California ranks last in the nation for economic opportunity and 44th in fiscal stability, according to the 2026 ratings from US News & World Report. The analysis, which evaluated all 50 states across eight categories, placed California 35th overall.
US News managing editor Eric Litke described the state's performance as a balance of prominent strengths and weaknesses. While California ranked seventh in healthcare, it fell outside the top 20 in other key areas. The state placed 25th in education, 27th in environment, 32nd in infrastructure, and 36th in crime and corrections.
The rankings are based on multi-year surveys that assess public satisfaction with state performance and identify areas needing prioritization. Litke emphasized that the report aims to provide a data-driven perspective, independent of political rhetoric.
This overall ranking represents an improvement from the previous year, when California was ranked 37th. Utah was named the best state in the 2026 rankings, followed by South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska.
Litke noted that state rankings reflect a combination of policies and priorities implemented over years and decades.