SALT LAKE CITY — From Utah's vibrant southern red rocks, to the best snow on earth found in northern mountains, we all know just how special The Beehive State is.
But once again, claims of Utah's grandeur are supported by the title of best state in America according to the U.S. News and World Report.
It's the second year in a row that Utah has topped the podium, swiping the gold medal from Washington in 2023.
Rankings are determined by analyzing the state's performance in eight categories including; natural environment, fiscal stability, education, infrastructure, health care, economy, opportunity and crime and corrections.
Interestingly, Utah did not rank number one in any particular category, but ranked in the top 20 in seven of the eight categories, signaling that consistency is key to success.
Utah's highest-ranked category was education, taking the number two spot out of all states, right behind Florida.
Data from the report showed a 13% incresease in two-year-college graduations. The report also noted that in the state, students typically have lower debt when they graduate at least in part because many try to work their way through college. Utah was also top of the list in reading math scores for preK-12 schooling.
In 2023, Utah sat at number five in the education category, meaning the state saw enough improvement to jump ahead of several other states.
Utah also climbed to third in the infrastructure category, which looks at internet access, energy usage and transportation. Notably, Utah received the top ranking in the country for broadband subscriptions.
The Beehive State also saw improvement in the crime and corrections category, jumping from spot no. 15 in 2023 to no. nine this year.
Now, Utah didn't totally sweep the board and a few categories saw worse performance compared to 2023.
Utah's "Environment" ranking was 46, the same as last year. The report states Utah's air quality, pollution health risk and industrial toxins are among the worst in the country.
While Utah jumped ahead in the "opportunity" category, securing spot no. 18 compared to 20 in 2023, researchers highlighted that Utah is ranked 49 out of all 50 states for equality. Metrics such as pay gap by gender, labor force participation gap by gender, income and education gaps by race and employment gaps were analyzed.
Cost of living is also included in the "opportunity" category, which has been a common complaint for Utahns in recent years. While Utah's affordability was ranked overall at no. 27 nationwide, housing affordability specifically was slightly lower at 35.
Other categories that also saw decreases in 2024 compared to 2023 include economy, falling from the top spot in 2023 to no. 3 this year, fiscal stability, falling from no. 1 to no. 6 and health care, which ranked at no. 14 this year and no. 7 in 2023.
In response to Utah's repeat top state ranking, Utah Governor Spencer Cox released his thoughts on social media, saying he was proud of the accomplishment.
"Utah has a vibrant, diverse economy and unsurpassed natural beauty, but what truly sets our state apart is our people," Cox said in part. "Our people are charitable, collaborative, innovative and work together to strengthen families and individuals. Proud of the Beehive State!"
