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The Best State Economies in America (2026)
Economic strength varies dramatically across the United States. Our economy score combines unemployment rate data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025) and median household income from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024). States with low unemployment and high incomes rank highest. The economy category carries a 20% weight in our overall composite score — the single largest factor in our rankings. States in the Northeast and West tend to dominate due to higher median incomes, while several Southern and Midwestern states compete strongly on low unemployment.
Weight15%
National Avg46.9
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Economy Score by State
| Rank | State | Grade | Economy Score | Overall Score | Key Metrics | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | B | 90.0 | 64.8 | 2.2% unemp · $94,814 income | West |
| 2 | New Hampshire | A+ | 84.5 | 86.6 | 2.8% unemp · $97,880 income | Northeast |
| 3 | Maryland | B+ | 83.6 | 66.9 | 2.9% unemp · $98,461 income | Northeast |
| 4 | Virginia | A | 72.2 | 74.3 | 2.9% unemp · $87,106 income | South |
| 5 | South Dakota | A+ | 70.3 | 80.2 | 2% unemp · $72,280 income | Midwest |
| 6 | Utah | A+ | 68.7 | 81.5 | 3.2% unemp · $87,804 income | West |
| 7 | North Dakota | A | 67.7 | 77.1 | 2.2% unemp · $72,583 income | Midwest |
| 8 | Minnesota | A+ | 63.6 | 77.1 | 3.4% unemp · $85,551 income | Midwest |
| 9 | Colorado | B+ | 63.6 | 67.4 | 3.8% unemp · $91,340 income | West |
| 10 | Vermont | A+ | 62.9 | 77.5 | 2.7% unemp · $74,919 income | Northeast |
| 11 | Nebraska | A | 60.0 | 74.5 | 2.8% unemp · $73,423 income | Midwest |
| 12 | Connecticut | A | 59.8 | 73.5 | 4.2% unemp · $93,228 income | Northeast |
| 13 | Massachusetts | B+ | 57.9 | 70.3 | 4.9% unemp · $101,370 income | Northeast |
| 14 | Wisconsin | B | 56.2 | 63.7 | 3% unemp · $72,458 income | Midwest |
| 15 | Iowa | B+ | 56.1 | 68.7 | 3% unemp · $72,429 income | Midwest |
| 16 | New Jersey | B | 55.1 | 65.1 | 4.8% unemp · $97,126 income | Northeast |
| 17 | Idaho | B+ | 49.8 | 69.2 | 3.2% unemp · $68,930 income | West |
| 18 | Maine | A | 49.7 | 76.8 | 3.2% unemp · $68,810 income | Northeast |
| 19 | Kansas | B | 49.2 | 59.5 | 3.3% unemp · $69,747 income | Midwest |
| 20 | Wyoming | B+ | 48.4 | 68.2 | 3.5% unemp · $71,847 income | West |
| 21 | Georgia | C+ | 47.9 | 51.3 | 3.5% unemp · $71,355 income | South |
| 22 | Alabama | C | 47.6 | 39.4 | 2.7% unemp · $59,613 income | South |
| 23 | Rhode Island | B+ | 46.9 | 69.3 | 4.3% unemp · $81,800 income | Northeast |
| 24 | Washington | B | 46.9 | 63.2 | 4.9% unemp · $90,325 income | West |
| 25 | Montana | B+ | 46.1 | 70.8 | 3.7% unemp · $72,340 income | West |
| 26 | Missouri | C+ | 45.7 | 48.7 | 3.2% unemp · $64,811 income | Midwest |
| 27 | New York | B | 43.7 | 56.8 | 4.5% unemp · $81,386 income | Northeast |
| 28 | North Carolina | C+ | 43.5 | 53.5 | 3.5% unemp · $66,880 income | South |
| 29 | Tennessee | C | 43.5 | 45.3 | 3.3% unemp · $64,036 income | South |
| 30 | Indiana | C+ | 42.4 | 49.6 | 3.5% unemp · $65,870 income | Midwest |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | B | 41.8 | 58.2 | 4.1% unemp · $73,823 income | Northeast |
| 32 | California | C | 41.3 | 42.9 | 5.4% unemp · $91,905 income | West |
| 33 | Oklahoma | C | 40.0 | 41.8 | 3.3% unemp · $60,528 income | South |
| 34 | Arizona | C | 39.7 | 44.3 | 4.3% unemp · $74,568 income | West |
| 35 | Texas | C | 39.6 | 45.9 | 4.2% unemp · $73,035 income | South |
| 36 | Illinois | C+ | 39.2 | 50.5 | 4.6% unemp · $78,304 income | Midwest |
| 37 | South Carolina | C | 38.6 | 43.2 | 3.5% unemp · $62,064 income | South |
| 38 | Florida | C+ | 36.7 | 51.7 | 4.3% unemp · $71,516 income | South |
| 39 | Alaska | D | 35.0 | 39.3 | 5.3% unemp · $84,143 income | West |
| 40 | Delaware | C+ | 32.1 | 52.4 | 5.2% unemp · $79,810 income | Northeast |
| 41 | Ohio | C+ | 31.7 | 49.1 | 4.1% unemp · $63,715 income | Midwest |
| 42 | Oregon | B | 27.1 | 60.0 | 5.4% unemp · $77,630 income | West |
| 43 | New Mexico | D | 26.9 | 32.6 | 4% unemp · $57,488 income | West |
| 44 | Mississippi | D | 26.7 | 31.4 | 3.7% unemp · $52,985 income | South |
| 45 | Michigan | C | 25.1 | 45.0 | 4.9% unemp · $68,505 income | Midwest |
| 46 | Arkansas | F | 22.9 | 29.9 | 4.2% unemp · $56,335 income | South |
| 47 | Kentucky | D | 22.7 | 38.0 | 4.5% unemp · $60,407 income | South |
| 48 | Louisiana | F | 20.6 | 25.2 | 4.3% unemp · $55,416 income | South |
| 49 | Nevada | D | 18.4 | 39.2 | 5.5% unemp · $70,448 income | West |
| 50 | West Virginia | D | 13.9 | 32.5 | 4.7% unemp · $54,515 income | South |
Top 10 States for Economy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best state economy in America in 2026?
Hawaii has the best economy in 2026, followed by New Hampshire and Maryland. Rankings are based on unemployment rate and median household income from BLS and Census data.
Which states have the worst economies?
The states with the weakest economies in 2026 are West Virginia, Nevada, and Louisiana, based on higher unemployment and lower median incomes.
How is the economy score calculated?
The economy score combines unemployment rate (BLS 2025) and median household income (Census ACS 2024), normalized to 0-100. It carries a 20% weight in the overall composite score.
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Data Sources
📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (Dec 2025)📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024📎FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2024📎America's Health Rankings, 2025📎WalletHub/NAEP, 2025📎U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024📎Cook Political Report, PVI 2024📎Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2025📎ALEC Rich States Poor States, 2025📎WalletHub Tax Burden Study, 2025📎U.S. Census Bureau / FHFA, 2025📎BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023📎EPA AirData, Median AQI by County 2024📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024📎FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, 2025📎U.S. Census Bureau, Net Domestic Migration 2024📎FCC / BroadbandNow, Broadband Access 2025📎National Park Service API, 2024📎USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), 2024📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (Commuting)📎FHWA Highway Statistics, 2023📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024📎EIA Natural Gas Prices, 2024📎DOL National Database of Childcare Prices, 2023📎BEA Regional Price Parities (Food), 2023📎NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), 2023-24📎EDFacts ACGR Graduation Rates, 2021-22📎NCES School District Finance Survey (F-33), 2022-23📎BEA GDP by State (SAGDP9), 2023📎NASBO Fiscal Survey of States, FY2023📎Census Bureau State Government Finances, FY2022📎Pew Charitable Trusts Fiscal 50, FY2023📎Pew Charitable Trusts, FY2022📎S&P/Moody's via Ballotpedia, 2025📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES (May 2023)📎IRS Statistics of Income, Migration Data 2021-2022