continued organization and occupation growth, while California and New York did not decorativeness among nan apical 10 overall.
The yearly U.S. News Best States rankings comparison each 50 states crossed 8 categories that see nan economy, education, wellness care, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and earthy environment.
Amanda Macias covers nan intersection of business, economics and politics, pinch a attraction connected really argumentation decisions style markets, businesses and American workers.
