Not a single southern state is listed among the best 10 states in the nation.
The best state in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report's first-ever best states ranking, is Massachusetts. The New England state ranked in the top five for health care, education and economy.
Louisiana ranked last overall and last in the crime category.
To come up with the list, analysts studied 68 metrics across seven categories including health care, education, infrastructure, crime, opportunity, economy and government.
Data was pulled from McKinsey & Company’s Leading States Index to create a state-by-state comparison of index scores for each metric, which were ultimately calculated into weighted averages.
Analysts also examined government data from agencies like the U.S. Census Bureau and consulted with experts in each category. The metrics were pulled from 2013 or later.
>> RELATED: More about the study and its methodology
Here are the top 10 best states, according to U.S. News:
1. Massachusetts
2. New Hampshire
3. Minnesota
4. North Dakota
5. Washington
6. Iowa
7. Utah
8. Maryland
9. Colorado
10. Vermont
New York ranked No. 17; Florida ranked No. 24; North Carolina ranked No. 25; Pennsylvania ranked No. 30; Ohio ranked No. 35; Georgia ranked No. 36; Texas ranked No. 38; and Tennessee ranked No. 39.
Read more at U.S. News & World Report.
Cox Media Group
