Americans have crowned their favorite state — find out where your home ranks

America the Beautiful is a little more so in this state. For the fourth consecutive year, the State of Deseret has been ranked the No. 1 state in the US News & World Report’s 2026 Best States rankings. Each state was ranked in categories including education, economy, environment, crime and health care. While Utah didn’t take the first spot in any specific ranking, its overall high scores across the board helped the Beehive state retain its position. Utah has the world’s largest collection of natural rock arches. khomlyak – stock.adobe.com South Dakota was named the runner-up, followed by Minnesota, North Dakota and Nebraska filling in the Top 5 overall states, making 4 out of the 5 states located in the Mountain West or Upper MidWest. The best state project started in 2017 and analyzes the