Colorado continues to fall in ‘U.S. News’ best states rankings

May 7, 2024, 4:15 PM | Updated: May 8, 2024, 4:56 pm

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Remember not that long ago when Colorado was at the top of nearly every list of the best states to live in? Well, the times they are a changin’, and according to one of the more definitive lists, Colorado is slipping.

U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking of the best states in the country ranks all 50 states in categories like crime and corrections, economy, education, fiscal stability, healthcare, infrastructure, natural environment and opportunity.

Colorado is the 16th-best state in 2024, down one spot from number 15 in 2023.

Colorado ranked the following in each category in 2024:

Crime and Corrections: 47th
Economy: 4th
Education: 5th
Fiscal Stability: 36th
Healthcare: 12th
Infrastructure: 12th
Natural Environment: 26th
Opportunity: 39th

Utah was the best overall state in the U.S., while Louisiana was last.

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