Forum News Service
ST. PAUL -- Minnesota is the second best state in the nation, according to a U.S. News and World Report study released Tuesday, Feb. 27.
The state that took first: Iowa.
Iowa had better rankings than Minnesota in infrastructure and health care, with Minnesota earning its second place ranking from high marks in quality of life and citizen opportunities.
The study weighs health care and education most heavily, followed by state economy, citizen opportunities, infrastructure, crime and corrections and fiscal stability.
“This study reaffirms what Minnesotans have always known: our state is one of the very best places in the country to live, work, and raise a family,” Governor Mark Dayton said in a statement.
“However, we have more work to do build an even better Minnesota. I look forward to working with the Legislature this session to ensure Minnesota remains a leader in education, economic opportunity, health care, reliable infrastructure, and a high quality of life for all who call our state home.”
Wisconsin ranked 11th overall in the study, but took third place for quality of life. The state's lowest rankings came for economy, 27th, and infrastructure, 26th.
North Dakota took fourth in the study, but ranked No. 1 overall in quality of life and No. 2. overall in infrastructure. North Dakota's lowest-ranked category was in crime and corrections, where they ranked twenty-third.
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