Idaho named top 10 state by US News rankings

Famous potatoes and now lucky No. 7.

The Gem State is considered just that for many as Idaho was named the seventh best state in the nation, according to the US News & World Report’s 2026 Best States rankings.

Utah took home the honors as the No. 1 state on the annual list for the fourth consecutive year. The Beehive State was buzzing in the findings, placing in the top 10 in five main categories used to determine overall rankings.

The study, now in its 10th year, analyzes 71 metrics spread across eight primary categories including economy, education, natural environment, fiscal stability, crime, health care infrastructure and opportunity.

However, Idaho’s economy was ranked third overall, with exceptionally strong showings for business environment, employment and growth. Idaho was also ranked sixth in fiscal stability and No. 8 in the arena of crime and corrections.

Following Utah in the top five bracket were South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota and Nebraska. Collectively, the Dakotas represented the largest gains in this year’s rankings. South Dakota moved up six spots to No. 2, while North Dakota jumped eight spots to land in the fourth position.

Sliding in at No. 6 just ahead of Idaho was New Hampshire, which also boasts the country’s best safety outcomes when considering crime and corrections. Florida, the only large-size state to crack the top 10 was eighth, followed by Washington and Vermont.

Breaking down the top states by main categories studied, Texas, ranked 26th overall, took home the No. 1 spot for both economy and growth. Wyoming (No. 16) though was tabbed the best state for fiscal stability.

Colorado, while only 17th on the list, placed first on the education front, ranking in the top 10 in both higher education and Pre-K-12.

Hawaii grabbed the top spot in two categories ― health care and national environment. According to the findings, fewer than 5% of those living in the islands are without health insurance, far below the national average of 11.3%. The Aloha State was also first in health care quality, second in access to care and third overall for public health.

Plus, by averaging only 19 days of unhealthy air quality yearly, well below the national average of 152 days, Hawaii was ranked the top state in both air and water quality.

The two biggies on opposite coasts, California and New York, found themselves far down in the overall rankings. The Golden State came in at No. 35, and the Empire State listed 23rd.

Dead last at No. 50 was Louisiana, which also ranked the worst in crime and corrections, and 43rd or below in all other categories studied.

The top overall 10 states are:

The bottom overall 10 states are:

The complete list with state-by-state breakdowns of rankings in each category can be found on the U.S News & World Report website.