Minnesota Is Just Plain The 3rd Best U.S. State, Survey Finds

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- We're naturally averse to boasting, so it's almost a relief to report that Minnesota is (just) the third-best state in the entire U.S., according to a new list unveiled by U.S. News & World Report.

That being said, Minnesota is now the only state that's ranked in the top three every year since U.S. News began ranking states, two years ago.

Washington came out on top, followed by New Hampshire. Utah and Vermont rounded out the top five.

The list was determined via ranks in such categories as health care, education, economy, infrastructure, crime, fiscal stability, opportunities, and the natural environment.

Minnesota's highest marks came in infrastructure and natural environment, which both ranked third-best in the country, as well as infrastructure, which was ranked sixth-best.

"Minnesota's success is not by chance," Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement. "Our investments in education, health care, and community prosperity make Minnesota a great place to live, work, and raise a family – but we can still do better. I'm committed to working together to make life even better for all Minnesotans, and continuing to invest in the things that make Minnesota one of the best states in the country."

For the curious, Wisconsin came in 11th, Iowa ranked 14th, and North and South Dakota both came in the top 20, at #15 and #20 respectively.

Louisiana came in dead last.