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These are the best, worst states in the country. Where does Florida rank?

Florida tops list for education and economy

Aerial view of Florida

U.S. News & World Report has released its most recent ranking of the top states in the nation.

The list analyzes factors like education, economy, public infrastructure, safety and the environment to determine which states performed the best — and which still have room to improve.

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The No. 1 spot went to Utah, which ranked high on nearly all facets — crime, economy, education, infrastructure — but lagged in terms of its natural environment.

New Hampshire took the No. 2 spot, and Nebraska came in at No. 3 overall.

However, Florida still managed to worm its way into the top bracket, placing No. 9. According to the study, the Sunshine State ranked highest among all 50 states for higher education and the economy.

In addition, Florida received high marks in terms of crime, fiscal stability and its natural environments.

The top states for each category are as follows:

  • Crime: New Hampshire
  • Economy: Florida
  • Education: Florida
  • Fiscal Stability: Wyoming
  • Health Care: Hawaii
  • Infrastructure: North Dakota
  • Natural Environment: Hawaii
  • Opportunity: Vermont

The full state-by-state ranking is as follows:

Overall RankStateRank (Crime)Rank (Education)Rank (Economy)Rank (Environment)
1Utah92346
2New Hampshire1978
3Nebraska1714199
4Minnesota2217262
5Idaho1218229
6Iowa14113615
7Vermont3242010
8Washington39131411
9Florida131113
10Massachusetts4387
11South Dakota3715134
12Wyoming2773722
13Virginia11101616
14New Jersey542424
15North Dakota26283812
16Colorado475426
17Wisconsin3163027
18Georgia20261514
19North Carolina23211123
20Connecticut681721
21Delaware32332143
22Maryland1820316
23New York2412445
24Montana3522931
25Kansas29192740
26Rhode Island736183
27Tennessee42311234
28Maine2433525
29Texas4129645
30Indiana19252950
31Oregon46403318
32Arizona30441042
33Nevada4037548
34Hawaii1032421
35Missouri45302517
36Ohio33273941
37California34233433
38Illinois15164336
39Kentucky8344728
40Pennsylvania16394137
41South Carolina43422219
42Michigan38412830
43Oklahoma36492338
44Alabama28453247
45Alaska44464644
46West Virginia21484839
47Arkansas49384035
48Mississippi25355020
49New Mexico48504532
50Louisiana50474949

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