The Sunshine State goes up three places in the 2021 Best States Rankings, published annually by US News. Sitting in tenth position this year out of 50 states included in the table, Florida ranks particularly well in education, economy and fiscal stability.
Florida climbs three places
The last best US states rankings published in 2019 put Florida in 13th place overall. Two years later, the Sunshine State rises three positions and enters the top ten best states in the country.
Florida takes third position overall for education, one of the top two criteria in the rankings. The state also does well nationally for its economy and fiscal stability, ranking in eighth place overall for these characteristics.
Best US states criteria
The rankings base their findings on a survey with almost 70,000 participants in the US. There are eight main categories with those for healthcare and education carrying the most weight.
Other criteria include economy, infrastructure, online connectivity, safety, fiscal stability and the opportunities available to inhabitants in the particular state.
The best US states
In this year’s table, Washington state takes the top position as it did in the last survey in 2019. Minnesota stands in second place with Utah completing the podium for the best three.
Washington fares particularly well in healthcare and education, although the best state overall for healthcare is Hawaii. New Jersey takes the top slot for education in the US.
Worst US states
At the other end of the spectrum are the country’s worst performers. In bottom place is Louisiana, closely followed by another southern state, Mississippi in 49th place. New Mexico is the third worst.
Another triumph for Florida
Florida is no stranger to high rankings in surveys for best states. It also features regularly as one of the best states for business in the US. For example, in this year’s Forbes rankings, Florida takes fifth position overall.
The Sunshine State ranks well for economic climate – it has the third best in the country after California and Colorado. It also does well for growth prospects taking fifth position in the US. Both these criteria are key during 2021 as the pressures on the economy ease and the effects of the pandemic lessen.
Strong property market in Florida
The buoyant economic climate in Florida and the excellent growth prospects make it a magnet for new residents. As a result, the population increases by almost 1,000 people a day, a demographic trend that translates to high demand for property. Florida is earmarked as one of the areas in the US with the best potential for real estate investment this year.
(Source: US News, Forbes)
