PA Economy Ranked Among Nation's Worst In New Analysis

Pennsylvania is ranked 40th in the country in a new ranking Wednesday that shows how well states are working for the people who live there.

Rather than focus on any one issue, U.S. News & World Report pulled together dozens of measures covering health care, education, the economy, infrastructure, public safety, opportunity and other factors that shape everyday life for its 2026 Best States Rankings.

To determine the rankings, categories were weighted differently according to a public survey on key priorities. The most critical areas identified were healthcare and education, receiving the highest importance.

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.

Here are some data points U.S. News compiled about Pennsylvania's economy:

According to U.S. News, the state is among the country’s largest producers of canned fruit and vegetable-specialty products, chocolate and cocoa products, potato chips and pretzels, and is home to the “Snack Food Capital of the World.”

Here’s where Pennsylvania ranked in the following categories:

Crime and corrections: No. 17

Education: No. 35

Health care: No. 11

Natural environment: No. 37

Economy: No. 47

Fiscal stability: No. 42

Infrastructure: No. 43

Opportunity: No. 23

The top 10 states in the U.S. News ranking are, respectively, Utah, South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Idaho, Florida, Washington and Vermont.