NEWS BRIEF: Utah "Wins" Best State in America for 4th Year in a Row, a New Record from U.S. News & World Report
It is one thing to "win" anything, to come in first place, to be named the best. But achieving the same feat four times ... let alone 4x in a row?!?!?!
Nah, that rarely, rarely happens, in any field, in any endeavor.
But, as just announced by none other than U.S. News & World Report, the state of Utah has been named again as its No. 1 state in the country for its 2026 Best States ranking.
In fact, as USNWR explains, it's the first time ever a state has taken the top honors four years straight.
In its lede article titled "2026 Best States: Utah Remains a Lock at No. 1, but the Midwest Is Surging," USNWR's editors write:
"Utah seems to have mastered the art of governance ..."
According to Senior Data Editor, Evan Comen:
"Forget 'Footloose' and fry sauce.
"Today’s Utah is defined by high-growth tech startups, strong economic diversity, robust infrastructure and an elite education system. That winning formula has secured Utah the No. 1 spot for a record-breaking fourth consecutive year in the 2026 U.S. News Best States ranking."
Out of eight categories USNWR considers in its Best States ranking, Utah ranked 2nd in this 2026 report in both the
categories, both near–and–dear to our hearts here at Utah Money Watch.
Additionally, the State of Deseret also placed in the Top 20 in
— Infrastructure (4th place overall),
— Education (6th place overall),
— Crime & Corrections (7th place overall), and
— Healthcare (18th place overall).
As noted in the chart below, however, the state landed near the very bottom in the Natural Environment category, receiving a disappointing ranking of 48 out of 50.
{AUTHOR'S NOTE: USNWR writes that its Natural Environment category "... encompasses metrics reflecting pollution threats and air and water quality."}
Utah also landed in the middle of the pack in USNWR's Opportunity category.
To assist in its 2026 Best States ranking, USNWR surveyed "25,000 Americans asking what areas of governance their state should prioritize."
✅ Education and Healthcare were ranked most important in the survey results, followed by the
⚫️ Economy,
⚫️ Infrastructure,
⚫️ Opportunity, and
⚫️ Stability
categories, massaged by 71 underlying metrics.
So, if you happen to run into Utah Governor Spencer Cox, another elected state official, or any government employees over the next few days (appointed or hired), don't be surprised if you see them sporting a canary–eating–grin.
I mean, seriously ... four–times–in–a–row?!?!?!?!
Yeah, that's unprecedented.
So bravo, Utah!!!
For more details, feel free to click here for USNWR's full writeup about record-setting Utah, the first state to ever be ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report for four consecutive years.
Publisher's Note
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