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Fiscal Stability

Best States

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Fiscal Stability

The fiscal stability of a state’s government is vital to ensuring the success of government-sponsored programs and projects, trickling down to affect the quality of life of state residents. In modern times, the rights and powers of states have been asserted through a broad range of services for their citizens – delivery of public education among them – and effective state administration and fiscal health have become increasingly important.

The fiscal stability category is one of eight categories driving the overall Best States rankings, and encompasses metrics reflecting both the short-term and long-term fiscal stability of a state. Learn more about the best states for fiscal stability below, and see the Best States methodology for a detailed look at the data behind the Best States rankings.

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Rankings: Fiscal Stability

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50 States

Utah

#1 in Fiscal Stability

#1 in Best States Overall

Utah was dubbed "Deseret" by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who settled this remote western realm in the mid-1800s, fleeing religious discrimination in the East.
,
With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, several hundred members formed what became known as the Mormon Battalion, which marched from Kansas to San Diego from 1846 to 1847, forging a wagon route across the deep Southwest.
,
They moved to Mexico until the war’s end, returning in 1848 to the place they hoped to make the state of Deseret, a name drawing on the symbol of community found in a honey beehive in the Book of Mormon. By 1850, with a population of more than 11,000, church leaders chose members to head their settlements, and through 1900, the Mormons founded 500 communities in Utah and neighboring states.
,
On May 10, 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was established at Promontory Summit in the Utah territory, where the Union and Central Pacific Railroads met. As gold and silver were discovered in the mountains, Congress named the territory Utah after local Native Americans. The Utah territory was carved up, with some forming Nevada, some added to Colorado and some to Wyoming. Utah became the 45th state in 1896.
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Utah’s mountains, high plateaus and deserts – containing the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, at the state capital of Salt Lake City – are bordered by Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona at right angles. The “Four Corners” are the only such arrangement in the U.S.
,
The state is known for its skiing, with the mountains near Salt Lake City collecting abundant snowfall, as well as for the Sundance Film Festival, one of the world’s premiere independent film festivals, staged for years each January in Park City before its planned move to Colorado in 2027.

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#4 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#6 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Utah

#1 in Fiscal Stability

#1 in Best States Overall

Utah was dubbed "Deseret" by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who settled this remote western realm in the mid-1800s, fleeing religious discrimination in the East.
,
With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, several hundred members formed what became known as the Mormon Battalion, which marched from Kansas to San Diego from 1846 to 1847, forging a wagon route across the deep Southwest.
,
They moved to Mexico until the war’s end, returning in 1848 to the place they hoped to make the state of Deseret, a name drawing on the symbol of community found in a honey beehive in the Book of Mormon. By 1850, with a population of more than 11,000, church leaders chose members to head their settlements, and through 1900, the Mormons founded 500 communities in Utah and neighboring states.
,
On May 10, 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was established at Promontory Summit in the Utah territory, where the Union and Central Pacific Railroads met. As gold and silver were discovered in the mountains, Congress named the territory Utah after local Native Americans. The Utah territory was carved up, with some forming Nevada, some added to Colorado and some to Wyoming. Utah became the 45th state in 1896.
,
Utah’s mountains, high plateaus and deserts – containing the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, at the state capital of Salt Lake City – are bordered by Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona at right angles. The “Four Corners” are the only such arrangement in the U.S.
,
The state is known for its skiing, with the mountains near Salt Lake City collecting abundant snowfall, as well as for the Sundance Film Festival, one of the world’s premiere independent film festivals, staged for years each January in Park City before its planned move to Colorado in 2027.

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#4 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#6 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Delaware

#2 in Fiscal Stability

#18 in Best States Overall

Known as the First State, Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787. Delaware, which hugs the Atlantic coast, runs only 96 miles long and 39 miles wide and has just three counties: New Castle, Kent and Sussex.
,
Because Delaware's economy relies heavily on chemical manufacturing, including pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and plastics, it is sometimes referred to as the Chemical Capital of the World. DuPont, one of the world’s top chemical manufacturing companies, is based in and operates in Delaware. But the state’s largest economic driver is finance and insurance, and it attracts top companies with its pro-business model, including low tax incentives and favorable laws for corporations.
,
The first European colony in the Delaware Valley was settled by Swedes in 1638. Their descendants built Old Swedes Church, one of the oldest houses of worship still operating.
,
Delaware may be the second-smallest state, but it attracts millions of visitors each year. Rehoboth Beach is a popular summer attraction, with a population of more than 25,000 each summer. The 1-square-mile city became a well-known vacation spot for the Washington elite in the 1920s, and today it’s known for its large LGBT community and family-friendly attractions.

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#7 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#5 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Delaware

#2 in Fiscal Stability

#18 in Best States Overall

Known as the First State, Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787. Delaware, which hugs the Atlantic coast, runs only 96 miles long and 39 miles wide and has just three counties: New Castle, Kent and Sussex.
,
Because Delaware's economy relies heavily on chemical manufacturing, including pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and plastics, it is sometimes referred to as the Chemical Capital of the World. DuPont, one of the world’s top chemical manufacturing companies, is based in and operates in Delaware. But the state’s largest economic driver is finance and insurance, and it attracts top companies with its pro-business model, including low tax incentives and favorable laws for corporations.
,
The first European colony in the Delaware Valley was settled by Swedes in 1638. Their descendants built Old Swedes Church, one of the oldest houses of worship still operating.
,
Delaware may be the second-smallest state, but it attracts millions of visitors each year. Rehoboth Beach is a popular summer attraction, with a population of more than 25,000 each summer. The 1-square-mile city became a well-known vacation spot for the Washington elite in the 1920s, and today it’s known for its large LGBT community and family-friendly attractions.

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#7 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#5 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

New York

#3 in Fiscal Stability

#22 in Best States Overall

The European settlement of what would become New York was led by the Dutch, settling along the Hudson River in 1624. They established the colony of New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan. When the British took control of the area in 1664, they renamed it New York, and it became one of the original 13 colonies. New York achieved statehood in 1788, with the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, and New York City served as the new nation’s first capital. George Washington was sworn in as president there, at Federal Hall on Wall Street, in 1789.
,
From the late 1800s to the mid-20th century, millions of immigrants arrived at New York Harbor, where Ellis Island became their gateway to U.S. citizenship. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, was erected on what became Liberty Island in 1886. It's estimated that as many as four in 10 Americans can trace at least one ancestor to this migration, with 14 million arriving there through 1924.
,
With 47,000 square miles statewide, New York state offers vast regions of wilderness. Most notable are the Adirondack Mountains, home to hiking at the state's highest peaks and family-oriented ski resorts. The Adirondack Park encompasses 6 million acres, with 30,000 rivers and streams, as well as 3,000 lakes and ponds. Mount Marcy, at 5,344 feet, is the state’s tallest mountain. The 1980 Winter Olympics were staged at Lake Placid, where the ski jump areas and ice skating rink continue to draw tourists.
,
The industry for which New York City is best known – the financial world of Wall Street – dates to the era of the American Revolution. The New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange, was founded in 1792 when 24 stockbrokers signed an agreement beneath a Buttonwood tree on Wall Street at the south end of Manhattan, near the Battery.

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#6 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#16 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

New York

#3 in Fiscal Stability

#22 in Best States Overall

The European settlement of what would become New York was led by the Dutch, settling along the Hudson River in 1624. They established the colony of New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan. When the British took control of the area in 1664, they renamed it New York, and it became one of the original 13 colonies. New York achieved statehood in 1788, with the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, and New York City served as the new nation’s first capital. George Washington was sworn in as president there, at Federal Hall on Wall Street, in 1789.
,
From the late 1800s to the mid-20th century, millions of immigrants arrived at New York Harbor, where Ellis Island became their gateway to U.S. citizenship. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, was erected on what became Liberty Island in 1886. It's estimated that as many as four in 10 Americans can trace at least one ancestor to this migration, with 14 million arriving there through 1924.
,
With 47,000 square miles statewide, New York state offers vast regions of wilderness. Most notable are the Adirondack Mountains, home to hiking at the state's highest peaks and family-oriented ski resorts. The Adirondack Park encompasses 6 million acres, with 30,000 rivers and streams, as well as 3,000 lakes and ponds. Mount Marcy, at 5,344 feet, is the state’s tallest mountain. The 1980 Winter Olympics were staged at Lake Placid, where the ski jump areas and ice skating rink continue to draw tourists.
,
The industry for which New York City is best known – the financial world of Wall Street – dates to the era of the American Revolution. The New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange, was founded in 1792 when 24 stockbrokers signed an agreement beneath a Buttonwood tree on Wall Street at the south end of Manhattan, near the Battery.

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#6 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#16 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Iowa

#4 in Fiscal Stability

#14 in Best States Overall

Iowa is a relatively small state that has played a disproportionately large role in American politics, with its caucuses marking a key point in U.S. presidential election contests every four years.
,
Iowa is a farm state, producing milk, chicken and eggs, as well as livestock. Iowa is also a major engine of corn and soybean production, and is home to one of the nation’s largest cereal mills. Machinery production – farm machinery and construction equipment to home appliances – is another major industry in the state.
,
Iowa, its name derived from the Native American Ioway people who once inhabited the region, became the 29th state in 1846. The Mississippi River forms its entire eastern border, while the Missouri River and a tributary, the Big Sioux, form the western border, making Iowa the only state with two parallel rivers defining its borders. The state abuts Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Missouri to the south, and Nebraska and South Dakota to the west.

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#5 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#23 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Iowa

#4 in Fiscal Stability

#14 in Best States Overall

Iowa is a relatively small state that has played a disproportionately large role in American politics, with its caucuses marking a key point in U.S. presidential election contests every four years.
,
Iowa is a farm state, producing milk, chicken and eggs, as well as livestock. Iowa is also a major engine of corn and soybean production, and is home to one of the nation’s largest cereal mills. Machinery production – farm machinery and construction equipment to home appliances – is another major industry in the state.
,
Iowa, its name derived from the Native American Ioway people who once inhabited the region, became the 29th state in 1846. The Mississippi River forms its entire eastern border, while the Missouri River and a tributary, the Big Sioux, form the western border, making Iowa the only state with two parallel rivers defining its borders. The state abuts Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Missouri to the south, and Nebraska and South Dakota to the west.

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#5 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#23 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Georgia

#5 in Fiscal Stability

#21 in Best States Overall

As one of the original 13 colonies, Georgia has a rich history that continues today as one of the most populous states in the U.S.
,
Along with other Southern states, Georgia seceded from the Union in 1861, which triggered the Civil War. Union General William T. Sherman captured Atlanta in 1864 and began a march to the coastal city of Savannah that destroyed much of the state’s infrastructure and crippled the Confederacy’s economy in the process.
,
Today, many visitors to the state arrive via Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, among the world’s busiest airports. The state is the headquarters for Delta as well as companies as varied as Home Depot, UPS, Coca-Cola and Aflac.
,
Atlanta is also home to the Georgia Institute of Technology, Morehouse College, Spelman College and Emory University.
,
An unrelenting suburban sprawl and a public transportation system unable to keep up with it have left the city riddled with traffic.
,
Northeast of Atlanta is another one of the state’s most populous cities, Athens, which is home to the University of Georgia. Aside from the state’s flagship university, the city also is famous for its music scene, which produced R.E.M., the B-52’s and Widespread Panic.

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#20 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#3 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Georgia

#5 in Fiscal Stability

#21 in Best States Overall

As one of the original 13 colonies, Georgia has a rich history that continues today as one of the most populous states in the U.S.
,
Along with other Southern states, Georgia seceded from the Union in 1861, which triggered the Civil War. Union General William T. Sherman captured Atlanta in 1864 and began a march to the coastal city of Savannah that destroyed much of the state’s infrastructure and crippled the Confederacy’s economy in the process.
,
Today, many visitors to the state arrive via Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, among the world’s busiest airports. The state is the headquarters for Delta as well as companies as varied as Home Depot, UPS, Coca-Cola and Aflac.
,
Atlanta is also home to the Georgia Institute of Technology, Morehouse College, Spelman College and Emory University.
,
An unrelenting suburban sprawl and a public transportation system unable to keep up with it have left the city riddled with traffic.
,
Northeast of Atlanta is another one of the state’s most populous cities, Athens, which is home to the University of Georgia. Aside from the state’s flagship university, the city also is famous for its music scene, which produced R.E.M., the B-52’s and Widespread Panic.

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#20 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#3 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Nebraska

#6 in Fiscal Stability

#5 in Best States Overall

Nebraska is a major agricultural state, and its many cattle ranches provide for the state’s trademark corn-fed beef.
,
The Cornhusker State counts corn production as a leading crop, and its “Golden Triangle” of corn, livestock and ethanol production drives its industry.
,
A major urban center in the state is Omaha, home to Warren Buffett, one of the world’s richest men. Stock in his Berkshire Hathaway holding company, managing a wide array of companies, has made many Americans wealthy over 50 years.
,
Before its admission to the Union as the 37th state in 1867, the Nebraska Territory had been sparsely settled. As railroads pushed west, waves of homesteaders started arriving in 1860. Omaha had been the territorial capital, but the seat of government was moved to Lancaster, later renamed Lincoln following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
,
The state’s name is derived from Oto Indian words translated as “flat water,” referring to the Platte River that flows through the state. The Oto had immigrated to the Central Plains from the East just ahead of the first European settlers. The principal Siouan people in the territory during the first half of the 1700s were the Omaha and Ponca in the northeast and Oto in the lower Platte Valley.
,
As Europeans arrived, they forged trading alliances, exchanging beaver and other skins for merchandise. Eventually, the Oto were forced along with Missouria tribe members to accept a reservation in Gage County, in 1854. By 1881, settlers acquired that land too and moved the indigenous settlers to Oklahoma.

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#9 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#18 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Nebraska

#6 in Fiscal Stability

#5 in Best States Overall

Nebraska is a major agricultural state, and its many cattle ranches provide for the state’s trademark corn-fed beef.
,
The Cornhusker State counts corn production as a leading crop, and its “Golden Triangle” of corn, livestock and ethanol production drives its industry.
,
A major urban center in the state is Omaha, home to Warren Buffett, one of the world’s richest men. Stock in his Berkshire Hathaway holding company, managing a wide array of companies, has made many Americans wealthy over 50 years.
,
Before its admission to the Union as the 37th state in 1867, the Nebraska Territory had been sparsely settled. As railroads pushed west, waves of homesteaders started arriving in 1860. Omaha had been the territorial capital, but the seat of government was moved to Lancaster, later renamed Lincoln following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
,
The state’s name is derived from Oto Indian words translated as “flat water,” referring to the Platte River that flows through the state. The Oto had immigrated to the Central Plains from the East just ahead of the first European settlers. The principal Siouan people in the territory during the first half of the 1700s were the Omaha and Ponca in the northeast and Oto in the lower Platte Valley.
,
As Europeans arrived, they forged trading alliances, exchanging beaver and other skins for merchandise. Eventually, the Oto were forced along with Missouria tribe members to accept a reservation in Gage County, in 1854. By 1881, settlers acquired that land too and moved the indigenous settlers to Oklahoma.

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#9 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#18 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Tennessee

#7 in Fiscal Stability

#32 in Best States Overall

Tennessee became the 16th state in 1796, bordered by eight present-day states and the Mississippi River. Though in its early days the state played a significant role in the abolition of slavery, by 1860 about 1 in 4 of all the people in Tennessee were slaves.
,
The divided state was the last to secede from the Union in 1861, and the setting for many Civil War battles. After the war, Tennessee ratified the 14th Amendment, which provides citizenship rights and equal protection laws.
,
During the Scopes Trial of 1925, the state received national attention when it brought a court case against a high school biology teacher who taught evolution in school, which was against the law. Also in the 1920s, Tennessee emerged as the heartland of traditional country music, with Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry becoming the longest-running radio broadcast in American history.
,
Tennessee played a vital role during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and was the site of lunch counter sit-ins, nonviolent protests that garnered national attention to desegregation efforts. Although the activism of African Americans in Tennessee helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it was in Memphis in 1968 that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
,
Package shipping giant FedEx is among the Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Tennessee. Non-agricultural growth has boosted Tennessee’s economy in recent years, with the professional and business services, manufacturing and real estate industries experiencing strong growth.
,
Tourists in Tennessee flock to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which has welcomed more than 10 million visitors annually. Memphis boasts Elvis Presley’s estate, Graceland, the second-most visited residence in the country after the White House. Nashville, Chattanooga and Gatlinburg are also popular tourist destinations.

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#2 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#34 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Tennessee

#7 in Fiscal Stability

#32 in Best States Overall

Tennessee became the 16th state in 1796, bordered by eight present-day states and the Mississippi River. Though in its early days the state played a significant role in the abolition of slavery, by 1860 about 1 in 4 of all the people in Tennessee were slaves.
,
The divided state was the last to secede from the Union in 1861, and the setting for many Civil War battles. After the war, Tennessee ratified the 14th Amendment, which provides citizenship rights and equal protection laws.
,
During the Scopes Trial of 1925, the state received national attention when it brought a court case against a high school biology teacher who taught evolution in school, which was against the law. Also in the 1920s, Tennessee emerged as the heartland of traditional country music, with Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry becoming the longest-running radio broadcast in American history.
,
Tennessee played a vital role during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and was the site of lunch counter sit-ins, nonviolent protests that garnered national attention to desegregation efforts. Although the activism of African Americans in Tennessee helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it was in Memphis in 1968 that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
,
Package shipping giant FedEx is among the Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Tennessee. Non-agricultural growth has boosted Tennessee’s economy in recent years, with the professional and business services, manufacturing and real estate industries experiencing strong growth.
,
Tourists in Tennessee flock to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which has welcomed more than 10 million visitors annually. Memphis boasts Elvis Presley’s estate, Graceland, the second-most visited residence in the country after the White House. Nashville, Chattanooga and Gatlinburg are also popular tourist destinations.

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#2 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#34 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Idaho

#8 in Fiscal Stability

#3 in Best States Overall

Idaho is as well known for its potatoes, trout and precious stones as it is for its unspoiled, rugged landscapes.
,
Snowy mountains, deep valleys, lakes and rivers cover the Gem State, which is twice the size of the six New England states combined. A Rocky Mountain state, Idaho is bordered by Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and a small portion of Canada’s British Columbia.
,
Though Spaniards began exploring the Northwest in 1592, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were likely the first European-Americans to enter Idaho in 1805. During the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, miners flocked to California and Idaho, where they found gold, copper and lead.
,
In the mid-19th century, Union and Confederate supporters fleeing the Civil War went west to Idaho, and Mormons flocked to the region to avoid persecution. Today more Mormons live in Idaho than in almost any other state.
,
President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill creating the Idaho Territory in 1863, which included much of the land that would become Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. In 1868, modern Idaho was carved from the territory, and in 1890 it became the 43rd state.
,
Idaho’s economy shifted away from mining toward agriculture after it achieved statehood. Some former mining towns began to host resorts, such as the Sun Valley ski resort, which opened in 1936.

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#11 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#22 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Idaho

#8 in Fiscal Stability

#3 in Best States Overall

Idaho is as well known for its potatoes, trout and precious stones as it is for its unspoiled, rugged landscapes.
,
Snowy mountains, deep valleys, lakes and rivers cover the Gem State, which is twice the size of the six New England states combined. A Rocky Mountain state, Idaho is bordered by Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and a small portion of Canada’s British Columbia.
,
Though Spaniards began exploring the Northwest in 1592, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were likely the first European-Americans to enter Idaho in 1805. During the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, miners flocked to California and Idaho, where they found gold, copper and lead.
,
In the mid-19th century, Union and Confederate supporters fleeing the Civil War went west to Idaho, and Mormons flocked to the region to avoid persecution. Today more Mormons live in Idaho than in almost any other state.
,
President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill creating the Idaho Territory in 1863, which included much of the land that would become Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. In 1868, modern Idaho was carved from the territory, and in 1890 it became the 43rd state.
,
Idaho’s economy shifted away from mining toward agriculture after it achieved statehood. Some former mining towns began to host resorts, such as the Sun Valley ski resort, which opened in 1936.

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#11 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#22 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Florida

#9 in Fiscal Stability

#6 in Best States Overall

Florida attained statehood in 1845, yet not until a pair of railroad barons built lines down the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in the late 1800s and early 1900s did the state take off, spurring the phenomenal growth of what’s now the third-most populous state.
,
Henry Flagler arrived aboard the first train to Key West, the southernmost point of the U.S., in 1912, marking completion of his Florida East Coast Railway linking the East Coast from north to south. In his path, he left grand hotels – the Hotel Ponce de Leon in St. Augustine, and the Breakers and Royal Poinciana in what became known as Palm Beach. Another Henry – businessman and steamship owner Henry Plant – pushed rail lines down Florida’s West Coast.
,
With millions of visitors each year to its beaches, major amusement parks centered around Orlando and cruise ships departing from ports on both coasts, tourism is a major contributor to Florida's gross domestic product. The state’s agriculture industry is also robust, with Florida groves producing many of the country’s oranges and a winter vegetable industry that makes agriculture a year-round enterprise.
,
Tourism, which pays a sizable share of the state’s sales tax, also has enabled Florida to remain among the states without a personal income tax – adding to the allure of the nation’s leading retirement haven.
,
The state has 1,350 miles of coastline and a land mass of 53,630 square miles. It’s 792 miles by land from Pensacola in the far northwestern Panhandle to Key West at the end of the archipelago that stretches south of Miami, and along the way there is no natural elevation higher than 345 feet – on a ridge of the Panhandle. No state has a lower peak.
,
With several large cities, the state also has a sizable system of state universities and community colleges. The University of Florida in Gainesville and Florida State University in Tallahassee have been rivaled in enrollment by the University of South Florida in Tampa, University of Central Florida in Orlando, and Florida International University in Miami. Among the best known private institutions is University of Miami.

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#13 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#17 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Florida

#9 in Fiscal Stability

#6 in Best States Overall

Florida attained statehood in 1845, yet not until a pair of railroad barons built lines down the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in the late 1800s and early 1900s did the state take off, spurring the phenomenal growth of what’s now the third-most populous state.
,
Henry Flagler arrived aboard the first train to Key West, the southernmost point of the U.S., in 1912, marking completion of his Florida East Coast Railway linking the East Coast from north to south. In his path, he left grand hotels – the Hotel Ponce de Leon in St. Augustine, and the Breakers and Royal Poinciana in what became known as Palm Beach. Another Henry – businessman and steamship owner Henry Plant – pushed rail lines down Florida’s West Coast.
,
With millions of visitors each year to its beaches, major amusement parks centered around Orlando and cruise ships departing from ports on both coasts, tourism is a major contributor to Florida's gross domestic product. The state’s agriculture industry is also robust, with Florida groves producing many of the country’s oranges and a winter vegetable industry that makes agriculture a year-round enterprise.
,
Tourism, which pays a sizable share of the state’s sales tax, also has enabled Florida to remain among the states without a personal income tax – adding to the allure of the nation’s leading retirement haven.
,
The state has 1,350 miles of coastline and a land mass of 53,630 square miles. It’s 792 miles by land from Pensacola in the far northwestern Panhandle to Key West at the end of the archipelago that stretches south of Miami, and along the way there is no natural elevation higher than 345 feet – on a ridge of the Panhandle. No state has a lower peak.
,
With several large cities, the state also has a sizable system of state universities and community colleges. The University of Florida in Gainesville and Florida State University in Tallahassee have been rivaled in enrollment by the University of South Florida in Tampa, University of Central Florida in Orlando, and Florida International University in Miami. Among the best known private institutions is University of Miami.

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#13 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#17 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

South Dakota

#10 in Fiscal Stability

#8 in Best States Overall

What is now South Dakota was among the northern Plains land claimed by the French and sold to the U.S. in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.
,
Soon after, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Missouri River stretch of present-day South Dakota, meeting Yankton and Lakota Sioux tribes along the way. In 1861, Yankton was named the capital of the Dakota Territory, which included today’s South and North Dakota and much of Wyoming and Montana.
,
The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie granted the Sioux the Black Hills and land in South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. The U.S. seized the land nine years later, forcing Native Americans to resettle on smaller, dispersed reservations.
,
North and South Dakota were admitted as the 39th and 40th states in 1889. Because of controversy over which state should be signed into the Union first, President Benjamin Harrison did not record the order.
,
Gutzon Borglum began sculpting Mount Rushmore National Memorial in 1927. He planned to carve George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt from head to waist, but died in 1941 before completion. With his death and impending American involvement in World War II, the memorial was declared completed.
,
In 1980 – more than a century after the U.S. broke the Treaty of Fort Laramie and seized Sioux land – the Supreme Court ruled that the government had taken the land illegally and awarded $120.5 million to the Lakota Sioux, who refused to accept payment and instead demanded the territory be returned.
,
Today, agriculture generates much of the state’s economic activity. South Dakota also has a growing tourism industry, with Mount Rushmore and the Badlands National Park among visitor favorites.

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#3 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#42 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

South Dakota

#10 in Fiscal Stability

#8 in Best States Overall

What is now South Dakota was among the northern Plains land claimed by the French and sold to the U.S. in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.
,
Soon after, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Missouri River stretch of present-day South Dakota, meeting Yankton and Lakota Sioux tribes along the way. In 1861, Yankton was named the capital of the Dakota Territory, which included today’s South and North Dakota and much of Wyoming and Montana.
,
The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie granted the Sioux the Black Hills and land in South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. The U.S. seized the land nine years later, forcing Native Americans to resettle on smaller, dispersed reservations.
,
North and South Dakota were admitted as the 39th and 40th states in 1889. Because of controversy over which state should be signed into the Union first, President Benjamin Harrison did not record the order.
,
Gutzon Borglum began sculpting Mount Rushmore National Memorial in 1927. He planned to carve George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt from head to waist, but died in 1941 before completion. With his death and impending American involvement in World War II, the memorial was declared completed.
,
In 1980 – more than a century after the U.S. broke the Treaty of Fort Laramie and seized Sioux land – the Supreme Court ruled that the government had taken the land illegally and awarded $120.5 million to the Lakota Sioux, who refused to accept payment and instead demanded the territory be returned.
,
Today, agriculture generates much of the state’s economic activity. South Dakota also has a growing tourism industry, with Mount Rushmore and the Badlands National Park among visitor favorites.

,[object Object],

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#3 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#42 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Missouri

#11 in Fiscal Stability

#31 in Best States Overall

Missouri became a U.S. territory as a part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and a year later the Lewis and Clark Expedition set out from St. Louis to explore the land. In 1812, when Louisiana became a state, the Louisiana Territory was renamed the Missouri Territory, and the state was admitted to the Union in 1821 as a part of the Missouri Compromise.
,
The compromise created one slave-holding state in Missouri and one free state in Maine, and an amendment prohibited slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase territory. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled the agreement unconstitutional in 1857.
,
Settlers flocked to the new state of Missouri in the early 19th century, attracted by cheap land and river transportation. In the 1830s, Mormons migrated to the state, and within a few years, violence broke out between Mormons and non-Mormons. With an infamous 1838 executive order, Gov. Lilburn Boggs said Mormons should be treated as enemies and that they must be expelled from the state or “exterminated” if necessary.
,
Slavery was heavily concentrated along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and slave labor played a prominent role in the state’s development. The Underground Railroad, an avenue for slaves to escape from the South, operated in Missouri in the 1840s and 1850s.
,
Despite its original Southern roots, by 1860 close to one third of Missourians had come from Germany, Ireland, northern or eastern states, and the state grappled with its allegiance during the Civil War when both Union and Confederate governments claimed Missouri as their own.
,
Between the Civil War and World War II, the rural state rapidly industrialized, and the development of railroads fueled population and commercial growth despite severe declines during the Great Depression.
,
Beverage giant Anheuser-Busch, founded in the 1850s, is headquartered in St. Louis, and the company’s complex in the city is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

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#14 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#20 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Missouri

#11 in Fiscal Stability

#31 in Best States Overall

Missouri became a U.S. territory as a part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and a year later the Lewis and Clark Expedition set out from St. Louis to explore the land. In 1812, when Louisiana became a state, the Louisiana Territory was renamed the Missouri Territory, and the state was admitted to the Union in 1821 as a part of the Missouri Compromise.
,
The compromise created one slave-holding state in Missouri and one free state in Maine, and an amendment prohibited slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase territory. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled the agreement unconstitutional in 1857.
,
Settlers flocked to the new state of Missouri in the early 19th century, attracted by cheap land and river transportation. In the 1830s, Mormons migrated to the state, and within a few years, violence broke out between Mormons and non-Mormons. With an infamous 1838 executive order, Gov. Lilburn Boggs said Mormons should be treated as enemies and that they must be expelled from the state or “exterminated” if necessary.
,
Slavery was heavily concentrated along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and slave labor played a prominent role in the state’s development. The Underground Railroad, an avenue for slaves to escape from the South, operated in Missouri in the 1840s and 1850s.
,
Despite its original Southern roots, by 1860 close to one third of Missourians had come from Germany, Ireland, northern or eastern states, and the state grappled with its allegiance during the Civil War when both Union and Confederate governments claimed Missouri as their own.
,
Between the Civil War and World War II, the rural state rapidly industrialized, and the development of railroads fueled population and commercial growth despite severe declines during the Great Depression.
,
Beverage giant Anheuser-Busch, founded in the 1850s, is headquartered in St. Louis, and the company’s complex in the city is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

,[object Object],

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#14 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#20 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Texas

#12 in Fiscal Stability

#29 in Best States Overall

Texas' road to statehood began in 1835, when tensions between American colonists and the Mexican government, which governed the territory, led settlers to rebel in the Texas Revolution, an armed conflict that lasted several months.
,
Texan troops were defeated in 1836 by Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio. Soon after, Texan settlers officially declared the state’s independence, forming the Republic of Texas, though Mexico did not recognize its sovereignty.
,
Texas attempted several times to negotiate annexation to the United States and was finally admitted in 1845, which sparked the Mexican-American War in 1846. Mexico ultimately ceded its claim over Texas in 1848, drawing the border at the Rio Grande.
,
Texas followed other Southern states in seceding from the Union in 1861, prompting the Civil War. The Battle of Palmito Ranch, considered by some to be the war’s final battle, though it took place after Confederate forces surrendered at Appomattox Court House, was fought near Brownsville, Texas.
,
The oil boom of the early 1900s transformed the state, turning the rural region into a larger, more industrial state with a population that more than tripled to about 9.6 million by 1960.
,
Today, many of the state’s largest public companies are still in the oil industry. Other notable companies headquartered in Texas include AT&T, Southwest Airlines, Whole Foods and Dell.
,
Texas’ diverse industrial base has drawn many businesses and workers in recent decades. The state capital of Austin, in particular, emerged as a major player in the technology industry in the 1990s.
,
Traditionally, agriculture has been among the state’s largest industries, and its livestock industry is among the largest in the country.

Read More »

#17 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#15 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Texas

#12 in Fiscal Stability

#29 in Best States Overall

Texas' road to statehood began in 1835, when tensions between American colonists and the Mexican government, which governed the territory, led settlers to rebel in the Texas Revolution, an armed conflict that lasted several months.
,
Texan troops were defeated in 1836 by Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio. Soon after, Texan settlers officially declared the state’s independence, forming the Republic of Texas, though Mexico did not recognize its sovereignty.
,
Texas attempted several times to negotiate annexation to the United States and was finally admitted in 1845, which sparked the Mexican-American War in 1846. Mexico ultimately ceded its claim over Texas in 1848, drawing the border at the Rio Grande.
,
Texas followed other Southern states in seceding from the Union in 1861, prompting the Civil War. The Battle of Palmito Ranch, considered by some to be the war’s final battle, though it took place after Confederate forces surrendered at Appomattox Court House, was fought near Brownsville, Texas.
,
The oil boom of the early 1900s transformed the state, turning the rural region into a larger, more industrial state with a population that more than tripled to about 9.6 million by 1960.
,
Today, many of the state’s largest public companies are still in the oil industry. Other notable companies headquartered in Texas include AT&T, Southwest Airlines, Whole Foods and Dell.
,
Texas’ diverse industrial base has drawn many businesses and workers in recent decades. The state capital of Austin, in particular, emerged as a major player in the technology industry in the 1990s.
,
Traditionally, agriculture has been among the state’s largest industries, and its livestock industry is among the largest in the country.

Read More »

#17 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#15 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Minnesota

#13 in Fiscal Stability

#4 in Best States Overall

The U.S. gained the land now known as Minnesota starting in the late 1700s through the Treaty of Paris, the Louisiana Purchase and negotiations with the Dakota Indians and other tribes who had long inhabited the land.
,
The start of Minnesota’s statehood, gained in 1858, was marked by hostile relations between the settlers and the Dakota over land treaties and mistreatment by traders. Only a few years later, Minnesota was the first state to offer its troops to the Union in the Civil War, though it was the youngest state.
,
As the northernmost territory in the 48 contiguous states, Minnesota is known for its frigid conditions. The cold weather explains ice hockey’s popularity in Minnesota, and makes it a perfect destination for cross-country skiing, ice fishing and other snow sports.
,
The state is also known for its many lakes, which eventually flow into the Hudson Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The headwaters of the Mississippi River start in northern Lake Itasca. The Dakota fittingly named the land “Minisota,” meaning sky-tinted water. The state’s nickname as the Land of 10,000 Lakes is an understatement – the state has more than 11,500.
,
The Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit health organization, is headquartered in Rochester and is among the state’s top employers. Manufacturing and retail trade are two other major industries in Minnesota, which houses many Fortune 500 companies such as UnitedHealth Group, Target, 3M and General Mills.

,[object Object],

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#15 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#21 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Minnesota

#13 in Fiscal Stability

#4 in Best States Overall

The U.S. gained the land now known as Minnesota starting in the late 1700s through the Treaty of Paris, the Louisiana Purchase and negotiations with the Dakota Indians and other tribes who had long inhabited the land.
,
The start of Minnesota’s statehood, gained in 1858, was marked by hostile relations between the settlers and the Dakota over land treaties and mistreatment by traders. Only a few years later, Minnesota was the first state to offer its troops to the Union in the Civil War, though it was the youngest state.
,
As the northernmost territory in the 48 contiguous states, Minnesota is known for its frigid conditions. The cold weather explains ice hockey’s popularity in Minnesota, and makes it a perfect destination for cross-country skiing, ice fishing and other snow sports.
,
The state is also known for its many lakes, which eventually flow into the Hudson Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The headwaters of the Mississippi River start in northern Lake Itasca. The Dakota fittingly named the land “Minisota,” meaning sky-tinted water. The state’s nickname as the Land of 10,000 Lakes is an understatement – the state has more than 11,500.
,
The Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit health organization, is headquartered in Rochester and is among the state’s top employers. Manufacturing and retail trade are two other major industries in Minnesota, which houses many Fortune 500 companies such as UnitedHealth Group, Target, 3M and General Mills.

,[object Object],

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#15 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#21 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

North Carolina

#14 in Fiscal Stability

#13 in Best States Overall

North Carolina, which was at one time combined with South Carolina to form a single territory, was one of the original 13 colonies and became the 12th state in 1789. It sent the most troops to fight in the Civil War as part of the Confederacy before it was readmitted into the Union in 1868.
,
North Carolina offers a mild climate and 300 miles of shoreline. Geographically, the state is divided in three. Its coastal plain is filled with beautiful beaches, including the Outer Banks, where the Wright brothers made the first successful manned flight in history in 1903. The middle of the state, known as the piedmont, is home to many of the state’s major cities, and the western end of the state is home to mountain ranges such as the Appalachian Mountains.
,
Following the Civil War, North Carolina industrialized its towns with hundreds of factories to become the furniture capital of the world and a major producer of textiles and tobacco products. Tobacco mills produced cigarettes and chewing tobacco, textile mills spun cotton into clothing, and factories turned timber into quality furniture.
,
Today, North Carolina's economic base looks much different. The state’s economy is now focused on industries such as banking, pharmaceuticals and technology. Charlotte has grown to become the second-largest banking center in the nation, and Research Triangle Park near the state capital of Raleigh is home to more than 200 companies.

,[object Object],

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#10 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#26 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

North Carolina

#14 in Fiscal Stability

#13 in Best States Overall

North Carolina, which was at one time combined with South Carolina to form a single territory, was one of the original 13 colonies and became the 12th state in 1789. It sent the most troops to fight in the Civil War as part of the Confederacy before it was readmitted into the Union in 1868.
,
North Carolina offers a mild climate and 300 miles of shoreline. Geographically, the state is divided in three. Its coastal plain is filled with beautiful beaches, including the Outer Banks, where the Wright brothers made the first successful manned flight in history in 1903. The middle of the state, known as the piedmont, is home to many of the state’s major cities, and the western end of the state is home to mountain ranges such as the Appalachian Mountains.
,
Following the Civil War, North Carolina industrialized its towns with hundreds of factories to become the furniture capital of the world and a major producer of textiles and tobacco products. Tobacco mills produced cigarettes and chewing tobacco, textile mills spun cotton into clothing, and factories turned timber into quality furniture.
,
Today, North Carolina's economic base looks much different. The state’s economy is now focused on industries such as banking, pharmaceuticals and technology. Charlotte has grown to become the second-largest banking center in the nation, and Research Triangle Park near the state capital of Raleigh is home to more than 200 companies.

,[object Object],

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#10 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#26 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Arkansas

#15 in Fiscal Stability

#44 in Best States Overall

Bordered by Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma, some of the country's most stunning and diverse geography is found in Arkansas. The Natural State boasts sloping mountains, river valleys, forests and lakes, and is home to Hot Springs National Park.
,
The U.S. acquired the land in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and in 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state. A slave-holding state, Arkansas seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy in 1861, and was the site of several major Civil War battles. After Reconstruction, the expansion of railroads across the country tied Arkansas to major cities and brought economic opportunity to farmers and industrial workers in the region.
,
Industrialization, urbanization and migration during World War II transformed the state, which hosted Japanese-American internment sites and German and Italian prisoner of war camps in the 1940s. Thousands of people left Arkansas to seek higher wages elsewhere, and about 10% of Arkansans served in the military during the war.
,
Following the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that the doctrine of “separate but equal” facilities was unconstitutional, Little Rock Central High School garnered national attention when the Arkansas National Guard refused entry to nine African-American students in 1957. Weeks later, federal troops ordered by President Dwight Eisenhower escorted the students to the school to attend their first full day of classes.
,
Wal-Mart Stores, the world's largest company, is headquartered in Bentonville. Other major employers in the state include Tyson Foods, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Baptist Health.

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#23 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#9 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Arkansas

#15 in Fiscal Stability

#44 in Best States Overall

Bordered by Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma, some of the country's most stunning and diverse geography is found in Arkansas. The Natural State boasts sloping mountains, river valleys, forests and lakes, and is home to Hot Springs National Park.
,
The U.S. acquired the land in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and in 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state. A slave-holding state, Arkansas seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy in 1861, and was the site of several major Civil War battles. After Reconstruction, the expansion of railroads across the country tied Arkansas to major cities and brought economic opportunity to farmers and industrial workers in the region.
,
Industrialization, urbanization and migration during World War II transformed the state, which hosted Japanese-American internment sites and German and Italian prisoner of war camps in the 1940s. Thousands of people left Arkansas to seek higher wages elsewhere, and about 10% of Arkansans served in the military during the war.
,
Following the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that the doctrine of “separate but equal” facilities was unconstitutional, Little Rock Central High School garnered national attention when the Arkansas National Guard refused entry to nine African-American students in 1957. Weeks later, federal troops ordered by President Dwight Eisenhower escorted the students to the school to attend their first full day of classes.
,
Wal-Mart Stores, the world's largest company, is headquartered in Bentonville. Other major employers in the state include Tyson Foods, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Baptist Health.

Read More »

#23 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#9 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Washington

#16 in Fiscal Stability

#10 in Best States Overall

Washington, the only state named after a U.S. president, gained its statehood in 1889.
,
The Evergreen State is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream with its geological diversity, including mountains, deserts, rainforests and a Pacific coastline. It offers the Olympic Mountains, the San Juan Islands and Mount Rainier, one of the nation’s highest peaks in the Lower 48.
,
In addition to its scenic treasures, Washington is known as the birthplace of Starbucks coffee, The Boeing Co. and Microsoft Corp. Because of its coastal location, Washington is a key exporter for the U.S., particularly for transportation equipment. Additionally, Washington is crucial to the nation’s food and agriculture industry, producing many of the country’s apples, and also leading in milk, potato and cattle production.
,
The aerospace industry and the military and defense sector are major economic drivers in the state. Seattle – marked by its iconic Space Needle, which rests high above the rest of the city and lights up the night sky – is by far the state’s most populous city.

,[object Object],

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#1 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#49 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Washington

#16 in Fiscal Stability

#10 in Best States Overall

Washington, the only state named after a U.S. president, gained its statehood in 1889.
,
The Evergreen State is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream with its geological diversity, including mountains, deserts, rainforests and a Pacific coastline. It offers the Olympic Mountains, the San Juan Islands and Mount Rainier, one of the nation’s highest peaks in the Lower 48.
,
In addition to its scenic treasures, Washington is known as the birthplace of Starbucks coffee, The Boeing Co. and Microsoft Corp. Because of its coastal location, Washington is a key exporter for the U.S., particularly for transportation equipment. Additionally, Washington is crucial to the nation’s food and agriculture industry, producing many of the country’s apples, and also leading in milk, potato and cattle production.
,
The aerospace industry and the military and defense sector are major economic drivers in the state. Seattle – marked by its iconic Space Needle, which rests high above the rest of the city and lights up the night sky – is by far the state’s most populous city.

,[object Object],

Read More »

#1 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#49 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

North Dakota

#17 in Fiscal Stability

#12 in Best States Overall

Native Americans inhabited this land before white settlers – the word Dakota is Sioux for “friend.”
,
The land that comprises North Dakota today became U.S. territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It had been part of the Minnesota and Nebraska territories until it and South Dakota were combined to form the Dakota territory in 1861. It remained largely unsettled until the arrival of railroads. When both North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted to the Union, in November 1889, President Benjamin Harrison didn't reveal which bill he signed first.
,
Much of the land in North Dakota is devoted to farming, and much of the state's population is employed in agriculture.
,
Amid the economic recession that began in 2008, oil and gas exploration transformed remote regions of North Dakota, attracting billions of dollars in investments and workers in search of high pay.
,
North Dakota is known for its Badlands, now part of the 70,000-acre Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Roosevelt’s journey to the Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison was among his Western ventures that instilled in him a fervor for preservation of natural lands, and ultimately the first national parks.

,[object Object],

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#38 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#1 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

North Dakota

#17 in Fiscal Stability

#12 in Best States Overall

Native Americans inhabited this land before white settlers – the word Dakota is Sioux for “friend.”
,
The land that comprises North Dakota today became U.S. territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It had been part of the Minnesota and Nebraska territories until it and South Dakota were combined to form the Dakota territory in 1861. It remained largely unsettled until the arrival of railroads. When both North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted to the Union, in November 1889, President Benjamin Harrison didn't reveal which bill he signed first.
,
Much of the land in North Dakota is devoted to farming, and much of the state's population is employed in agriculture.
,
Amid the economic recession that began in 2008, oil and gas exploration transformed remote regions of North Dakota, attracting billions of dollars in investments and workers in search of high pay.
,
North Dakota is known for its Badlands, now part of the 70,000-acre Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Roosevelt’s journey to the Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison was among his Western ventures that instilled in him a fervor for preservation of natural lands, and ultimately the first national parks.

,[object Object],

Read More »

#38 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#1 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Wisconsin

#18 in Fiscal Stability

#17 in Best States Overall

Wisconsin, admitted to the union in 1848 as the 30th state, traces its history to French explorers arriving in the early 1600s. Samuel de Champlain, governor of what was then New France and now Canada, dispatched Etienne Brule and Jean Nicolet to determine whether a water route to the Pacific Ocean existed. There was none, but there was much fur to be traded. From 1650 to 1850, the region's economy was built around fur trading with Indian tribes.
,
The French and British went to war over rights to the fur trade, and when peace was declared in 1763, the British prevailed. As European immigrants poured into the state in the 19th century, many settled on farms, and some worked in lumbering and mining. The state earned its Badger State nickname from itinerant miners who burrowed into hills for shelter rather than building homes.
,
Old-line manufacturing has accounted for much of the state's industry over the past century. Among the state’s 35 largest enterprises, many are in manufacturing.
,
In addition, dairy is a major driver of Wisconsin's economy, generating billions of dollars every year. Cheese-making, cranberries, snap beans and corn for silage are major agricultural products in the state.
,
The state also has a rich political history: At a meeting convened in Ripon, Wisconsin, to create a new political party committed to preventing the expansion of slavery, the Republican Party was established there in 1854.
,
Later in the 19th century, a progressive movement was born in Wisconsin, led by "Fighting Bob" La Follette. Progressive Republicans’ most significant legislation was enacted in 1911, instituting one of the nation's first programs of worker's compensation, regulating factory safety, encouraging worker cooperatives and starting a state income tax.

,[object Object],

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#12 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#28 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Wisconsin

#18 in Fiscal Stability

#17 in Best States Overall

Wisconsin, admitted to the union in 1848 as the 30th state, traces its history to French explorers arriving in the early 1600s. Samuel de Champlain, governor of what was then New France and now Canada, dispatched Etienne Brule and Jean Nicolet to determine whether a water route to the Pacific Ocean existed. There was none, but there was much fur to be traded. From 1650 to 1850, the region's economy was built around fur trading with Indian tribes.
,
The French and British went to war over rights to the fur trade, and when peace was declared in 1763, the British prevailed. As European immigrants poured into the state in the 19th century, many settled on farms, and some worked in lumbering and mining. The state earned its Badger State nickname from itinerant miners who burrowed into hills for shelter rather than building homes.
,
Old-line manufacturing has accounted for much of the state's industry over the past century. Among the state’s 35 largest enterprises, many are in manufacturing.
,
In addition, dairy is a major driver of Wisconsin's economy, generating billions of dollars every year. Cheese-making, cranberries, snap beans and corn for silage are major agricultural products in the state.
,
The state also has a rich political history: At a meeting convened in Ripon, Wisconsin, to create a new political party committed to preventing the expansion of slavery, the Republican Party was established there in 1854.
,
Later in the 19th century, a progressive movement was born in Wisconsin, led by "Fighting Bob" La Follette. Progressive Republicans’ most significant legislation was enacted in 1911, instituting one of the nation's first programs of worker's compensation, regulating factory safety, encouraging worker cooperatives and starting a state income tax.

,[object Object],

Read More »

#12 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#28 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Montana

#19 in Fiscal Stability

#26 in Best States Overall

Prospectors arrived for gold in Montana, and found silver and copper as well. They settled in Big Sky Country, forcing Native American tribes from their lands in the 1800s. The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument marks the place of Gen. George Armstrong Custer’s “Last Stand,” where Custer and 262 other soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry died in a battle with several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors in 1876.
,
The town of Butte stands above a gaping hole in the ground long mined for minerals – the town once known as “the richest hill on Earth.” The mile-high basin just beyond the Continental Divide drew gold prospectors in the 1860s. By the end of the 19th century, a 5-square-mile area was producing more than 200 million pounds of copper a year, half the country’s supply and a quarter of the world’s supply. Montana became a state in 1889.
,
Montana’s open spaces include some of the most scenic destinations in the West, from Flathead Lake to Glacier National Park on the Canadian border and Yellowstone National Park spanning the Montana-Wyoming border in the south.

,[object Object],

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#27 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#8 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Montana

#19 in Fiscal Stability

#26 in Best States Overall

Prospectors arrived for gold in Montana, and found silver and copper as well. They settled in Big Sky Country, forcing Native American tribes from their lands in the 1800s. The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument marks the place of Gen. George Armstrong Custer’s “Last Stand,” where Custer and 262 other soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry died in a battle with several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors in 1876.
,
The town of Butte stands above a gaping hole in the ground long mined for minerals – the town once known as “the richest hill on Earth.” The mile-high basin just beyond the Continental Divide drew gold prospectors in the 1860s. By the end of the 19th century, a 5-square-mile area was producing more than 200 million pounds of copper a year, half the country’s supply and a quarter of the world’s supply. Montana became a state in 1889.
,
Montana’s open spaces include some of the most scenic destinations in the West, from Flathead Lake to Glacier National Park on the Canadian border and Yellowstone National Park spanning the Montana-Wyoming border in the south.

,[object Object],

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#27 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#8 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

South Carolina

#20 in Fiscal Stability

#40 in Best States Overall

Settled by the English in 1670, the colony named for King Charles I was split into North and South Carolina in 1710. Largely agricultural, settlers relied heavily on the slave trade to work rice and indigo plantations, and by the early 18th century slaves made up a majority of South Carolina's population.
,
More battles and clashes were fought in South Carolina than any other state during the American Revolution, and in 1788 it became the eighth state to ratify the Constitution. During the next 80 years, South Carolina's agriculture and trade prospered.
,
By 1860, however, tensions had risen over President Abraham Lincoln’s call to abolish slavery and restrict free trade, and the Palmetto State became the first Southern state to secede from the Union, adding a palmetto tree to its flag. In April 1861, Confederate troops fired on the federally held Fort Sumter in Charleston, plunging the nation into the Civil War – the bloodiest four years in American history.
,
The Civil War devastated South Carolina’s population and economy, but the state started to see change by the beginning of the 20th century. First textile and then additional manufacturing industry growth provided some economic relief, and with the civil rights movement of the 1960s, segregation and legal discrimination were brought to an end – though racial divisions remain a concern for the state today.
,
South Carolina's tourism industry has blossomed in recent years, with Charleston, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach all considered top East Coast vacation towns. The state is known for its family-friendly and affordable beaches, warm weather and hundreds of golf courses.

,[object Object],

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#28 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#7 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

South Carolina

#20 in Fiscal Stability

#40 in Best States Overall

Settled by the English in 1670, the colony named for King Charles I was split into North and South Carolina in 1710. Largely agricultural, settlers relied heavily on the slave trade to work rice and indigo plantations, and by the early 18th century slaves made up a majority of South Carolina's population.
,
More battles and clashes were fought in South Carolina than any other state during the American Revolution, and in 1788 it became the eighth state to ratify the Constitution. During the next 80 years, South Carolina's agriculture and trade prospered.
,
By 1860, however, tensions had risen over President Abraham Lincoln’s call to abolish slavery and restrict free trade, and the Palmetto State became the first Southern state to secede from the Union, adding a palmetto tree to its flag. In April 1861, Confederate troops fired on the federally held Fort Sumter in Charleston, plunging the nation into the Civil War – the bloodiest four years in American history.
,
The Civil War devastated South Carolina’s population and economy, but the state started to see change by the beginning of the 20th century. First textile and then additional manufacturing industry growth provided some economic relief, and with the civil rights movement of the 1960s, segregation and legal discrimination were brought to an end – though racial divisions remain a concern for the state today.
,
South Carolina's tourism industry has blossomed in recent years, with Charleston, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach all considered top East Coast vacation towns. The state is known for its family-friendly and affordable beaches, warm weather and hundreds of golf courses.

,[object Object],

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#28 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#7 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Oklahoma

#21 in Fiscal Stability

#42 in Best States Overall

The land that became Oklahoma was added to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and the government spent much of the 19th century relocating Native American tribes from the Southeast to this region. In 1830, Congress adopted the Indian Removal Act.
,
Army Gen. Andrew Jackson, who later became president, led the forced evacuation of tribes to the state. Nearly 125,000 lived in lands spanning from Tennessee and Alabama to Georgia, North Carolina and Florida. By the end of the 1830s, few remained. The forced and often fatal journey for many became known as the “Trail of Tears.”
,
In 1905, representatives of the Cherokee, Choctaw and several other tribes proposed a constitution for a separate Indian state to be called Sequoyah. Congress rejected the request, and in 1907 the Indian and Oklahoma territories were combined to form the state of Oklahoma – the name derived from the Choctaw for “red people.”
,
With statehood came an oil boom, and much of the state's early growth came from oil exploration and drilling. In the 1930s, the Great Depression era was made even more difficult by the drought that afflicted the nation, and many fled westward to escape the “Dust Bowl.”
,
Today, the state's economy is still largely dependent on the oil and natural gas industry, and Oklahoma's state capitol building in Oklahoma City sits above an oil well.
,
The state remains a part of what's become known as "tornado alley." Oklahoma City alone, which suffered five tornadoes in one day in 1974, has been hit by more than 170 since the 1890s.

,[object Object],

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#24 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#12 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Oklahoma

#21 in Fiscal Stability

#42 in Best States Overall

The land that became Oklahoma was added to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and the government spent much of the 19th century relocating Native American tribes from the Southeast to this region. In 1830, Congress adopted the Indian Removal Act.
,
Army Gen. Andrew Jackson, who later became president, led the forced evacuation of tribes to the state. Nearly 125,000 lived in lands spanning from Tennessee and Alabama to Georgia, North Carolina and Florida. By the end of the 1830s, few remained. The forced and often fatal journey for many became known as the “Trail of Tears.”
,
In 1905, representatives of the Cherokee, Choctaw and several other tribes proposed a constitution for a separate Indian state to be called Sequoyah. Congress rejected the request, and in 1907 the Indian and Oklahoma territories were combined to form the state of Oklahoma – the name derived from the Choctaw for “red people.”
,
With statehood came an oil boom, and much of the state's early growth came from oil exploration and drilling. In the 1930s, the Great Depression era was made even more difficult by the drought that afflicted the nation, and many fled westward to escape the “Dust Bowl.”
,
Today, the state's economy is still largely dependent on the oil and natural gas industry, and Oklahoma's state capitol building in Oklahoma City sits above an oil well.
,
The state remains a part of what's become known as "tornado alley." Oklahoma City alone, which suffered five tornadoes in one day in 1974, has been hit by more than 170 since the 1890s.

,[object Object],

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#24 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#12 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Oregon

#22 in Fiscal Stability

#35 in Best States Overall

Oregon’s history began with its indigenous people dating back thousands of years and growing to over 200,000 people prior to the arrival of European settlers. The exploration of the Northwest followed suit, with Spanish and British explorers sailing up the Pacific coast in the 17th and 18th centuries. Then, following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, Oregon was mapped by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
,
In the 1830s, both American and British settlers arrived via the Oregon Trail. Starting in 1836, about 12,000 migrants made the 2,000-mile trek from Missouri to the Oregon Territory, the trail most heavily used in the westward expansion of the U.S. In 1846, the border between U.S. territory and the British realm that became part of Canada was set at the 49th parallel. And in 1859, Oregon was admitted to the United States.
,
Historically, the Pacific Ocean coastal state's economy has been based on fishing, timber and inland agriculture. In modern times, it has been transitioning to service industries and manufacturing. Most significantly, the counties centered around Portland have attracted a growing high-technology industry.
,
Oregon is among the most trade-dependent states. The state's greenhouse and nursery products, cattle and calves, milk, hay, grass seed and wheat also generate significant revenue.
,
Oregon has developed one of the finest wine-making regions in the U.S. in the Willamette Valley.
,
The Columbia River Gorge, which traverses the border with Washington to the north, has been designated a National Scenic Area, and Crater Lake, formed in the remains of an ancient volcano, is the deepest lake in the nation and ninth-deepest in the world at 1,943 feet.

,[object Object],

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#22 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#24 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Oregon

#22 in Fiscal Stability

#35 in Best States Overall

Oregon’s history began with its indigenous people dating back thousands of years and growing to over 200,000 people prior to the arrival of European settlers. The exploration of the Northwest followed suit, with Spanish and British explorers sailing up the Pacific coast in the 17th and 18th centuries. Then, following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, Oregon was mapped by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
,
In the 1830s, both American and British settlers arrived via the Oregon Trail. Starting in 1836, about 12,000 migrants made the 2,000-mile trek from Missouri to the Oregon Territory, the trail most heavily used in the westward expansion of the U.S. In 1846, the border between U.S. territory and the British realm that became part of Canada was set at the 49th parallel. And in 1859, Oregon was admitted to the United States.
,
Historically, the Pacific Ocean coastal state's economy has been based on fishing, timber and inland agriculture. In modern times, it has been transitioning to service industries and manufacturing. Most significantly, the counties centered around Portland have attracted a growing high-technology industry.
,
Oregon is among the most trade-dependent states. The state's greenhouse and nursery products, cattle and calves, milk, hay, grass seed and wheat also generate significant revenue.
,
Oregon has developed one of the finest wine-making regions in the U.S. in the Willamette Valley.
,
The Columbia River Gorge, which traverses the border with Washington to the north, has been designated a National Scenic Area, and Crater Lake, formed in the remains of an ancient volcano, is the deepest lake in the nation and ninth-deepest in the world at 1,943 feet.

,[object Object],

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#22 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#24 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Virginia

#23 in Fiscal Stability

#16 in Best States Overall

In 1607, 104 English settlers arrived in what is now Virginia to find a robust realm of Native American tribes. They founded their own fort on the southern shore, later known as Jamestown.
,
While the colony prospered on tobacco farming, with indentured servants and enslaved Africans sustaining the economy, its Native American ranks were devastated by a “war of extermination” that reduced their numbers from 20,000 to 3,000. Later, descendants of those settlers started planning their own independence from England.
,
After the election of President Abraham Lincoln, Virginia became the eighth state to secede from the Union, on April 17, 1861. In the following days, Union Army forces crossed the Potomac River to seize Alexandria, a slave port at the time, to prevent the Confederate Army from having a base so close to Washington.
,
The surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia that signaled the end of the war was signed at the courthouse in Appomattox on April 9, 1865.
,
Following the Civil War, Virginia remained generally rural and resisted social changes. The state Legislature enacted a Racial Integrity Act in 1924 barring marriages of “whites” and “coloreds.” In the case of Loving vs. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the state’s interracial marriage ban in 1967.
,
Virginia still possesses its own North-South divide, with the rural, mountainous reaches of the Blue Ridge Mountains and southwestern valleys and southeastern Tidewater region counterbalanced by the sprawling suburban Washington, D.C., corridor of the northeastern counties.
,
The state’s economy is diverse, including shipbuilding on the southern shore, the farming and tobacco-growing of rural areas and the technology companies of the suburban Washington corridor.

,[object Object],

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#8 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#36 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Virginia

#23 in Fiscal Stability

#16 in Best States Overall

In 1607, 104 English settlers arrived in what is now Virginia to find a robust realm of Native American tribes. They founded their own fort on the southern shore, later known as Jamestown.
,
While the colony prospered on tobacco farming, with indentured servants and enslaved Africans sustaining the economy, its Native American ranks were devastated by a “war of extermination” that reduced their numbers from 20,000 to 3,000. Later, descendants of those settlers started planning their own independence from England.
,
After the election of President Abraham Lincoln, Virginia became the eighth state to secede from the Union, on April 17, 1861. In the following days, Union Army forces crossed the Potomac River to seize Alexandria, a slave port at the time, to prevent the Confederate Army from having a base so close to Washington.
,
The surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia that signaled the end of the war was signed at the courthouse in Appomattox on April 9, 1865.
,
Following the Civil War, Virginia remained generally rural and resisted social changes. The state Legislature enacted a Racial Integrity Act in 1924 barring marriages of “whites” and “coloreds.” In the case of Loving vs. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the state’s interracial marriage ban in 1967.
,
Virginia still possesses its own North-South divide, with the rural, mountainous reaches of the Blue Ridge Mountains and southwestern valleys and southeastern Tidewater region counterbalanced by the sprawling suburban Washington, D.C., corridor of the northeastern counties.
,
The state’s economy is diverse, including shipbuilding on the southern shore, the farming and tobacco-growing of rural areas and the technology companies of the suburban Washington corridor.

,[object Object],

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#8 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#36 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

West Virginia

#24 in Fiscal Stability

#46 in Best States Overall

When Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, the portion now known as West Virginia broke off to form its own state. Admitted to the Union in 1863, West Virginia was the only state created from breaking apart from a Confederate state during the Civil War and played a key role as a border state.
,
During Reconstruction, the new 35th state’s mineral resource industries boomed, and logging and coal mining both remain important parts of the state’s economy today. West Virginia also played a pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution with the development of bituminous coal, a cheaper alternative to wood.
,
Located in the Appalachian region, West Virginia has some of the most rugged land in the country. The state’s rolling mountains, hills and valleys earned it the nickname of the Mountain State, and it is well-known for its range of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, skiing and whitewater rafting.
,
Most of the level land lies along major rivers, which include the Ohio, Guyandotte and Greenbrier rivers. Only nine states are smaller than West Virginia in total area.
,
West Virginia’s economy has depended heavily on its mineral resources, and declining coal production in recent years has hurt the state economically. Today, mining safety and ecological concerns are major challenges to West Virginia.

,[object Object],

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#26 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#14 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

West Virginia

#24 in Fiscal Stability

#46 in Best States Overall

When Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, the portion now known as West Virginia broke off to form its own state. Admitted to the Union in 1863, West Virginia was the only state created from breaking apart from a Confederate state during the Civil War and played a key role as a border state.
,
During Reconstruction, the new 35th state’s mineral resource industries boomed, and logging and coal mining both remain important parts of the state’s economy today. West Virginia also played a pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution with the development of bituminous coal, a cheaper alternative to wood.
,
Located in the Appalachian region, West Virginia has some of the most rugged land in the country. The state’s rolling mountains, hills and valleys earned it the nickname of the Mountain State, and it is well-known for its range of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, skiing and whitewater rafting.
,
Most of the level land lies along major rivers, which include the Ohio, Guyandotte and Greenbrier rivers. Only nine states are smaller than West Virginia in total area.
,
West Virginia’s economy has depended heavily on its mineral resources, and declining coal production in recent years has hurt the state economically. Today, mining safety and ecological concerns are major challenges to West Virginia.

,[object Object],

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#26 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#14 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Ohio

#25 in Fiscal Stability

#38 in Best States Overall

First settled by French fur traders, Ohio became a British colony after the French and Indian War. Great Britain ceded Ohio to the U.S. after the American Revolution, and it was incorporated into the Northwest Territory in 1787. Ohio became the 17th state in 1803.
,
Industrialization in Ohio boomed upon the discovery of coal, and Cleveland was the third-largest iron and steel producer in the country by 1853. During the Ohio Oil Rush of the 1860s, the state produced more crude oil than anywhere else in the country. John D. Rockefeller entered the oil business in 1863 by investing in a Cleveland refinery and founded the Standard Oil Co. in 1870. By the 1880s, his company controlled 90 percent of U.S. refineries and pipelines.
,
During the Civil War, the state played a key role in providing the Union Army with troops and supplies, and it was Ohio that produced Ulysses S. Grant, the general who led the Union to victory over the Confederate Army. Ohio is sometimes called the “Mother of Modern Presidents,” as seven Ohio-born men held the White House between 1869 and 1923, including Grant.
,
Ohio has shared in modern political turmoil as well. It was the site of the 1970 Kent State University shootings, in which four students were killed and nine wounded when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on campus amid anti-Vietnam War protests.
,
Today, Ohio's manufacturing industry is a key driver of its economy. Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Ohio include Cardinal Health, Nationwide, Marathon Petroleum, Procter & Gamble, Progressive Insurance and Kroger.

,[object Object],

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#16 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#40 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Ohio

#25 in Fiscal Stability

#38 in Best States Overall

First settled by French fur traders, Ohio became a British colony after the French and Indian War. Great Britain ceded Ohio to the U.S. after the American Revolution, and it was incorporated into the Northwest Territory in 1787. Ohio became the 17th state in 1803.
,
Industrialization in Ohio boomed upon the discovery of coal, and Cleveland was the third-largest iron and steel producer in the country by 1853. During the Ohio Oil Rush of the 1860s, the state produced more crude oil than anywhere else in the country. John D. Rockefeller entered the oil business in 1863 by investing in a Cleveland refinery and founded the Standard Oil Co. in 1870. By the 1880s, his company controlled 90 percent of U.S. refineries and pipelines.
,
During the Civil War, the state played a key role in providing the Union Army with troops and supplies, and it was Ohio that produced Ulysses S. Grant, the general who led the Union to victory over the Confederate Army. Ohio is sometimes called the “Mother of Modern Presidents,” as seven Ohio-born men held the White House between 1869 and 1923, including Grant.
,
Ohio has shared in modern political turmoil as well. It was the site of the 1970 Kent State University shootings, in which four students were killed and nine wounded when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on campus amid anti-Vietnam War protests.
,
Today, Ohio's manufacturing industry is a key driver of its economy. Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Ohio include Cardinal Health, Nationwide, Marathon Petroleum, Procter & Gamble, Progressive Insurance and Kroger.

,[object Object],

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#16 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#40 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

New Mexico

#26 in Fiscal Stability

#47 in Best States Overall

New Mexico is officially nicknamed the Land of Enchantment for its scenic beauty, rich multicultural history and various art forms.
,
Before Europeans arrived in New Mexico, the state was populated by Native Americans, who now make up a small percentage of its population. In 1598, Juan de Oñate led a Spanish mission to colonize the state. In the following two centuries, the Pueblo people revolted but Spanish settlers re-colonized the land, and in 1789 a peace treaty was established, leading to 35 years of peace between the Native Americans and the colonizers.
,
In the spring of 1821, Mexico won independence from Spain and established the Mexican Empire and Federal Republic of Mexico. The United States invaded New Mexico in 1846. The empire's independence lasted until 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War. New Mexico achieved statehood on Jan. 6, 1912, as the 47th state.
,
About one-third of the land in New Mexico is protected by the federal government, employing people in agencies such as the National Park Service to protect national parks and historic sites. The U.S. government also maintains military and research institutions in the state. Three Air Force bases, White Sands Missile Range and the federal research facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories are located in New Mexico.
,
Much of the state’s income is derived from oil and gas. The Permian Basin in New Mexico is dotted with thousands of oil wells, and includes some of the largest oil fields in the nation.
,
With many breathtaking national parks, forests and historical sites in memory of Native American and Hispanic cultures, New Mexico attracts millions of tourists every year.

,[object Object],

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#39 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#4 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

New Mexico

#26 in Fiscal Stability

#47 in Best States Overall

New Mexico is officially nicknamed the Land of Enchantment for its scenic beauty, rich multicultural history and various art forms.
,
Before Europeans arrived in New Mexico, the state was populated by Native Americans, who now make up a small percentage of its population. In 1598, Juan de Oñate led a Spanish mission to colonize the state. In the following two centuries, the Pueblo people revolted but Spanish settlers re-colonized the land, and in 1789 a peace treaty was established, leading to 35 years of peace between the Native Americans and the colonizers.
,
In the spring of 1821, Mexico won independence from Spain and established the Mexican Empire and Federal Republic of Mexico. The United States invaded New Mexico in 1846. The empire's independence lasted until 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War. New Mexico achieved statehood on Jan. 6, 1912, as the 47th state.
,
About one-third of the land in New Mexico is protected by the federal government, employing people in agencies such as the National Park Service to protect national parks and historic sites. The U.S. government also maintains military and research institutions in the state. Three Air Force bases, White Sands Missile Range and the federal research facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories are located in New Mexico.
,
Much of the state’s income is derived from oil and gas. The Permian Basin in New Mexico is dotted with thousands of oil wells, and includes some of the largest oil fields in the nation.
,
With many breathtaking national parks, forests and historical sites in memory of Native American and Hispanic cultures, New Mexico attracts millions of tourists every year.

,[object Object],

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#39 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#4 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Maryland

#27 in Fiscal Stability

#20 in Best States Overall

Home to the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland is known for its blue crabs and the city of Baltimore, a major historic trading port, baseball destination and birthplace of the national anthem. Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” as he watched the American flag wave above Fort McHenry on the harbor during the War of 1812, signaling Britain's defeat.
,
As one of the original 13 colonies, Maryland has always played a pivotal role in American history. Maryland was named a state in 1788 and was the seventh to ratify the U.S. Constitution. As a border state during the Civil War, it ultimately joined the Union, though it was divided in its support, even among family members.
,
Maryland remained a slave state for most of the war, forcing slaves like abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass to flee. In 1862, the Old Line State held the bloodiest one-day battle in the nation’s history: the Battle of Antietam.
,
Adjacent to the nation’s capital, Maryland employs many federal workers and hosts dozens of federal agencies. It houses the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin.
,
Maryland is also home to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, one of the largest military medical centers in the nation.

,[object Object],

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#21 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#33 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Maryland

#27 in Fiscal Stability

#20 in Best States Overall

Home to the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland is known for its blue crabs and the city of Baltimore, a major historic trading port, baseball destination and birthplace of the national anthem. Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” as he watched the American flag wave above Fort McHenry on the harbor during the War of 1812, signaling Britain's defeat.
,
As one of the original 13 colonies, Maryland has always played a pivotal role in American history. Maryland was named a state in 1788 and was the seventh to ratify the U.S. Constitution. As a border state during the Civil War, it ultimately joined the Union, though it was divided in its support, even among family members.
,
Maryland remained a slave state for most of the war, forcing slaves like abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass to flee. In 1862, the Old Line State held the bloodiest one-day battle in the nation’s history: the Battle of Antietam.
,
Adjacent to the nation’s capital, Maryland employs many federal workers and hosts dozens of federal agencies. It houses the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin.
,
Maryland is also home to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, one of the largest military medical centers in the nation.

,[object Object],

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#21 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#33 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Nevada

#28 in Fiscal Stability

#34 in Best States Overall

Nevada is home to the infamous Las Vegas, which has drawn millions of visitors to gamble, drink and partake in other vices in “America’s Playground” since the early 1900s.
,
The first Europeans to explore the region were Spaniards, who called it Sierra Nevada – meaning snow-covered mountain range – and ceded it to Mexico in 1821. It was transferred to the United States in 1848 following the Mexican-American War as part of the Utah Territory.
,
The discovery of silver in 1859 led to a migration boom to the region, and Nevada became one of two states (the other was West Virginia) to gain statehood during the Civil War. Just eight days after becoming the 36th state in 1864, Nevada helped ensure President Abraham Lincoln’s reelection victory.
,
Though gambling was outlawed in 1909, it was prevalent in the early Nevada mining towns that dominated the state economy. By 1931, however, it was legalized once again, just a few days after the federal government presented construction plans for the Hoover Dam, the largest in the world at its completion in 1935.
,
More nuclear weapons have been tested in Nevada than in any other state, with atmospheric and underground tests running from 1951 to 1992 at the Nevada Test Site, just 65 miles from Las Vegas.
,
Bordered by Oregon, Idaho, California, Utah and Arizona, Nevada is the seventh-largest state by area. Much of the state is covered in desert, and the government owns a large share of the land.
,
Tourism plays a major role in the state’s economy thanks to its standing as the Entertainment Capital of the World – due to the Las Vegas Strip and its northwestern neighbor, Reno, which sits only about an hour from Lake Tahoe.

,[object Object],

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#25 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#25 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Nevada

#28 in Fiscal Stability

#34 in Best States Overall

Nevada is home to the infamous Las Vegas, which has drawn millions of visitors to gamble, drink and partake in other vices in “America’s Playground” since the early 1900s.
,
The first Europeans to explore the region were Spaniards, who called it Sierra Nevada – meaning snow-covered mountain range – and ceded it to Mexico in 1821. It was transferred to the United States in 1848 following the Mexican-American War as part of the Utah Territory.
,
The discovery of silver in 1859 led to a migration boom to the region, and Nevada became one of two states (the other was West Virginia) to gain statehood during the Civil War. Just eight days after becoming the 36th state in 1864, Nevada helped ensure President Abraham Lincoln’s reelection victory.
,
Though gambling was outlawed in 1909, it was prevalent in the early Nevada mining towns that dominated the state economy. By 1931, however, it was legalized once again, just a few days after the federal government presented construction plans for the Hoover Dam, the largest in the world at its completion in 1935.
,
More nuclear weapons have been tested in Nevada than in any other state, with atmospheric and underground tests running from 1951 to 1992 at the Nevada Test Site, just 65 miles from Las Vegas.
,
Bordered by Oregon, Idaho, California, Utah and Arizona, Nevada is the seventh-largest state by area. Much of the state is covered in desert, and the government owns a large share of the land.
,
Tourism plays a major role in the state’s economy thanks to its standing as the Entertainment Capital of the World – due to the Las Vegas Strip and its northwestern neighbor, Reno, which sits only about an hour from Lake Tahoe.

,[object Object],

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#25 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#25 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Maine

#29 in Fiscal Stability

#27 in Best States Overall

Maine’s 35,380 square miles make it the largest of the six New England states. Eastport, Maine, is the easternmost city in the continental U.S.
,
A large majority of the Pine Tree State is forested, which helps make the state one of the world's largest pulp-paper producers. Tourism has also become a mainstay of Maine’s economy. The state boasts two major parks: Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, and Baxter State Park, where the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail reaches its northern end at Mount Katahdin, the state’s highest mountain, at 5,267 feet.
,
Although explorer John Cabot is believed to have seen the Maine coast in 1498, the first English settlements came more than a century later. English colonists led by George Popham established Fort St. George in Maine in 1607, the same year that Jamestown, Virginia, was founded. Popham’s death and a harsh climate forced the colonists to return to England – leaving Jamestown to be regarded as the first permanent European colony in North America.
,
Agamenticus was the first city to be chartered in Maine in 1641. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony annexed southwestern Maine in 1652, governing the district until its statehood, it was reincorporated as York.
,
Maine became the 23rd state in 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise, which allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
,
The anti-slavery abolitionist movement found passionate allies in Maine, and in 1850, when Harriet Beecher Stowe’s husband accepted a teaching post at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, she settled in to write “Uncle Tom's Cabin,” considered the icon of anti-slavery literature. The Harriet Beecher Stowe House still stands in Brunswick.

,[object Object],

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#18 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#39 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Maine

#29 in Fiscal Stability

#27 in Best States Overall

Maine’s 35,380 square miles make it the largest of the six New England states. Eastport, Maine, is the easternmost city in the continental U.S.
,
A large majority of the Pine Tree State is forested, which helps make the state one of the world's largest pulp-paper producers. Tourism has also become a mainstay of Maine’s economy. The state boasts two major parks: Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, and Baxter State Park, where the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail reaches its northern end at Mount Katahdin, the state’s highest mountain, at 5,267 feet.
,
Although explorer John Cabot is believed to have seen the Maine coast in 1498, the first English settlements came more than a century later. English colonists led by George Popham established Fort St. George in Maine in 1607, the same year that Jamestown, Virginia, was founded. Popham’s death and a harsh climate forced the colonists to return to England – leaving Jamestown to be regarded as the first permanent European colony in North America.
,
Agamenticus was the first city to be chartered in Maine in 1641. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony annexed southwestern Maine in 1652, governing the district until its statehood, it was reincorporated as York.
,
Maine became the 23rd state in 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise, which allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
,
The anti-slavery abolitionist movement found passionate allies in Maine, and in 1850, when Harriet Beecher Stowe’s husband accepted a teaching post at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, she settled in to write “Uncle Tom's Cabin,” considered the icon of anti-slavery literature. The Harriet Beecher Stowe House still stands in Brunswick.

,[object Object],

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#18 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#39 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Wyoming

#30 in Fiscal Stability

#23 in Best States Overall

Traders and trappers began to explore the land that now comprises Wyoming in the early 1800s, after the U.S. gained the territory through the Louisiana Purchase.
,
Wyoming began to see more visitors and settlers as Americans traveled West on the Oregon Trail, mainly in pursuit of Oregon’s rich soil and California’s gold. Along the trail, Wyoming became a pivotal player in the transformation of the Wild West. Soldiers built forts along Wyoming’s trails for travelers to rest and to protect them from the Plains Indians, who had long inhabited the land and relied on the buffalo that roamed it.
,
Wyoming first became a territory in 1868 and was formed from portions of the Dakota, Utah and Idaho territories. Two decades later, Congress declared Wyoming the 44th state. Its nickname, the Equality State, stems from the state’s early advancement of women's rights, some of which were established before its statehood. Wyoming was the first state to allow women to vote and to elect a female governor.
,
Today, much of Wyoming's culture stems from its early frontier days. The state is often associated with cowboys and rodeo. Its official state sport is rodeo, and its trademark symbol, the Bucking Horse and Rider, was modeled after an early 1900s bucking bronco legend named Steamboat.
,
Wyoming draws millions of tourists each year to its seven national parks, including Yellowstone, which features the iconic Old Faithful geyser and the largest hot spring in the U.S. People also travel to see Devils Tower, a rock formation sacred to the Plains Tribes that was declared the first national monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
,
Some of the state's major industries include agriculture, energy and engineering. Wyoming is also a top coal producer in the country.

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#37 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#11 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Wyoming

#30 in Fiscal Stability

#23 in Best States Overall

Traders and trappers began to explore the land that now comprises Wyoming in the early 1800s, after the U.S. gained the territory through the Louisiana Purchase.
,
Wyoming began to see more visitors and settlers as Americans traveled West on the Oregon Trail, mainly in pursuit of Oregon’s rich soil and California’s gold. Along the trail, Wyoming became a pivotal player in the transformation of the Wild West. Soldiers built forts along Wyoming’s trails for travelers to rest and to protect them from the Plains Indians, who had long inhabited the land and relied on the buffalo that roamed it.
,
Wyoming first became a territory in 1868 and was formed from portions of the Dakota, Utah and Idaho territories. Two decades later, Congress declared Wyoming the 44th state. Its nickname, the Equality State, stems from the state’s early advancement of women's rights, some of which were established before its statehood. Wyoming was the first state to allow women to vote and to elect a female governor.
,
Today, much of Wyoming's culture stems from its early frontier days. The state is often associated with cowboys and rodeo. Its official state sport is rodeo, and its trademark symbol, the Bucking Horse and Rider, was modeled after an early 1900s bucking bronco legend named Steamboat.
,
Wyoming draws millions of tourists each year to its seven national parks, including Yellowstone, which features the iconic Old Faithful geyser and the largest hot spring in the U.S. People also travel to see Devils Tower, a rock formation sacred to the Plains Tribes that was declared the first national monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
,
Some of the state's major industries include agriculture, energy and engineering. Wyoming is also a top coal producer in the country.

,[object Object],

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#37 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#11 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Alabama

#31 in Fiscal Stability

#45 in Best States Overall

Alabama’s role at the center of the Civil War and later the civil rights movement lends it an occasionally painful, complicated history.
,
The Confederacy was born in Montgomery, its first capital during the Civil War. About 120,000 white Alabama men served in the Confederate forces. After the war, segregation prevailed in the South, and in Alabama in particular. In 1901, state legislation limited voting rights for thousands of Blacks and poor whites through poll taxes, literacy tests and other restrictive requirements.
,
In the mid-20th century, the state was at the forefront of the civil rights movement and peaceful activism against racial segregation. It was in Montgomery that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus in 1955, leading to the city’s 381-day bus boycott.
,
In 1965, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led thousands of activists in a roughly 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery after weeks of being blocked by local police, sometimes violently. The historic march helped raise awareness of the plight of African Americans, and Congress passed the Voting Rights Act later that year.
,
In 1972, state redistricting and federal voter and election regulations allowed hundreds of thousands of Alabamians, both white and Black, to vote for the first time.
,
Today, the state’s most populous cities include Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama.
,
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, home to Space Camp and the visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is in Huntsville.

,[object Object],

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#36 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#13 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Alabama

#31 in Fiscal Stability

#45 in Best States Overall

Alabama’s role at the center of the Civil War and later the civil rights movement lends it an occasionally painful, complicated history.
,
The Confederacy was born in Montgomery, its first capital during the Civil War. About 120,000 white Alabama men served in the Confederate forces. After the war, segregation prevailed in the South, and in Alabama in particular. In 1901, state legislation limited voting rights for thousands of Blacks and poor whites through poll taxes, literacy tests and other restrictive requirements.
,
In the mid-20th century, the state was at the forefront of the civil rights movement and peaceful activism against racial segregation. It was in Montgomery that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus in 1955, leading to the city’s 381-day bus boycott.
,
In 1965, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led thousands of activists in a roughly 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery after weeks of being blocked by local police, sometimes violently. The historic march helped raise awareness of the plight of African Americans, and Congress passed the Voting Rights Act later that year.
,
In 1972, state redistricting and federal voter and election regulations allowed hundreds of thousands of Alabamians, both white and Black, to vote for the first time.
,
Today, the state’s most populous cities include Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama.
,
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, home to Space Camp and the visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is in Huntsville.

,[object Object],

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#36 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#13 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Kansas

#32 in Fiscal Stability

#25 in Best States Overall

Located in the center of the United States and on the Great Plains, Kansas is known for beef and for being Dorothy’s “no place like home” in the classic children’s book and film “The Wizard of Oz.”
,
Kansas’ path to statehood was long and bloody, with nomadic Native American tribes inhabiting the area and hunting bison for thousands of years before the first white settlers – led by Spanish conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado – arrived in 1541, 80 years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
,
During the 18th century, the land was traded between France and Spain before becoming a U.S. territory as part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allowed settlers to decide whether the territories would be admitted as free or slave states in the period leading to the Civil War, and violence broke out when the North and South competed to send the most settlers to the area in what became known as “Bleeding Kansas.”
,
Admitted as a free state, Kansas became the 34th state in 1861, less than three months before the Civil War began. During the war, Kansas suffered the highest mortality rate of any Union state.
,
The state was a battleground of the civil rights movement, and in the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the doctrine of “separate but equal” facilities in public schools was unconstitutional.
,
Today, farms and ranches account for much of the state’s agriculture industry. Kansas is a major producer of wheat, beef and grain sorghum, traditionally used for livestock feed and ethanol.

,[object Object],

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#41 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#10 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Kansas

#32 in Fiscal Stability

#25 in Best States Overall

Located in the center of the United States and on the Great Plains, Kansas is known for beef and for being Dorothy’s “no place like home” in the classic children’s book and film “The Wizard of Oz.”
,
Kansas’ path to statehood was long and bloody, with nomadic Native American tribes inhabiting the area and hunting bison for thousands of years before the first white settlers – led by Spanish conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado – arrived in 1541, 80 years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
,
During the 18th century, the land was traded between France and Spain before becoming a U.S. territory as part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allowed settlers to decide whether the territories would be admitted as free or slave states in the period leading to the Civil War, and violence broke out when the North and South competed to send the most settlers to the area in what became known as “Bleeding Kansas.”
,
Admitted as a free state, Kansas became the 34th state in 1861, less than three months before the Civil War began. During the war, Kansas suffered the highest mortality rate of any Union state.
,
The state was a battleground of the civil rights movement, and in the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the doctrine of “separate but equal” facilities in public schools was unconstitutional.
,
Today, farms and ranches account for much of the state’s agriculture industry. Kansas is a major producer of wheat, beef and grain sorghum, traditionally used for livestock feed and ethanol.

,[object Object],

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#41 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#10 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Indiana

#33 in Fiscal Stability

#33 in Best States Overall

Native American tribes inhabited the Midwest for thousands of years before the first white settlers arrived in the 1600s. Within a century of their arrival, tensions between the French and English led to the French and Indian War in 1755. When both sides signed the Treaty of Paris in 1763, Britain gained formal control of the region that is now Indiana, whose name means “Land of the Indians.”
,
The influx of white settlers caused conflicts with Native Americans, and clashes continued until future president Gen. William Henry Harrison led federal troops to victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Indiana was admitted in 1816 as the 19th state, and Indianapolis has served as its capital since 1825.
,
After the war, advances in transportation and manufacturing led to rapid population growth in northern Indiana, and although the state remained primarily rural, dependence on river transportation and the old pioneer influence began to wane. With borders on Lake Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois, the state became a hub for trade throughout the region.
,
In the beginning of the 20th century, automobile manufacturing became a major industry there, and vehicles were produced in more than 40 Indiana cities. Though many of the factories eventually failed during the Great Depression, in 1911, the state became the host of one of the most famous automobile races in the world, the Indianapolis 500.
,
The state is an exporter of cars, car parts and pharmaceuticals. And Indiana’s natural resources, including coal, also contribute heavily to its economy.

,[object Object],

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#19 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#46 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Indiana

#33 in Fiscal Stability

#33 in Best States Overall

Native American tribes inhabited the Midwest for thousands of years before the first white settlers arrived in the 1600s. Within a century of their arrival, tensions between the French and English led to the French and Indian War in 1755. When both sides signed the Treaty of Paris in 1763, Britain gained formal control of the region that is now Indiana, whose name means “Land of the Indians.”
,
The influx of white settlers caused conflicts with Native Americans, and clashes continued until future president Gen. William Henry Harrison led federal troops to victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Indiana was admitted in 1816 as the 19th state, and Indianapolis has served as its capital since 1825.
,
After the war, advances in transportation and manufacturing led to rapid population growth in northern Indiana, and although the state remained primarily rural, dependence on river transportation and the old pioneer influence began to wane. With borders on Lake Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois, the state became a hub for trade throughout the region.
,
In the beginning of the 20th century, automobile manufacturing became a major industry there, and vehicles were produced in more than 40 Indiana cities. Though many of the factories eventually failed during the Great Depression, in 1911, the state became the host of one of the most famous automobile races in the world, the Indianapolis 500.
,
The state is an exporter of cars, car parts and pharmaceuticals. And Indiana’s natural resources, including coal, also contribute heavily to its economy.

,[object Object],

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#19 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#46 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Kentucky

#34 in Fiscal Stability

#39 in Best States Overall

Famous frontiersman Daniel Boone created a trail known as the Wilderness Road in the late 1700s that allowed settlers to move westward and into Kentucky. By 1792, Kentucky became the 15th state and the first west of the Appalachian Mountains.
,
Officially known as the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the state is deeply rooted in culture and tradition, including the popularity of its bluegrass music. Kentucky native Bill Monroe created the genre in the 1930s by combining different types of music, such as country, string band and blues. He named his band “Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys” after Kentucky’s nickname, The Bluegrass State.
,
The state is home to one of America’s oldest and most popular sporting events, the Kentucky Derby. Spectators have been dressing up since 1875 to drink Mint Juleps and sit anxiously on the edge of their seats as some of the nation’s most elite horses race at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville.
,
Fort Campbell, an army base that serves as headquarters for the 101st Airborne Division, and Fort Knox, an Army base dating back to World War I, are both in Kentucky. The nation’s gold reserves have traditionally been stored at Fort Knox.
,
Kentucky is a top producer of corn, soybeans, hay and wheat, and creates much of the world’s supply of bourbon.

,[object Object],

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#47 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#2 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Kentucky

#34 in Fiscal Stability

#39 in Best States Overall

Famous frontiersman Daniel Boone created a trail known as the Wilderness Road in the late 1700s that allowed settlers to move westward and into Kentucky. By 1792, Kentucky became the 15th state and the first west of the Appalachian Mountains.
,
Officially known as the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the state is deeply rooted in culture and tradition, including the popularity of its bluegrass music. Kentucky native Bill Monroe created the genre in the 1930s by combining different types of music, such as country, string band and blues. He named his band “Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys” after Kentucky’s nickname, The Bluegrass State.
,
The state is home to one of America’s oldest and most popular sporting events, the Kentucky Derby. Spectators have been dressing up since 1875 to drink Mint Juleps and sit anxiously on the edge of their seats as some of the nation’s most elite horses race at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville.
,
Fort Campbell, an army base that serves as headquarters for the 101st Airborne Division, and Fort Knox, an Army base dating back to World War I, are both in Kentucky. The nation’s gold reserves have traditionally been stored at Fort Knox.
,
Kentucky is a top producer of corn, soybeans, hay and wheat, and creates much of the world’s supply of bourbon.

,[object Object],

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#47 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#2 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Arizona

#35 in Fiscal Stability

#30 in Best States Overall

The Grand Canyon State was the last of the 48 contiguous states to join the Union, admitted in 1912. Arizona was carved from the western side of New Mexico during the Civil War in 1863, becoming a territory then and until statehood.
,
Mining became a major industry after the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, which granted U.S. possession of southern Arizona, and remained a strong contributor to the region’s economy through the 1950s. The arrival of railroads in the 1880s only heightened the copper boom, and thousands of people flocked to the Wild West of Arizona's mining towns.
,
During World War II, Arizona served as a site for German prisoner of war camps and Japanese-American internment camps. Many Native Americans from Arizona fought during the war, and advocated for their civil rights upon returning home. Today, about a quarter of the state is made up of Native American reservations, including part of the Navajo Nation Reservation.
,
Following the war, the increasingly widespread use of air conditioning resulted in massive population and business growth in the state, including in the state capital, Phoenix.
,
Arizona is the sixth largest state physically and is perhaps best known for its weather and geography. Southern Arizona features a hot desert climate, while northern Arizona is full of forests, mountain ranges and canyons. There are several national parks, monuments and forests in the state, including the Grand Canyon.
,
Arizona is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. The Four Corners is the only place in the U.S. where four states meet. Arizona also shares its border with Mexico, California and Nevada.

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#29 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#35 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Arizona

#35 in Fiscal Stability

#30 in Best States Overall

The Grand Canyon State was the last of the 48 contiguous states to join the Union, admitted in 1912. Arizona was carved from the western side of New Mexico during the Civil War in 1863, becoming a territory then and until statehood.
,
Mining became a major industry after the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, which granted U.S. possession of southern Arizona, and remained a strong contributor to the region’s economy through the 1950s. The arrival of railroads in the 1880s only heightened the copper boom, and thousands of people flocked to the Wild West of Arizona's mining towns.
,
During World War II, Arizona served as a site for German prisoner of war camps and Japanese-American internment camps. Many Native Americans from Arizona fought during the war, and advocated for their civil rights upon returning home. Today, about a quarter of the state is made up of Native American reservations, including part of the Navajo Nation Reservation.
,
Following the war, the increasingly widespread use of air conditioning resulted in massive population and business growth in the state, including in the state capital, Phoenix.
,
Arizona is the sixth largest state physically and is perhaps best known for its weather and geography. Southern Arizona features a hot desert climate, while northern Arizona is full of forests, mountain ranges and canyons. There are several national parks, monuments and forests in the state, including the Grand Canyon.
,
Arizona is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. The Four Corners is the only place in the U.S. where four states meet. Arizona also shares its border with Mexico, California and Nevada.

Read More »

#29 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#35 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Massachusetts

#36 in Fiscal Stability

#9 in Best States Overall

Separatists fleeing religious persecution in England arrived aboard the Mayflower at Plymouth Harbor in 1620. Another colony called the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a group of English Puritans, later arrived and eventually absorbed Plymouth to form one royal colony.
,
In 1770, the colonists began defying Great Britain’s rule, resulting in the Boston Massacre, when British soldiers fired on a crowd of civilians outside the Boston Customs House. In 1773, the resistance reached new heights when colonists dressed as Native Americans threw chests of tea into Boston Harbor, in an outcry against British taxation. This Boston Tea Party sparked the American Revolution, and Massachusetts’ John Hancock was the first founding father to sign the Declaration of Independence.
,
Massachusetts, the second of the 13 original colonies, became the sixth state in the Union in February 1788.
,
Today, the fields of education and health services employ the most people in Massachusetts. Another top industry is manufacturing, especially computer and electronic products. With a balance of historical destinations and picturesque beaches at Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, the tourism industry also is a major economic powerhouse.
,
Legislatively, Massachusetts has paved the way for other states: It led the way in universal health care coverage, with a plan enacted in 2006 that inspired former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. It was also the first state to legalize gay marriage and the second to pass discrimination laws for individuals who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

,[object Object],

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#32 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#29 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Massachusetts

#36 in Fiscal Stability

#9 in Best States Overall

Separatists fleeing religious persecution in England arrived aboard the Mayflower at Plymouth Harbor in 1620. Another colony called the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a group of English Puritans, later arrived and eventually absorbed Plymouth to form one royal colony.
,
In 1770, the colonists began defying Great Britain’s rule, resulting in the Boston Massacre, when British soldiers fired on a crowd of civilians outside the Boston Customs House. In 1773, the resistance reached new heights when colonists dressed as Native Americans threw chests of tea into Boston Harbor, in an outcry against British taxation. This Boston Tea Party sparked the American Revolution, and Massachusetts’ John Hancock was the first founding father to sign the Declaration of Independence.
,
Massachusetts, the second of the 13 original colonies, became the sixth state in the Union in February 1788.
,
Today, the fields of education and health services employ the most people in Massachusetts. Another top industry is manufacturing, especially computer and electronic products. With a balance of historical destinations and picturesque beaches at Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, the tourism industry also is a major economic powerhouse.
,
Legislatively, Massachusetts has paved the way for other states: It led the way in universal health care coverage, with a plan enacted in 2006 that inspired former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. It was also the first state to legalize gay marriage and the second to pass discrimination laws for individuals who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

,[object Object],

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#32 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#29 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

New Hampshire

#37 in Fiscal Stability

#2 in Best States Overall

New Hampshire may be one of the smallest states, but it traditionally has played an outsized role in the nation’s greatest task: election of the president. For decades the Granite State was first in line for the quadrennial presidential primary elections. Political careers were made, salvaged and busted in this first-in-the-nation primary, though its actual impact may be overstated, as many New Hampshire primary winners have failed to win the White House.
,
The state’s natural beauty stands out more for its valleys, rivers, lakes and mountains than its mere 13 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline. Its highest peak, Mount Washington, stands at 6,288 feet in the White Mountains, and Lake Winnipesaukee is its best-known inland resort.
,
Among the 13 original colonies, New Hampshire was the ninth to ratify the U.S. Constitution at statehood in 1788. Historically, New Hampshire's economy depended heavily on paper mills fed by its forests and grain mills powered by its rivers. With the decline of millwork in the 20th century, New Hampshire turned to manufacturing for a time.
,
Today, the old mills and warehouses lining the Merrimack in Manchester have gone high-tech. "Smart manufacturing" and high-tech industries account for much of the state’s economy today, much of this concentrated along the seacoast and Merrimack and Upper Valleys.

,[object Object],

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#30 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#32 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

New Hampshire

#37 in Fiscal Stability

#2 in Best States Overall

New Hampshire may be one of the smallest states, but it traditionally has played an outsized role in the nation’s greatest task: election of the president. For decades the Granite State was first in line for the quadrennial presidential primary elections. Political careers were made, salvaged and busted in this first-in-the-nation primary, though its actual impact may be overstated, as many New Hampshire primary winners have failed to win the White House.
,
The state’s natural beauty stands out more for its valleys, rivers, lakes and mountains than its mere 13 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline. Its highest peak, Mount Washington, stands at 6,288 feet in the White Mountains, and Lake Winnipesaukee is its best-known inland resort.
,
Among the 13 original colonies, New Hampshire was the ninth to ratify the U.S. Constitution at statehood in 1788. Historically, New Hampshire's economy depended heavily on paper mills fed by its forests and grain mills powered by its rivers. With the decline of millwork in the 20th century, New Hampshire turned to manufacturing for a time.
,
Today, the old mills and warehouses lining the Merrimack in Manchester have gone high-tech. "Smart manufacturing" and high-tech industries account for much of the state’s economy today, much of this concentrated along the seacoast and Merrimack and Upper Valleys.

,[object Object],

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#30 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#32 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Michigan

#38 in Fiscal Stability

#43 in Best States Overall

In the nascent days of the global automobile industry, Henry Ford built a gasoline-powered horseless carriage behind his Detroit home in 1896.
,
In 1903, he established the Ford Motor Co., and five years later sold his first Model T automobile. By 1913, Ford introduced the first moving assembly line for cars to meet an insatiable demand and set a $5 a day wage to attract the best workers. By 1918, Model T’s accounted for half of the cars sold in the U.S., and Ford sold 15 million before moving on to newer models. Today, the Dearborn-based company employs thousands at facilities worldwide.
,
With manufacturing and agricultural trade centers in Ohio and Indiana to the south, Detroit’s location on the shore of Lake Erie in the southeast corner of the state has made it a hub of Great Lakes shipping. Other cities along the state’s eastern coast on Lake Huron have made them natural centers for trade as well.
,
The unique formation of a state split between Lower and Upper Peninsulas – the latter is known to residents as the U.P. – allows it to border four of the five Great Lakes. This gives Michigan the longest freshwater coastline of any state, 3,288 miles, and the second-longest coastline of any U.S. state, after Alaska. The Mackinac Bridge, a 5-mile span, connects the state’s two halves.

,[object Object],

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#34 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#31 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Michigan

#38 in Fiscal Stability

#43 in Best States Overall

In the nascent days of the global automobile industry, Henry Ford built a gasoline-powered horseless carriage behind his Detroit home in 1896.
,
In 1903, he established the Ford Motor Co., and five years later sold his first Model T automobile. By 1913, Ford introduced the first moving assembly line for cars to meet an insatiable demand and set a $5 a day wage to attract the best workers. By 1918, Model T’s accounted for half of the cars sold in the U.S., and Ford sold 15 million before moving on to newer models. Today, the Dearborn-based company employs thousands at facilities worldwide.
,
With manufacturing and agricultural trade centers in Ohio and Indiana to the south, Detroit’s location on the shore of Lake Erie in the southeast corner of the state has made it a hub of Great Lakes shipping. Other cities along the state’s eastern coast on Lake Huron have made them natural centers for trade as well.
,
The unique formation of a state split between Lower and Upper Peninsulas – the latter is known to residents as the U.P. – allows it to border four of the five Great Lakes. This gives Michigan the longest freshwater coastline of any state, 3,288 miles, and the second-longest coastline of any U.S. state, after Alaska. The Mackinac Bridge, a 5-mile span, connects the state’s two halves.

,[object Object],

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#34 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#31 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Pennsylvania

#39 in Fiscal Stability

#41 in Best States Overall

The land of Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn, son of Admiral William Penn, who had been given the charter by King Charles II in 1681 to pay a £16,000 debt. The land was named by the king in honor of the elder Penn – it meant "Penn’s Woods."
,
William Penn asked for the grant to build a haven to accommodate and protect his fellow religious adherents after his conversion to the Society of Friends, a persecuted religion. The Quakers’ refusal of creeds and hierarchy, opposition to war, tendency to be more progressive and liberal, and their favor for capitalism are rooted deeply in the history of Pennsylvania.
,
Pennsylvania’s history is tied to the formation of the nation: In 1774, Philadelphia held the First Continental Congress, where representatives from 12 colonies convened. The Second Continental Congress also convened in the city, where the states signed the Declaration of Independence at the Pennsylvania State House, later known as Independence Hall. As one of the 13 original founding states, Pennsylvania was the second to ratify the 1787 U.S. Constitution, drafted and signed in Independence Hall.
,
Pennsylvania has been one of the nation's most important industrial centers for coal, steel and railroads, especially before World War II.
,
The state is today among the country’s largest producers of canned fruit and vegetable-specialty products, chocolate and cocoa products, potato chips and pretzels, and is home to the “Snack Food Capital of the World.”

,[object Object],

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#45 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#19 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Pennsylvania

#39 in Fiscal Stability

#41 in Best States Overall

The land of Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn, son of Admiral William Penn, who had been given the charter by King Charles II in 1681 to pay a £16,000 debt. The land was named by the king in honor of the elder Penn – it meant "Penn’s Woods."
,
William Penn asked for the grant to build a haven to accommodate and protect his fellow religious adherents after his conversion to the Society of Friends, a persecuted religion. The Quakers’ refusal of creeds and hierarchy, opposition to war, tendency to be more progressive and liberal, and their favor for capitalism are rooted deeply in the history of Pennsylvania.
,
Pennsylvania’s history is tied to the formation of the nation: In 1774, Philadelphia held the First Continental Congress, where representatives from 12 colonies convened. The Second Continental Congress also convened in the city, where the states signed the Declaration of Independence at the Pennsylvania State House, later known as Independence Hall. As one of the 13 original founding states, Pennsylvania was the second to ratify the 1787 U.S. Constitution, drafted and signed in Independence Hall.
,
Pennsylvania has been one of the nation's most important industrial centers for coal, steel and railroads, especially before World War II.
,
The state is today among the country’s largest producers of canned fruit and vegetable-specialty products, chocolate and cocoa products, potato chips and pretzels, and is home to the “Snack Food Capital of the World.”

,[object Object],

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#45 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#19 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Hawaii

#40 in Fiscal Stability

#28 in Best States Overall

Hawaii is the most recent addition to the United States, becoming a state on Aug. 21, 1959. The state, comprised of eight islands, is known as a tourism paradise, and as the site of a Japanese attack in 1941 that prompted the U.S. to join World War II.
,
The islands’ history dates back to around 1,500 years ago when Polynesians sailed to the islands. Around 1000 A.D., Tahitians arrived, along with their belief in God and the practice of the kapu system, a hierarchical social order similar to caste in Hindu culture.
,
In 1778, British Capt. James Cook became the first documented Westerner to land on Hawaii. Cook named the chain the “Sandwich Islands” in honor of John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, one of his voyage's patrons.
,
In 1791, a royal dynasty was established under King Kamehameha the Great. Between Cook’s arrival and 1820, more than half of the Hawaiian population died from wars, disease or famine.
,
In 1898, Hawaii became a U.S. territory after the Americans staged a coup and replaced Queen Liliuokalani with a committee representing the Republic of Hawaii.
,
Hawaii’s chief economic pillar is tourism, which generates most jobs on the state’s islands. Among the islands, the state boasts jungles, beaches, volcanoes and mountains.
,
On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan conducted a military air strike on Pearl Harbor, drawing the U.S. into World War II. About 2,400 Americans died in the attack, and the U.S. Navy lost 12 ships that sank or were beached, and at least 160 aircraft.
,
Honolulu-born Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president of the U.S. in 2008 and 2012.

,[object Object],

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#42 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#27 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Hawaii

#40 in Fiscal Stability

#28 in Best States Overall

Hawaii is the most recent addition to the United States, becoming a state on Aug. 21, 1959. The state, comprised of eight islands, is known as a tourism paradise, and as the site of a Japanese attack in 1941 that prompted the U.S. to join World War II.
,
The islands’ history dates back to around 1,500 years ago when Polynesians sailed to the islands. Around 1000 A.D., Tahitians arrived, along with their belief in God and the practice of the kapu system, a hierarchical social order similar to caste in Hindu culture.
,
In 1778, British Capt. James Cook became the first documented Westerner to land on Hawaii. Cook named the chain the “Sandwich Islands” in honor of John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, one of his voyage's patrons.
,
In 1791, a royal dynasty was established under King Kamehameha the Great. Between Cook’s arrival and 1820, more than half of the Hawaiian population died from wars, disease or famine.
,
In 1898, Hawaii became a U.S. territory after the Americans staged a coup and replaced Queen Liliuokalani with a committee representing the Republic of Hawaii.
,
Hawaii’s chief economic pillar is tourism, which generates most jobs on the state’s islands. Among the islands, the state boasts jungles, beaches, volcanoes and mountains.
,
On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan conducted a military air strike on Pearl Harbor, drawing the U.S. into World War II. About 2,400 Americans died in the attack, and the U.S. Navy lost 12 ships that sank or were beached, and at least 160 aircraft.
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Honolulu-born Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president of the U.S. in 2008 and 2012.

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#42 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#27 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Vermont

#41 in Fiscal Stability

#7 in Best States Overall

Vermont's verdant valleys and mountains – bordered by Canada to the north, New York to the west, Massachusetts to the south and New Hampshire to the east – were settled by both the British and French early in the 18th century. After the French were defeated in the French and Indian War, Vermonters declared their independence from England separately from the original 13 colonies – though the Continental Congress did not recognize this separation.
,
Among Vermont’s most famous contributions to the American Revolution is the “Green Mountain Boys,’’ a band of patriots led by Ethan Allen who formed a militia to fight in the war and later became some of the founding fathers of the state. After 14 years as a self-declared independent republic, Vermont was admitted to the Union as the 14th state in 1791.
,
The sweetest product of Vermont’s forests is its renowned maple syrup, the purest labeled “Grade A.” Vermont is one of the country’s biggest producers of the sweetener.
,
A dairy-producing state, its most famous brand is Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, which was founded in the northern city of Burlington, situated on Lake Champlain, in 1978. Another home-grown Vermont product made founder Robert Stiller a billionaire – Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, made popular nationally in pods for Keurig coffee-makers.

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#35 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#45 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Vermont

#41 in Fiscal Stability

#7 in Best States Overall

Vermont's verdant valleys and mountains – bordered by Canada to the north, New York to the west, Massachusetts to the south and New Hampshire to the east – were settled by both the British and French early in the 18th century. After the French were defeated in the French and Indian War, Vermonters declared their independence from England separately from the original 13 colonies – though the Continental Congress did not recognize this separation.
,
Among Vermont’s most famous contributions to the American Revolution is the “Green Mountain Boys,’’ a band of patriots led by Ethan Allen who formed a militia to fight in the war and later became some of the founding fathers of the state. After 14 years as a self-declared independent republic, Vermont was admitted to the Union as the 14th state in 1791.
,
The sweetest product of Vermont’s forests is its renowned maple syrup, the purest labeled “Grade A.” Vermont is one of the country’s biggest producers of the sweetener.
,
A dairy-producing state, its most famous brand is Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, which was founded in the northern city of Burlington, situated on Lake Champlain, in 1978. Another home-grown Vermont product made founder Robert Stiller a billionaire – Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, made popular nationally in pods for Keurig coffee-makers.

,[object Object],

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#35 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#45 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

California

#42 in Fiscal Stability

#37 in Best States Overall

California, the most populous state in the nation, is home to Hollywood's stars, Silicon Valley's technology, Napa Valley's wines and ancient Redwood and Sequoia forests. The Golden State also is one of the country's wealthiest and most socially and politically influential.
,
Mexico ceded California to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican-American War, and it was officially annexed as a free, non-slave state in the Compromise of 1850.
,
During the California Gold Rush from 1848 to 1858, about 300,000 people flocked to the Western state and its mines. California's shipping, agriculture, construction and transportation industries boomed as the state became a land of economic opportunity for settlers.
,
While the Gold Rush resulted in unprecedented population and economic growth – it remains the largest mass migration in U.S. history – it also forced out Native Americans and foreigners once gold became harder to find. After the Gold Rush ended, businesses that grew to serve miners remained behind, contributing to California's expansive economy.
,
California’s high-income earners, from film and television celebrities in Los Angeles to tech giants in Silicon Valley, are heavily taxed in the state, which hosts the largest entertainment and fashion industries in the country.
,
Aside from real estate, the computer and electronic products manufacturing industry contribute to the state's economy.
,
California has some of the country's best universities, including Stanford, University of Southern California, California Institute of Technology and the University of California campuses at Berkeley and Los Angeles.
,
California is also home to some of the nation's most beautiful landscapes. Yosemite National Park draws in millions of people each year to revel in the park’s towering waterfalls, massive rock formations and sprawling forests, including a stand of ancient great Sequoias.

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#33 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#48 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

California

#42 in Fiscal Stability

#37 in Best States Overall

California, the most populous state in the nation, is home to Hollywood's stars, Silicon Valley's technology, Napa Valley's wines and ancient Redwood and Sequoia forests. The Golden State also is one of the country's wealthiest and most socially and politically influential.
,
Mexico ceded California to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican-American War, and it was officially annexed as a free, non-slave state in the Compromise of 1850.
,
During the California Gold Rush from 1848 to 1858, about 300,000 people flocked to the Western state and its mines. California's shipping, agriculture, construction and transportation industries boomed as the state became a land of economic opportunity for settlers.
,
While the Gold Rush resulted in unprecedented population and economic growth – it remains the largest mass migration in U.S. history – it also forced out Native Americans and foreigners once gold became harder to find. After the Gold Rush ended, businesses that grew to serve miners remained behind, contributing to California's expansive economy.
,
California’s high-income earners, from film and television celebrities in Los Angeles to tech giants in Silicon Valley, are heavily taxed in the state, which hosts the largest entertainment and fashion industries in the country.
,
Aside from real estate, the computer and electronic products manufacturing industry contribute to the state's economy.
,
California has some of the country's best universities, including Stanford, University of Southern California, California Institute of Technology and the University of California campuses at Berkeley and Los Angeles.
,
California is also home to some of the nation's most beautiful landscapes. Yosemite National Park draws in millions of people each year to revel in the park’s towering waterfalls, massive rock formations and sprawling forests, including a stand of ancient great Sequoias.

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#33 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#48 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Colorado

#43 in Fiscal Stability

#11 in Best States Overall

Colorado is the eighth-largest state in terms of landmass. While its geographic diversity and natural resources have been an economic boon as well as a draw for tourism, the state's government has made efforts to diversify the economy over the past decades. Its admission as the 38th state in 1876 – the same year as the centennial of the Declaration of Independence – earned its nickname the Centennial State.
,
Colorado is home to some of the country's tallest mountains, and has the highest mean elevation of any U.S. state. Whether tourists come to the state as skiers, outdoor enthusiasts or fans of the rapidly developing pot tourism industry, the state's investments have paid off in the form of billions of tourism dollars per year.
,
Historically, the state has been rich in agriculture, livestock and mineral extraction. In addition to tourism, the state's economy is bolstered by a developing technology scene and a presence from the military, including the U.S. Air Force Academy.
,
Colorado is bordered by Wyoming, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Utah. The state's Southwest corner is known as one of the "Four Corners" and is the point where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet.

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#31 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#50 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Colorado

#43 in Fiscal Stability

#11 in Best States Overall

Colorado is the eighth-largest state in terms of landmass. While its geographic diversity and natural resources have been an economic boon as well as a draw for tourism, the state's government has made efforts to diversify the economy over the past decades. Its admission as the 38th state in 1876 – the same year as the centennial of the Declaration of Independence – earned its nickname the Centennial State.
,
Colorado is home to some of the country's tallest mountains, and has the highest mean elevation of any U.S. state. Whether tourists come to the state as skiers, outdoor enthusiasts or fans of the rapidly developing pot tourism industry, the state's investments have paid off in the form of billions of tourism dollars per year.
,
Historically, the state has been rich in agriculture, livestock and mineral extraction. In addition to tourism, the state's economy is bolstered by a developing technology scene and a presence from the military, including the U.S. Air Force Academy.
,
Colorado is bordered by Wyoming, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Utah. The state's Southwest corner is known as one of the "Four Corners" and is the point where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet.

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#31 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#50 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Alaska

#44 in Fiscal Stability

#49 in Best States Overall

Alaska was inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous groups, including the Aleuts, Northern Eskimos, Southern Eskimos, Interior Indians and Southeast Coastal Indians, before European colonization in the 1700s. These and other native peoples faced severe smallpox outbreaks from the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries, which destroyed some and ruined other communities.
,
Secretary of State William Seward purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents an acre. Critics of the purchase, often referred to as "Seward's Folly," quickly changed their minds when gold was discovered in the Yukon and settlers flocked to the land in the 1890s. The Last Frontier became the 49th state in 1959.
,
Oil was discovered at Prudhoe Bay in 1968 and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was completed in 1977, and the resource has since contributed to a large percentage of the state's economy.
,
Alaska is home to some of the most stunning geography in the U.S., boasting 17 of the nation's 20 highest peaks, as well as the Tongass National Forest, which is the largest in the country. The state contains more untouched land than anywhere else in the U.S.
,
While Alaska is the largest state by area, it's among the smallest in population, and it boasts the lowest population density in the nation.
,
Anchorage, the state’s largest city, accounts for much of the state's total population.

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#43 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#38 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Alaska

#44 in Fiscal Stability

#49 in Best States Overall

Alaska was inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous groups, including the Aleuts, Northern Eskimos, Southern Eskimos, Interior Indians and Southeast Coastal Indians, before European colonization in the 1700s. These and other native peoples faced severe smallpox outbreaks from the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries, which destroyed some and ruined other communities.
,
Secretary of State William Seward purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents an acre. Critics of the purchase, often referred to as "Seward's Folly," quickly changed their minds when gold was discovered in the Yukon and settlers flocked to the land in the 1890s. The Last Frontier became the 49th state in 1959.
,
Oil was discovered at Prudhoe Bay in 1968 and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was completed in 1977, and the resource has since contributed to a large percentage of the state's economy.
,
Alaska is home to some of the most stunning geography in the U.S., boasting 17 of the nation's 20 highest peaks, as well as the Tongass National Forest, which is the largest in the country. The state contains more untouched land than anywhere else in the U.S.
,
While Alaska is the largest state by area, it's among the smallest in population, and it boasts the lowest population density in the nation.
,
Anchorage, the state’s largest city, accounts for much of the state's total population.

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#43 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#38 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Rhode Island

#45 in Fiscal Stability

#24 in Best States Overall

Rhode Island's independent streak – it was the only state to reject ratification of the 18th Amendment banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol in 1920 – dates back to its 17th century roots as the land of self-governance and individual freedoms.
,
Forced to flee religious persecution in Massachusetts, Roger Williams founded the first permanent settlement in 1636 in Providence on land purchased from the Narragansett Indians. Newport became a major trading and shipping port, and Rhode Island's economy boomed.
,
Rhode Island was the first of the original 13 colonies to renounce allegiance to Great Britain in 1776 and was the last to ratify the Constitution in 1790, insisting that the Bill of Rights be added.
,
Following the American Revolution, the country's first successful water-powered cotton mill in Rhode Island sparked the nation's Industrial Revolution. The mill was developed by Samuel Slater, hailed as the father of the American textile industry.
,
Today, major Rhode Island industries include biomedicine, defense shipbuilding and maritime products and manufacturing.

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#44 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#37 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Rhode Island

#45 in Fiscal Stability

#24 in Best States Overall

Rhode Island's independent streak – it was the only state to reject ratification of the 18th Amendment banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol in 1920 – dates back to its 17th century roots as the land of self-governance and individual freedoms.
,
Forced to flee religious persecution in Massachusetts, Roger Williams founded the first permanent settlement in 1636 in Providence on land purchased from the Narragansett Indians. Newport became a major trading and shipping port, and Rhode Island's economy boomed.
,
Rhode Island was the first of the original 13 colonies to renounce allegiance to Great Britain in 1776 and was the last to ratify the Constitution in 1790, insisting that the Bill of Rights be added.
,
Following the American Revolution, the country's first successful water-powered cotton mill in Rhode Island sparked the nation's Industrial Revolution. The mill was developed by Samuel Slater, hailed as the father of the American textile industry.
,
Today, major Rhode Island industries include biomedicine, defense shipbuilding and maritime products and manufacturing.

,[object Object],

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#44 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#37 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Louisiana

#46 in Fiscal Stability

#50 in Best States Overall

Louisiana was named in honor of King Louis XIV. The French sold the region to President Thomas Jefferson in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase – 828,000 square miles at a cost of less than 3 cents per acre – doubled the size of the country.
,
The Pelican State was the first to be carved from the territory in 1812, becoming the 18th to join the Union, nine years after the historic Louisiana Purchase was made.
,
By 1840, New Orleans had the biggest slave market in the U.S., and though the state also had one of the largest freed Black populations in the country, almost half of the state’s population was enslaved in 1860. Louisiana became the sixth state to secede from the Union in 1861.
,
Resistance to racial equality reigned in Louisiana after the Civil War. The U.S. Supreme Court doctrine of racial segregation with “separate but equal” facilities came from a case brought in the state, and while the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling eventually was overturned by a series of other cases – including the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision – it emboldened segregationists during an era of segregated schools and lunch counters.
,
Louisiana has long been vulnerable to Atlantic Ocean hurricanes that barrel into the Gulf of Mexico. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and other low regions of the Gulf Coast, causing large-scale damage and flooding in one of the most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history.
,
Bordered by Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi, Louisiana boasts the colonial-era French Quarter and infamous Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans, birthplace of American jazz.

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#40 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#47 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Louisiana

#46 in Fiscal Stability

#50 in Best States Overall

Louisiana was named in honor of King Louis XIV. The French sold the region to President Thomas Jefferson in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase – 828,000 square miles at a cost of less than 3 cents per acre – doubled the size of the country.
,
The Pelican State was the first to be carved from the territory in 1812, becoming the 18th to join the Union, nine years after the historic Louisiana Purchase was made.
,
By 1840, New Orleans had the biggest slave market in the U.S., and though the state also had one of the largest freed Black populations in the country, almost half of the state’s population was enslaved in 1860. Louisiana became the sixth state to secede from the Union in 1861.
,
Resistance to racial equality reigned in Louisiana after the Civil War. The U.S. Supreme Court doctrine of racial segregation with “separate but equal” facilities came from a case brought in the state, and while the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling eventually was overturned by a series of other cases – including the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision – it emboldened segregationists during an era of segregated schools and lunch counters.
,
Louisiana has long been vulnerable to Atlantic Ocean hurricanes that barrel into the Gulf of Mexico. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and other low regions of the Gulf Coast, causing large-scale damage and flooding in one of the most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history.
,
Bordered by Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi, Louisiana boasts the colonial-era French Quarter and infamous Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans, birthplace of American jazz.

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#40 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#47 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Mississippi

#47 in Fiscal Stability

#48 in Best States Overall

White explorers arrived in Mississippi in 1540, and the area was passed among the Spanish, British and French until the French and Indian War. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris relegated the Mississippi region to the British.
,
The Mississippi Territory was organized in 1798, and it joined the Union as the 20th state in 1817. Through the mid-19th century, slave labor propelled Mississippi to become the top cotton producer in the country.
,
The Magnolia State was the second state to secede from the Union in 1861. The state’s location alongside the Mississippi River made it a strategic military location during the Civil War. The state suffered greatly during the war, losing nearly 10,000 soldiers.
,
The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, was ratified after three-fourths of the states passed it in 1865 at the close of the war. While four others eventually passed the amendment, Mississippi did not symbolically and officially adopt it until 1995 – and didn’t officially notify Washington of the vote until 2013.
,
Blues music originating in the Mississippi Delta after the Civil War was rooted in African spiritual music and songs slaves sang as they worked in the fields. The state became a hub of American music traditions at the center of gospel, jazz, country and rock and roll.
,
Racial discrimination and segregation prevailed in Mississippi through the 20th century. Between 1915 and 1960, about 5 million African Americans left the South, including hundreds of thousands from Mississippi.
,
The state was a battleground during the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century. In 1962, violent riots broke out on the University of Mississippi campus when James Meredith, a Black Air Force veteran, attempted to integrate the all-white state university. In 1963, he became the university’s first Black graduate.
,
During the Freedom Summer of 1964, Northern college students flocked to Mississippi to encourage African Americans to participate in the civil rights movement and help register them to vote. Their efforts raised awareness of discrimination in the Deep South and helped pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
,
Today, agriculture and forestry are top industries in Mississippi. The state produces much of the country’s farm-raised catfish, and it is also a top producer of sweet potatoes, cotton and pulpwood.

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#46 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#44 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Mississippi

#47 in Fiscal Stability

#48 in Best States Overall

White explorers arrived in Mississippi in 1540, and the area was passed among the Spanish, British and French until the French and Indian War. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris relegated the Mississippi region to the British.
,
The Mississippi Territory was organized in 1798, and it joined the Union as the 20th state in 1817. Through the mid-19th century, slave labor propelled Mississippi to become the top cotton producer in the country.
,
The Magnolia State was the second state to secede from the Union in 1861. The state’s location alongside the Mississippi River made it a strategic military location during the Civil War. The state suffered greatly during the war, losing nearly 10,000 soldiers.
,
The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, was ratified after three-fourths of the states passed it in 1865 at the close of the war. While four others eventually passed the amendment, Mississippi did not symbolically and officially adopt it until 1995 – and didn’t officially notify Washington of the vote until 2013.
,
Blues music originating in the Mississippi Delta after the Civil War was rooted in African spiritual music and songs slaves sang as they worked in the fields. The state became a hub of American music traditions at the center of gospel, jazz, country and rock and roll.
,
Racial discrimination and segregation prevailed in Mississippi through the 20th century. Between 1915 and 1960, about 5 million African Americans left the South, including hundreds of thousands from Mississippi.
,
The state was a battleground during the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century. In 1962, violent riots broke out on the University of Mississippi campus when James Meredith, a Black Air Force veteran, attempted to integrate the all-white state university. In 1963, he became the university’s first Black graduate.
,
During the Freedom Summer of 1964, Northern college students flocked to Mississippi to encourage African Americans to participate in the civil rights movement and help register them to vote. Their efforts raised awareness of discrimination in the Deep South and helped pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
,
Today, agriculture and forestry are top industries in Mississippi. The state produces much of the country’s farm-raised catfish, and it is also a top producer of sweet potatoes, cotton and pulpwood.

,[object Object],

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#46 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#44 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Connecticut

#48 in Fiscal Stability

#15 in Best States Overall

One of the original 13 colonies, Connecticut played a prominent role in the development of the U.S. The Hartford Courant, the nation's oldest continuously operating newspaper, was an influential voice for the rebel cause during the American Revolution and President Abraham Lincoln's Republican Party in the 1860s.
,
In 1636, Thomas Hooker, a minister who fled England to freely practice his Puritan beliefs, headed south from Boston with about 100 members of his congregation to found Hartford, Connecticut. In 1662, Governor John Winthrop Jr. obtained a royal charter from the king to combine the Connecticut and New Haven settlements.
,
Even before the American Revolution, Connecticut was strongly against British loyalism, and it became the fifth state in 1788 to grant its approval of the Constitution.
,
The Constitution State was one of the first to introduce railroads, and today Amtrak connects Boston and Washington, D.C., with part of the original main line of the New Haven, the most prominent railway service of the 1800s.
,
The emergence of digital media has had a huge impact on Connecticut's economy, with sports media giant ESPN located in the state, among others. Other top industries include advanced manufacturing, insurance and financial services.
,
There are about two dozen colleges and universities in Connecticut, including the prestigious Yale University, Fairfield University, the University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University and the United States Coast Guard Academy.

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#48 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#43 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Connecticut

#48 in Fiscal Stability

#15 in Best States Overall

One of the original 13 colonies, Connecticut played a prominent role in the development of the U.S. The Hartford Courant, the nation's oldest continuously operating newspaper, was an influential voice for the rebel cause during the American Revolution and President Abraham Lincoln's Republican Party in the 1860s.
,
In 1636, Thomas Hooker, a minister who fled England to freely practice his Puritan beliefs, headed south from Boston with about 100 members of his congregation to found Hartford, Connecticut. In 1662, Governor John Winthrop Jr. obtained a royal charter from the king to combine the Connecticut and New Haven settlements.
,
Even before the American Revolution, Connecticut was strongly against British loyalism, and it became the fifth state in 1788 to grant its approval of the Constitution.
,
The Constitution State was one of the first to introduce railroads, and today Amtrak connects Boston and Washington, D.C., with part of the original main line of the New Haven, the most prominent railway service of the 1800s.
,
The emergence of digital media has had a huge impact on Connecticut's economy, with sports media giant ESPN located in the state, among others. Other top industries include advanced manufacturing, insurance and financial services.
,
There are about two dozen colleges and universities in Connecticut, including the prestigious Yale University, Fairfield University, the University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University and the United States Coast Guard Academy.

,[object Object],

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#48 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#43 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

New Jersey

#49 in Fiscal Stability

#19 in Best States Overall

The home of native musical legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston, New Jersey is known for more than producing popular hit-makers. It has world-class universities, leading technology and biological science firms and one fast turnpike.
,
Named for the island of Jersey in the English Channel, New Jersey was among the original 13 colonies. It officially joined the Union in December 1787 and became an important manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution and both World Wars. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean and between New York City and Philadelphia, the state served as a prime defense hub during the Cold War.
,
The New Jersey Turnpike opened in 1951, allowing for speedy car travel between North Jersey, leading into New York, and South Jersey, leading into Philadelphia. Two light rails introduced in the early 2000s – the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail and the River Line – contributed to urban revitalization in the 21st century, particularly in North Jersey.
,
Many information and technology companies are based in New Jersey, and the state is also a leader in the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries, with pharmaceutical giants Johnson & Johnson and Merck both headquartered in the state.
,
New Jersey’s tourism industry is also a significant driver of its economy, with Atlantic City – the East Coast’s answer to mega-casino hub Las Vegas – and the rest of the Jersey Shore attracting millions of visitors every year.

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#49 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#30 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

New Jersey

#49 in Fiscal Stability

#19 in Best States Overall

The home of native musical legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston, New Jersey is known for more than producing popular hit-makers. It has world-class universities, leading technology and biological science firms and one fast turnpike.
,
Named for the island of Jersey in the English Channel, New Jersey was among the original 13 colonies. It officially joined the Union in December 1787 and became an important manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution and both World Wars. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean and between New York City and Philadelphia, the state served as a prime defense hub during the Cold War.
,
The New Jersey Turnpike opened in 1951, allowing for speedy car travel between North Jersey, leading into New York, and South Jersey, leading into Philadelphia. Two light rails introduced in the early 2000s – the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail and the River Line – contributed to urban revitalization in the 21st century, particularly in North Jersey.
,
Many information and technology companies are based in New Jersey, and the state is also a leader in the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries, with pharmaceutical giants Johnson & Johnson and Merck both headquartered in the state.
,
New Jersey’s tourism industry is also a significant driver of its economy, with Atlantic City – the East Coast’s answer to mega-casino hub Las Vegas – and the rest of the Jersey Shore attracting millions of visitors every year.

,[object Object],

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#49 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#30 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Illinois

#50 in Fiscal Stability

#36 in Best States Overall

Illinois became the 21st state in 1818, and it’s known as the Prairie State or the Land of Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States and leader who preserved the Union from dissolution in the Civil War, began his political career in the state. During that war, more than 250,000 Illinois men – including General Ulysses S. Grant, who became the 18th president – served in the Union Army.
,
Chicago, situated on the shore of Lake Michigan, became a booming city after the Civil War, attracting immigrants and freed Black people from the South during the second half of the 19th century. Rail yards, slaughterhouses and mills all drew workers as the city saw extraordinary growth and development, spurred in part by the devastating Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
,
When prohibition arrived in 1920, renowned Chicago gangsters such as Bugs Moran wreaked havoc and bootlegged liquor from Canada to sell across the country. While organized crime in the U.S. wasn’t formed as a result of prohibition, the alcohol ban helped solidify its influence, with Chicago as one of its bases.
,
The Chicago area is home to companies such as Allstate, Boeing, Kraft Heinz and Walgreens. Illinois also boasts huge wind farms and considerable ethanol fuel production.

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#50 Long-Term Fiscal Stability

#41 Short-Term Fiscal Stability

Illinois

#50 in Fiscal Stability

#36 in Best States Overall

Illinois became the 21st state in 1818, and it’s known as the Prairie State or the Land of Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States and leader who preserved the Union from dissolution in the Civil War, began his political career in the state. During that war, more than 250,000 Illinois men – including General Ulysses S. Grant, who became the 18th president – served in the Union Army.
,
Chicago, situated on the shore of Lake Michigan, became a booming city after the Civil War, attracting immigrants and freed Black people from the South during the second half of the 19th century. Rail yards, slaughterhouses and mills all drew workers as the city saw extraordinary growth and development, spurred in part by the devastating Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
,
When prohibition arrived in 1920, renowned Chicago gangsters such as Bugs Moran wreaked havoc and bootlegged liquor from Canada to sell across the country. While organized crime in the U.S. wasn’t formed as a result of prohibition, the alcohol ban helped solidify its influence, with Chicago as one of its bases.
,
The Chicago area is home to companies such as Allstate, Boeing, Kraft Heinz and Walgreens. Illinois also boasts huge wind farms and considerable ethanol fuel production.

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Other Rankings
Crime & CorrectionsEconomyEducationHealth CareInfrastructureNatural EnvironmentOpportunity

Related Articles

Ideas & Opinions

New York State as Weighed by the Data

Best States

States Await FEMA’s Fate

Best States

'Doubled Overnight': Q&A on SNAP Impact

Best States

How Affordable Is Your State?

Best States

Florida’s Population Problem

Best States

Where Climate Change Most Affects Health

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