Here's How VA Compares In New Best States Ranking

Virginia is the 19th best 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.

Where VA Shines

Virginia’s highest rankings were in crime and corrections, economy, health care, and education. It struggled most in infrastructure and fiscal stability, in particular short-term fiscal stability. Virginia has suffered as a result of federal budget cuts over the past few years.

Here’s where Virginia ranked in the following categories:

Crime and corrections: No. 13

Education: No. 18

Health care: No. 17

Natural environment: No. 20

Economy: No. 17

Fiscal stability: No. 27

Infrastructure: No. 39

Opportunity: No. 26

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.