These were followed by state economies, infrastructure, and citizen opportunity. Fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and the natural environment were also factored in, with fiscal stability carrying slightly more weight than the latter two.
Pennsylvania ranked particularly poor for its economy, coming in 47th out of all 50 states. U.S. News weighed the following factors to determine the health of a state’s economy: business environment (including business creation rate and top company headquarters); employment; and growth, including GDP growth.