The newest edition of the Best States rankings features an Iowa slide, a South Dakota rise and a three-peat at No. 1.
The best state in America is home to a diverse and resilient economy, smart students, low crime and a fairly healthy population.
You could also say Utah – No. 1 in the Best States rankings from U.S. News for a third straight year – has experienced a bit of a reputational renaissance in recent decades.
Twenty-five years ago, “Utah was probably known for three things: ‘Footloose,’ green Jell-O, and the third would be a very youthful workforce,” says Curtis Blair, president and CEO of the Provo-based Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. “There’s a lot that has happened in Utah in the last 20 years where we have moved … to being an entrepreneurial, startup state.”
Utah’s economy has evolved to become one of the most diverse in the U.S., with industries like tech, tourism, health care and energy standing as major employers. And it’s a safe bet that the state’s pivot from more traditional roots in areas like manufacturing and agriculture – further fueled of late by the decision to invest in engineering, computer science and math education in the early 2000s – has helped drive Utah’s success in the U.S. News rankings, with its three-year streak of topping them unparalleled in the project’s history.
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https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/us-news-releases-best-states-rankings