BOSTON — The commonwealth of Massachusetts has been named the best overall state in U.S. News & World Report's inaugural report.
This best state ranking evaluates all 50 states in various categories, with Massachusetts ranked the No. 1 overall state, No. 1 in health care, No. 2 in education and among the top 10 for economy and crime and corrections.
Massachusetts was recognized for having the most accessible health care and is ranked third for pre-K through 12th-grade education.
"Massachusetts is a great place to live, work and raise a family because of the strength and character of all those who call the Commonwealth home," said Gov. Charlie Baker. "Everyone should be proud that Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in health care access and public education for all citizens, and our administration will continue to build on these accomplishments to bring more economic success to every corner of Massachusetts."
Baker joined U.S. News & World Report editor and chief content officer Brian Kelly on "CBS This Morning" to discuss Massachusetts' top ranking.
Massachusetts ranked well above the national average as No. 1 in enrollment for Medicare Advantage Plans, Higher Education Educational Attainment and College Readiness, and No. 2 in Patents Granted and Populations with Fast Download Speed.
"We are proud to be the first state to be named number one overall in the inaugural Best States ranking as we continue to be a leader in the nation across numerous sectors," said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. "This honor is a testament of policies and practices that are working and we are dedicated to continuing this progress in every community in the commonwealth."
The new Best States rankings and platform was designed to inform people across the country about what is working across the country and includes rankings that measure states overall and in seven different categories: education, health care, government, infrastructure, economy, opportunity and crime & corrections.
The Leading States Index and analytics for the system were produced by McKinsey & Co. to inform state government officials on where to focus their efforts and where to make improvements for their constituents
For more information on methodology and complete rankings, visit: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings
