Georgia's Best States Ranking: Moving up but missing the Top 10

ATLANTA - Georgia moved up to No. 18 from No. 21 in U.S. News & World Report's 2024 Best States Rankings but still didn’t crack the top 10. The annual comprehensive annual report evaluates states across various categories like crime and corrections, economy, education, health care, and more.

Georgia's Highs and Lows

Georgia ranked highest in fiscal stability (No. 13), infrastructure (No. 14), and natural environment (No. 14). Its economy was close behind at No. 15.
The state's lowest scores were in opportunity (No. 25), education (No. 26), and health care (No. 33).

Crime & Corrections

Despite a higher incarceration rate than the national average (435 vs. 311 per 100,000 residents), Georgia ranked No. 20 in crime and corrections. The state has fewer juveniles incarcerated (25 vs. 39 per 100,000) and a lower violent crime rate than the national average (367 vs. 381 per 100,000).

Economy

Georgia landed at No. 15 overall for its economy, with strong rankings in business environment (No. 11) and growth (No. 13). However, employment trailed at No. 25.

Education

Georgia didn’t fare as well in education, coming in at No. 26 overall. Higher education was ranked No. 22, while Pre-K through K-12 scored No. 25. The state's high school graduation rate (84.1%) is slightly below the national average (85.9%), as are its NAEP math scores (271 vs. 274). However, Georgia's college debt per graduate is slightly lower than the national average ($13,998 vs. $14,086). The state's top universities include Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Georgia Athens.

Fiscal Stability

With an AAA- stable credit rating, Georgia excelled in fiscal stability, ranking No. 10 for long-term and No. 17 for short-term stability. The state exceeded the national average for liquidity and balanced its budget in line with the national standard.

Health Care

Health care remains Georgia’s weakest area, with a No. 33 ranking overall. Health care access was the biggest challenge, ranking No. 44 out of 50, while health care quality (No. 32) and public health (No. 31) lagged behind. The uninsured rate is 16.6% (vs. 11.3% nationally), and the state has a high rate of preventable hospital admissions (3,170 per 100,000 Medicare patients vs. 2,765 nationally). Georgia also struggled with obesity (37.1% vs. 33.9% nationally).

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Infrastructure

Georgia's infrastructure ranked No. 14. While renewable energy (No. 25) was a low point, the state ranked No. 13 in internet access and No. 19 in transportation. Commuters face a slightly longer journey (28.2 vs. 26.4 minutes), but only 8% of the state's roads are in poor condition, compared to the national average of 18.3%.

Natural Environment

In the natural environment category, Georgia landed at No. 14. The state scored well in air and water quality (No. 16), with fewer unhealthy air quality days (74 vs. 107 nationally) and lower industrial pollution (818 vs. 937 pounds of toxins). It also had fewer drinking water violations than average (0.59 vs. 1.93 per 1,000 residents).

Opportunity

Georgia ranked right in the middle of the pack for opportunity, coming in at No. 25. Economic opportunity (No. 33) and affordability (No. 25) brought the score down, but equality ranked No. 14. The median household income is $72,837, just below the national average of $74,755, while the poverty rate is nearly on par with the national average (12.7% vs. 12.6%). The state's cost of living index is 95.8 (vs. 100 nationally).

Methodology

U.S. News & World Report evaluated 71 metrics across eight categories, assigning weights based on national survey data from nearly 70,000 respondents over the past three years.

Top 10 Best States

1. Utah
2. New Hampshire
3. Nebraska
4. Minnesota
5. Idaho
6. Iowa
7. Vermont
8. Washington
9. Florida
10. Massachusetts

U.S. News & World Report began ranking states in 2017 in an comprehensive effort to gauge how states perform across a wide array of issues. The overall Best States were determined by how each of the 50 U.S. states ranked in 8 categories. The weights of the categories were as follows:

• Health Care: 15.97%
• Education: 15.94%
• Economy: 13.36%
• Infrastructure: 12.93%
• Opportunity: 12.29%
• Fiscal Stability: 11.36%
• Crime & Corrections: 9.16%
• Natural Environment: 8.99%

Here are the top 3 states in the individual categories:

Health Care

1. Hawaii 
2. Massachusetts 
3. Connecticut

Education

1. Florida 
2. Utah 
3. Massachusetts

Economy

1. Florida 
2. Idaho 
3. Utah

Infrastructure

1. North Dakota 
2. Oregon 
3. Utah

Opportunity

1. Vermont 
2. Maine 
3. Iowa

Fiscal Stability

1. Wyoming
2. North Dakota 
3. Nebraska

Crime & Corrections

1. New Hampshire
2. Maine 
3. Vermont

Natural Environment

1. Hawaii 
2. Minnesota
3. Rhode Island