How well the US economy is doing is dependent on how well the states themselves are doing, and WalletHub looked at all 50 states and the District of Columbia to see which ones boast the best economies. Three main categories are in play: economic activity (including startup activity, exports per capita, and the yearly change in GDP); economic health, which examines everything from unemployment rates and median annual household income, to government surpluses or deficits per capita; and innovation potential (think the share of jobs in tech or STEM, local entrepreneurship, and the like). Here, the top and bottom 10:
Best economies
- Washington (No. 1 in "Economic Activity" category)
- Utah (No. 1 in "Economic Health" category)
- Massachusetts (No. 1 in "Innovation Potential" category)
- Texas
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- North Carolina
- District of Columbia
- Arizona
Worst economies
- Ohio
- Maine
- Iowa
- Rhode Island
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- West Virginia (last in "Innovation Potential" category)
- Hawaii
- Mississippi
See how other states fared here. (Residents can't quit these "sticky" states.)
More From Newser
This article originally appeared on Newser: These States' Economies Are Pulling Their Weight
