SALT LAKE CITY – For the second consecutive year, Utah has been selected as the Number 1 state in the union in a comprehensive study by a national news magazine.
“Utah has a vibrant, diverse economy and unsurpassed natural beauty,” said Gov. Spencer Cox, announcing Utah’s top ranking by U.S. News and World Report late Monday.
“But what truly set our state apart is our people, who are charitable, collaborative, innovative and work together to strengthen families and individuals.”
The news magazine annually rates the 50 states from top to bottom based on objective data from sources like the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control, taking into account a wide range of factors including healthcare, education, infrastructure and quality of life.
Utah captured Number 1 status again giving strong performances in categories like education (where Utah ranked second); economy and infrastructure (ranked third in both); and fiscal stability (ranked sixth).
Even in categories in which Utah received relatively high scores from the News and World Report researchers – including crime and corrections; healthcare; and opportunity – the Beehive State still outpaced rival states.
The only category measured by the magazine in which Utah dropped in their ranking was in the natural environment. After receiving a scores of 38th in air quality and 44th in pollution last year, the state overall environmental ranking in 2024 was 46 out of 50.
The annual research effort by U.S. News and World Report studies more than 70 metrics and thousands of data points to reach its nationwide ranking.
In 2023, Utah and Idaho were ranked Numbers 1 and 3 respectively by the magazine ranking. Idaho dropped to Number 5 in the 2024 ranking, however.
Other states in the Top Five of the ranking include New Hampshire at Number 2, Nebraska at Number 3 and Minnesota at Number 4.
At the Capitol, Cox concluded his remarks by emphasizing that all residents of Utah should be justly proud of the Beehive State.