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A new state-by-state report says the map of American well-being shows clear winners, troubling warning signs, and one big national disconnect
Joe Lombardi
07/06/2026 7:30 a.m.
The State of the Nation Project released its “State of the States” reportas the US approaches its 250th anniversary. StudyFinds reported on the rankings on Friday, July 3
Minnesota ranked first overall, followed by New Hampshire, Iowa, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Louisiana ranked last among the 51 jurisdictions measured, including all 50 states and Washington, DC
New Jersey ranked 11th, Maryland ranked 15th, Connecticut ranked 18th, Virginia ranked 19th, New York ranked 26th, and Pennsylvania ranked 30th
The report examined 31 measures across 14 topic areas, including mental health, physical health, education, environment, income inequality, violence, civil liberties, social trust, and life satisfaction. Researchers used data from 1990 through 2024 and more than 4,000 indicators
The findings are not simply about money. The report found that higher incomes are not translating into better personal well-being. Higher-income states tended to show more social trust, but stronger economies did not align neatly with happiness, depression, or life satisfaction
The report also found that no state is improving on eight measures: life satisfaction, adult depression, youth depression, fatal overdoses, trust in the federal government, income inequality, long-term unemployment rate, and hourly earnings growth
There were bright spots. Every state is improving on child mortality and state economic output, according to the report
The project’s board includes scholars and advisers from across the political spectrum, including people who advised presidents from Bill Clinton through President Donald Trump. The report was funded by Tulane University and the Murphy Institute at Tulane
The number beside each state is not a grade. It is the state’s average rank across the 31 measures. A lower number is better. Minnesota’s 13.9 means it landed around 14th, on average, across the measures. Louisiana’s 40.7 means it tended to place much closer to the bottom
Full State Well-Being Rankings:
- Minnesota, 13.9
- New Hampshire, 14.6
- Iowa, 15.9
- Vermont, 16.1
- Massachusetts, 16.2
- Nebraska, 16.4
- South Dakota, 16.7
- Wisconsin, 17.5
- North Dakota, 17.7
- Utah, 17.9
- New Jersey, 18.5
- Idaho, 18.7
- Hawaii, 19.0
- Maine, 19.2
- Maryland, 19.3
- Colorado, 19.3
- Montana, 19.6
- Connecticut, 20.0
- Virginia, 20.1
- Washington, 20.5
- Rhode Island, 21.6
- Kansas, 22.5
- Oregon, 23.9
- Delaware, 24.1
- Wyoming, 24.6
- New York, 25.3
- Illinois, 26.1
- California, 26.5
- Michigan, 26.7
- Pennsylvania, 27.0
- Indiana, 28.2
- Washington, DC, 28.3
- Texas, 28.5
- Missouri, 28.5
- Florida, 29.4
- North Carolina, 29.7
- Ohio, 30.0
- Arizona, 30.3
- Alaska, 30.3
- Georgia, 31.3
- Tennessee, 33.0
- South Carolina, 33.6
- Arkansas, 35.6
- Kentucky, 36.1
- Oklahoma, 37.0
- Alabama, 37.2
- Mississippi, 37.8
- Nevada, 38.0
- West Virginia, 38.7
- New Mexico, 39.5
- Louisiana, 40.7
Related report: Best Places To Live In US Revealed In New Rankings
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