What is the best state to live in? New report ranks all 50 states (2024)

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 rankingsbased 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.

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