Best and worst economies: Where does your state rank?
Utah, aka the Beehive State, is living up to its nickname, buzzing with economic activity and ranking as the state with the best-performing economy.
That's according to analysts at WalletHub, who ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on economic activity, economic health and innovation potential.
With high levels of business startups, independent inventor patents and job growth, Utah placed ahead of Washington and California, which came in second and third, respectively, followed by Massachusetts and Colorado.
North Carolina, which is facing lawsuits, boycotts and the potential loss of federal funding over its law limiting protections for LGBT people, placed 18th, while Illinois, a state contending with a huge budget shortfall, ranked 29th.
On the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi came in at the bottom, with the Magnolia State among those with the highest unemployment rate and lowest GDP growth.
Arkansas and West Virginia had the second and third worst-performing economies, followed by Maine and New Mexico.