America's No. 1 state is crowned again — find out who's on top and where your state ranks this year

Utah isn't giving up its crown. The Beehive State came in at America's No. 1 state for the fourth consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report's 2026 Best States rankings , holding onto the top spot overall while Texas claimed the nation's highest-ranked economy. The list points to a notable regional trend , with Mountain West, Midwest and Sun Belt states claiming many of the country's highest overall rankings. Four of the top five states are located in the Mountain West or Upper Midwest, wi