Maryland Ranks 22nd in U.S. News & World Report’s Best States Ranking
Maryland has been ranked as the 22nd best state overall in terms of meeting the needs of its citizens, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report. The rankings, released on Tuesday, measure how well states serve residents across 70 metrics in eight categories including the economy, fiscal stability, education, health care, infrastructure, natural environment, opportunity, and crime and corrections.
Health care and education were weighted the most heavily in the survey of what matters most to people. Maryland ranked 7th in health care and 20th in education. The state also ranked 31st in the economy, 29th in fiscal stability, 33rd in infrastructure, 6th in the natural environment, 18th in crime and corrections, and 30th in opportunity.
According to U.S. News, Maryland is known for its blue crabs, the city of Baltimore, and its historical significance. The state played a pivotal role in American history as one of the original 13 colonies and as a border state during the Civil War. Maryland is home to federal facilities, defense contractors, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The top 10 states in the ranking are Utah, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Minnesota, Idaho, Iowa, Vermont, Washington, Florida, and Massachusetts. The lowest-ranked state is Louisiana, with other states at the bottom including New Mexico, Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, Alaska, Alabama, and Oklahoma.
To read more about the Best States methodology, visit the U.S. News & World Report website.