Is Missouri a good state to live? Here's what U.S. News ranking says

When it comes to the best and worst states to live in for 2026, Missouri ranks near the middle of the pack, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The 2026 Overall Best State Rankings evaluated all 50 states across eight categories, including education, health care, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, natural environment and crime & corrections.

Here's where Missouri ranked on the list.

Where did Missouri rank on US News best state list?

Missouri ranked No. 31 in the 2026 edition of the Best States Rankings, maintaining its position from 2025.

The Show Me State scored high marks in some areas:

Missouri ranked No. 8 with respect to opportunity, scoring high in affordability and economic opportunity. Similarly, the state's fiscal stability and natural environment also rank among

the top 20 states nationwide.

On the other end, though, Missouri flatlines when it comes to crime & corrections and health care.

Missouri ranked No. 44 in the nation in crime & corrections, only beating out Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon and Nevada. The state's incarceration rate, juvenile incarceration rate and violent crime rate were all higher than the national average.

The Show Me State didn't fare much better in the health care category, coming in at No. 43 on the list. The state is among the worst for healthcare quality, access and public health, especially when it comes to preventable hospital admissions.

How did Missouri rank in each category?

• Crime & Corrections: No. 44
• Economy: No. 22
• Education: No. 32
• Fiscal Stability: No. 17
• Healthcare: No. 43
• Infrastructure: No. 35
• Natural Environment: No. 17
• Opportunity: No. 8

What are the top 10 U.S. states for 2026?

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

What are the 10 worst U.S. states for 2026?

1. Louisiana
2. Alaska
3. Mississippi
4. New Mexico
5. Michigan
6. Arkansas
7. West Virginia
8. Alabama
9. Ohio
10. Kentucky

How were the rankings determined?

In determining the rankings, U.S. News analyzed 71 metrics across eight categories – education, health care, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, natural environment and crime & corrections.

Some categories were weighted more than others. For example, health care and education were weighted more than crime & corrections and natural environment. Within the categories, each state was given points out of 100, with the best state given 100 points and the worst given zero.

In addition to these point-based ratings, U.S. News surveyed people across the country on how satisfied they were with their state's performance in the categories. Between 2018 and 2025, U.S. News surveyed more than 56,000 people across the United States.

Here's a closer look at how the categories were analyzed:

• Education: Two-year and four-year college graduation rates, educational attainment, low college debt, low college tuition and fees, college readiness, high school graduation rate, National Assessment of Educational Progress math and reading scores, and preschool enrollment.
• Health care: Health insurance enrollment, child wellness and dental visits, adult wellness and dental visits, health care affordability, low preventable hospital admission rates, Medicare quality, nursing home and hospital qualities, low infant mortality rate, low mortality rate, low obesity and smoking rates, mental health, and low suicide rate.
• Economy: Business creation rate, top company headquarters, patent creation rate, low tax burden, venture capital invested, job growth, labor force participation, low unemployment rate, net migration, Gross Domestic Product growth, and young population growth.
• Infrastructure: Electricity prices, power grid reliability, renewable energy usage, internet subscription rate and access to gigabit internet, bridge and road qualities, commute times, and public transit usage.
• Opportunity: Cost of living, housing affordability, low food insecurity and poverty rate, income dispersion, household income, and education, unemployment and labor force participation gap by race, gender, and disability status.
• Fiscal stability: Government credit rating, pension fund liability, liquidity, and budget balancing.
• Natural environment: Drinking water and air qualities, low industrial toxins, and low pollution health risk.
• Crime & corrections: Jailing equality, low juvenile incarceration, low incarceration rate, low property and violent crime rates.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Is Missouri a good state to live? Here's what U.S. News ranking says