Utah is the Best State in the U.S., According to 2023 Best States Rankings (2024)

FAQs

Is Utah named the best state in 2023? ›

Utah has taken the No. 1 spot in U.S. News & World Report's Best States rankings after Washington held it for two editions in a row, the newly released analysis shows. Since its inception in 2017, the Best States project has used thousands of data points to capture how all 50 states serve their residents.

Utah named 2023 best state in America by US News & World Report.

Utah takes No. 1 in rankings that measure health care, education and economy. WASHINGTON, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Utah is the Best State in the country, according to the 2023 Best States rankings.

Jobs, affordability, and quality of life are the top reasons why everyone is moving to Utah. According to the world population index, Utah ranks in the middle of affordability of U.S. states. The state economy is a major factor in bringing in newcomers. Utah's economy consistently ranks among the best in the nation.

Utah earned the top spot in financial stability and economy and made it to the top 10 in education, health care, and infrastructure.

1. Mississippi. Coming in as the cheapest state to live in in the United States is Mississippi with a cost of living index score of 83.3. It also has the lowest average housing costs in the nation at 33.7% below the national average.

Washington. Washington state has the highest quality of life in all 50 states. The state has no income tax, a thriving job market, and great international business opportunities.

States With Lowest Cost of Living

Mississippi is the state with the lowest cost of living in the US, with a cost of living index of 85. This means that the cost of living in Mississippi is 15% lower than the national average. The state has a low cost of housing, groceries, and utilities.

What is the most successful state to live in? ›

Massachusetts was crowned the top state to raise a family in, followed by Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, and Vermont. New Hampshire checked in at sixth on the list, while Connecticut ranked 10th, Rhode Island ranked 11th and Maine ranked 16th. Mississippi was ranked the worst state to raise a family in.

A year after being named the happiest state in the U.S., Utah has dropped from the top spot in 2022. According to the newest WalletHub rankings, Utah is now the fourth happiest state in the country... and we're not happy about it.

Utah has the ninth-highest life expectancy in the U.S., according to a CDC national vital statistics report released Tuesday. The life expectancy for Utahns was 78.6 years — higher than the national rate of 77 years.

It is also one of three states that has access to Google Fiber and an increasingly strong presence in the tech industry. Things are coming up Utah. The fundamentals driving this growth are Utah's booming economy, low unemployment, and a very affordable quality of life.

Called “Four Corners,” it's the only place in the country where four states come together! Utah has three major geographic areas: the Rocky Mountains, the Basin and Ridge Region, and the Colorado Plateau. The Rocky Mountains region runs from northeastern Utah through the center of the state.

So what contributes to this happiness? Is it the mountain views? The fry sauce? According to WalletHub, Utah was ranked the highest for sports participation, volunteer rates, fewest work hours, lowest divorce rate and the overall safest state.

Based on migration data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans are moving to Austin, Texas; Raleigh, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; Dallas, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona. The most moved-to cities are based on percentage increases in population since 2010.

What is the most popular state to move to in 2023? ›

Georgia. With Atlanta voted as the best place to move in 2023, The Peach State is expecting to see a lot of growth. This Southern state boasts an unemployment rate significantly lower than the national average at only 2.9%.

Rather, Alabama is the most affordable state to retire in, according to WalletHub's “2023 Best States to Retire.” The analysis compared all 50 states across three key categories: health care, quality of life and affordability.

Based on the number of homicides, the ten safest states in America are New Hampshire, Vermont, Wyoming, Maine, Rhode Island, North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii, Idaho, and Alaska. New Hampshire is the safest state in the US, with just 20 reported homicide incidents.

The magnificent rock formations of Arches and Canyonlands, the soaring red-rock cliffs of Zion, or Bryce's ethereal sunset-colored hoodoos prove that Utah is one of the most naturally beautiful states in the US.

2023 Utah crime rates

Within the Mountain region, Utah tied with Arizona for the third-lowest violent crime rate, just behind Wyoming (2.4) and Idaho (2.5). Utah had the third lowest property crime rate in the region behind Idaho (10.5) and Arizona (14.4).

– Maine is the most peaceful state in the U.S. for the 11th year in a row, Louisiana is the least peaceful. The Northeast continues to be the most peaceful region with three of the five most peaceful states. The South is once again the least peaceful region in America, with four of the five least peaceful states.

In 2020, the states with the highest murder rates stayed roughly the same after making this change: Mississippi in first, then Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Maryland, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Georgia.

Hawaii. Hawaii is truly a paradise, but it is also the most expensive state in America to live in. The cost of living in Hawaii overall is 86% higher than the national average, and the cost of housing in Hawaii is a jaw-dropping 207% above the national average.

Is it expensive to live in Utah? ›

Average Cost of Living in Utah: $42,653 per year

Get ready to tap your savings or earn quite a bit, as Utah has the 30th lowest cost of living across the United States, according to MERIC's 2022 Cost of Living Index data gathered in 2022.

In its report, Niche also ranked the cheapest places to live in the U.S. At the top of the list this year is Brownsville, Texas. Brownsville has been steadily rising in Niche's Lowest Cost of Living ranking over the past few years, placing number six in 2021, number three in 2022 and finally, number one in 2023.

WA has strongest economy across all U.S. states, report says. What makes state the best? Personal finance website says Washington has the best economy of all U.S. states in 2023.

This statistic shows the best states to make living in the United States in 2019. In 2019, Wyoming was ranked as the best state to make a living in the United States, with the cost of living index at 90.5 value and the median income of 40,240 U.S. dollars.

The 10 least expensive states

Of the 10 states with the lowest annual costs to raise a child, seven are in the South, including the three least expensive states—Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky. Low daycare costs help make raising children more affordable in these states.

Vermont ranked as the #1 state for this. The education and childcare category considered predominantly the quality of public schools, as well as high school graduation rates, parental leave, and child-care costs. North Dakota ranked the highest.

In terms of active-duty military members, each branch is popular in different states. For the Army, most members live in Texas (73,152), Georgia (52,576), North Carolina (46,994), Kentucky (34,675), and Washington (28,454).

What are the 5 best states to live in for climate change in the US? ›

Gallup analysis shows that the West North Central, Mountain, and Pacific regions are likely to be the best areas to live in 20 years, based on the strong economic, health, and community foundations they are building today.

Five American cities top the list in this category: Seattle, New York, San Francisco, Dallas and Washington DC.

Driving the news: Newly released census estimates show Utah grew by about 41,700 people from July 2021 to 2022 — the ninth biggest net population growth and 10th highest growth rate of any state. Yes, but: The state was the third-fastest growing since the 2020 census, with an increase of more than 55,000 people.

For its part, Utah ranked first in several specific categories, including Sports Participation Rate, Number of Work Hours, Volunteer Rate (which was twice that of New York) and Divorce Rate (which was two times better than Nevada).

Utah State University is ranked #250 out of 443 National Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

Washington ranks first overall out of all state economies, but it also ranks highly in other categories, WalletHub found.

Overall, in the calendar year 2022, the United States' Nominal GDP at Current Prices totaled at $25.463 Trillion, as compared to $23.315 Trillion in 2021. The three U.S. states with the highest GDPs were California ($3.6 Trillion), Texas ($2.356 Trillion), and New York ($2.053 Trillion).

Texas Leads Nation With Fastest Economic Expansion.

Is Utah the happiest state? ›

After being named the happiest state across the United States in 2021, Utah dropped down a few spots in 2022, losing its top spot. In one of the newest WalletHub rankings, Utah reportedly lost its top spot as the nation's happiest state. It's now ranked as the country's fourth happiest state.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah was the fastest-growing state between the 2010 and 2020 censuses largely because more people moved into the state than out of it.

Provo has been ranked #2 most happiest city and #4 most smiliest city in America! Instagram can tell you what's new, what's cool, and what's for dinner.

According to a recent study from RetireGuide, Utah is the second best state to retire in across the country. Several factors were put into deciding the final ranking including criteria primarily involved with housing, health, and quality of life.

Utah State University 2023-2024 Rankings

Utah State University is ranked No. 36 (tie) in Best Education Schools. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. See how this school scored on the key indicators used in the rankings.