It takes a village—or, in the case of the US economy, each individual state doing its fair share. WalletHub took a look at all 50 states and DC to see how they all fared across more than two dozen metrics in three categories: economic activity (including startup presence and exports per capita), overall economic health (e.g., unemployment and foreclosure rates), and the potential for innovation, including entrepreneurial activity. Washington state earned the top spot, while Alaska took up the rear. Here, the 10 states that are chugging along pretty well:
- Washington (No. 1 in the "Economic Activity" category)
- Utah (No. 1 in the "Economic Health" category)
- Massachusetts (No. 1 in the "Innovation Potential" category)
- California
- Colorado
- Washington, DC
- Idaho
- Oregon
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
Read on for the states with the worst economies.
The 10 worst-performing states:
- Alaska
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Hawaii
- West Virginia
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- Wyoming
- Rhode Island
- Maine
See where other states rank
here. (Check out the
best state in the nation.)