With low marks in nearly every category ranging from crime and corrections to opportunities and the economy, Louisiana is last on U.S. News and World Report’s first ever Best States ranking.
The state received an overall score of 50—ranking last in the crime and corrections category, 45th in health care, 46th in education, 39th in infrastructure, 49th in opportunity, and 46th each in government and the economy.
The ranking, released today, uses more than 60 metrics to measure outcomes for citizens in each state and pulls data from a variety of sources including McKinsey & Co.
One of the areas the magazine examined is business environment, in which Louisiana unfortunately also drew low marks, ranking 46th in the nation. It also ranks 38th for entrepreneurship and 46th for patent creation.
There’s more bad news in terms of economic opportunity, as the state ranked 44th for both food insecurity and household income and 48th for poverty.
Still, Louisiana did fare well in some areas. The state ranks No. 6 for fewest nursing home citations and for low debt at graduation. It’s fifth in pre-K quality, ninth in preschool enrollment and second for electricity prices.
As for other states, Massachusetts topped the magazine’s Best States ranking, with high marks in education and health care opportunities. Rounding out the bottom five are New Mexico (46), Alabama (47), Arkansas (48) and Mississippi (49).
