# List of ‘best’ states released by US News. These 5 rank as the very worst

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/list-of-best-states-released-by-us-news-these-5-rank-as-the-very-worst/
- Published: 2026-07-28T20:58:35+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T22:19:19+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hill (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5995127-list-of-best-states-released-by-us-news-these-5-rank-as-the-very-worst/
- Topics: Americas, Politics, World

## Key points

- Louisiana ranked last overall.
- New Mexico and Mississippi also finished near the bottom.
- Rankings assessed 71 measures across eight categories.

## Summary

U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 “Best States” ranking placed five states at the bottom overall, assessing how well states perform for residents across public services, the economy and quality-of-life measures.

- West Virginia ranked 46th.
- Alaska ranked 47th.
- Mississippi ranked 48th.
- New Mexico ranked 49th.
- Louisiana ranked 50th, last among all 50 states; the ranking combined 71 measures across eight categories, including healthcare, education, economy, infrastructure and opportunity.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.