What is the best state to live in? New report ranks all 50 states

WASHINGTON — A new report from U.S. News & World Report has ranked all 50 states from best to worst, giving people a new insight into each state's strengths and weaknesses in 2024. 

The 2024 Best States ranking released Tuesday is the sixth iteration of the report. It compares states based on natural environment, education, the economy and a number of other categories, using "thousands of data points to measure how well states are performing for their citizens."

The wide-reaching report then weighs those rankings based on a survey U.S. News previously conducted to determine what matters most to people. According to the survey, health care and education were ranked highest, and had the most weight in determining the best states to live. 

Utah once again topped the list, followed by New Hampshire, Nebraska, Minnesota and Idaho rounding out the top five. 

On the other end of the spectrum, West Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico and Louisiana were the lowest-ranked states in the 2024 list. 

But U.S. News acknowledged when releasing the 2024 report that not everybody has the same preferences when deciding which state is best for them. 

Because of this, U.S. News also launched a quiz to tailor the rankings to each person's preferences. Are you an environmental advocate? Or maybe you care a lot about the state's internet and tech infrastructure. You can take the quiz here to find out which state matches you best.

Here are the US News 2024 rankings of the best states

1. Utah
2. New Hampshire
3. Nebraska
4. Minnesota
5. Idaho
6. Iowa
7. Vermont
8. Washington 
9. Florida
10. Massachusetts
11. South Dakota
12. Wyoming
13. Virginia
14. New Jersey 
15. North Dakota
16. Colorado
17. Wisconsin
18. Georgia
19. North Carolina
20. Connecticut
21. Delaware
22. Maryland
23. New York
24. Montana
25. Kansas
26. Rhode Island
27. Tennessee
28. Maine
29. Texas
30. Indiana
31. Oregon
32. Arizona
33. Nevada
34. Hawaii
35. Missouri
36. Ohio
37. California
38. Illinois
39. Kentucky
40. Pennsylvania
41. South Carolina
42. Michigan
43. Oklahoma
44. Alabama
45. Alaska
46. West Virginia
47. Arkansas
48. Mississippi
49. New Mexico
50. Louisiana