COLORADO NEWS

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

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

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.

Colorado’s oldest amusement park opens for it’s 117th season this weekend

Colorado News

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Colorado now third-most expensive state in the nation, report finds

Colorado’s mountain views, craft beer and 300 days of sunshine now come with a price tag to match: The state is the third-most expensive in the country to live in, […]

13 minutes ago

(Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)...

Shawn Patrick

Red Rocks parking lot named Colorado’s most unexpectedly romantic spot

Forget candlelit dinners and mountain sunsets. The most unexpectedly romantic spot in Colorado is the parking lot at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, according to a new national survey. Travel and lifestyle […]

35 minutes ago

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Former Broncos QB Tim Tebow to return to Colorado for Greeley speaking engagement

Tim Tebow, the former Denver Broncos quarterback whose improbable 2011 playoff run captivated Colorado, is headed back to the state for a speaking appearance at Aims Community College. Tebow will […]

49 minutes ago

Photo by Darrell Ingham /Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Colorado’s Pikes Peak International Raceway to close after 2026 season

One of my favorite childhood memories was going down a little south of Colorado Springs to watch Dale Earnhardt Jr. race in a NASCAR Busch Series race at Pikes Peak […]

1 hour ago

Bo Nix...

Big Mic

Denver Broncos Preseason Schedule locked in

While we still have a whole lotta of Summer to get through, we are just about 12 weeks away from the Denver Broncos hitting the field again as their preseason […]

3 hours ago

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for ACM...

Shawn Patrick

LOOK – Brooks & Dunn rock a Cheyenne Frontier Days belt buckle onstage at the ACM Awards — again

Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn has closets full of awards. But when it came time to accept yet another trophy at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards on […]

1 day ago

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