|
The 2001 Most Livable State Award |
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|
ALPHA ORDER |
RANK ORDER |
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|
2001 RANK |
STATE |
LIVABILITY RATING |
2000 RANK |
CHANGE |
|
2001 RANK |
STATE |
LIVABILITY RATING |
2000 RANK |
CHANGE |
|
46 |
Alabama |
19.98 |
42 |
-4 |
1 |
Minnesota |
35.09 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
37 |
Alaska |
22.53 |
41 |
4 |
2 |
Colorado |
32.45 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
36 |
Arizona |
22.70 |
39 |
3 |
3 |
Iowa |
32.09 |
2 |
-1 |
|
|
44 |
Arkansas |
21.00 |
45 |
1 |
4 |
Virginia |
31.26 |
8 |
4 |
|
|
32 |
California |
23.50 |
36 |
4 |
5 |
Utah |
31.23 |
4 |
-1 |
|
|
2 |
Colorado |
32.45 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
Connecticut |
29.67 |
13 |
7 |
|
|
6 |
Connecticut |
29.67 |
13 |
7 |
7 |
Kansas |
29.56 |
6 |
-1 |
|
|
21 |
Delaware |
26.67 |
17 |
-4 |
8 |
Wisconsin |
29.44 |
6 |
-2 |
|
|
40 |
Florida |
22.16 |
40 |
0 |
9 |
Massachusetts |
29.33 |
10 |
1 |
|
|
33 |
Georgia |
23.49 |
30 |
-3 |
10 |
Nebraska |
29.16 |
9 |
-1 |
|
|
34 |
Hawaii |
22.98 |
43 |
9 |
11 |
New Jersey |
28.98 |
16 |
5 |
|
|
20 |
Idaho |
26.70 |
24 |
4 |
12 |
Wyoming |
28.56 |
20 |
8 |
|
|
31 |
Illinois |
23.79 |
29 |
-2 |
13 |
New Hampshire |
28.51 |
5 |
-8 |
|
|
21 |
Indiana |
26.67 |
19 |
-2 |
14 |
Maryland |
28.49 |
17 |
3 |
|
|
3 |
Iowa |
32.09 |
2 |
-1 |
15 |
Vermont |
28.28 |
12 |
-3 |
|
|
7 |
Kansas |
29.56 |
6 |
-1 |
16 |
South Dakota |
28.19 |
11 |
-5 |
|
|
43 |
Kentucky |
21.77 |
32 |
-11 |
17 |
Maine |
27.88 |
15 |
-2 |
|
|
49 |
Louisiana |
16.76 |
48 |
-1 |
18 |
Washington |
27.28 |
22 |
4 |
|
|
17 |
Maine |
27.88 |
15 |
-2 |
19 |
Missouri |
27.12 |
23 |
4 |
|
|
14 |
Maryland |
28.49 |
17 |
3 |
20 |
Idaho |
26.70 |
24 |
4 |
|
|
9 |
Massachusetts |
29.33 |
10 |
1 |
21 |
Indiana |
26.67 |
19 |
-2 |
|
|
27 |
Michigan |
25.12 |
28 |
1 |
21 |
Delaware |
26.67 |
17 |
-4 |
|
|
1 |
Minnesota |
35.09 |
1 |
0 |
23 |
Oregon |
26.37 |
21 |
-2 |
|
|
50 |
Mississippi |
16.26 |
50 |
0 |
24 |
Ohio |
26.14 |
25 |
1 |
|
|
19 |
Missouri |
27.12 |
23 |
4 |
25 |
North Dakota |
25.58 |
14 |
-11 |
|
|
39 |
Montana |
22.19 |
33 |
-6 |
26 |
Nevada |
25.51 |
26 |
0 |
|
|
10 |
Nebraska |
29.16 |
9 |
-1 |
27 |
Michigan |
25.12 |
28 |
1 |
|
|
26 |
Nevada |
25.51 |
26 |
0 |
28 |
Rhode Island |
24.14 |
31 |
3 |
|
|
13 |
New Hampshire |
28.51 |
5 |
-8 |
29 |
Texas |
23.95 |
27 |
-2 |
|
|
11 |
New Jersey |
28.98 |
16 |
5 |
30 |
Pennsylvania |
23.81 |
34 |
4 |
|
|
47 |
New Mexico |
19.65 |
47 |
0 |
31 |
Illinois |
23.79 |
29 |
-2 |
|
|
35 |
New York |
22.74 |
38 |
3 |
32 |
California |
23.50 |
36 |
4 |
|
|
42 |
North Carolina |
21.93 |
35 |
-7 |
33 |
Georgia |
23.49 |
30 |
-3 |
|
|
25 |
North Dakota |
25.58 |
14 |
-11 |
34 |
Hawaii |
22.98 |
43 |
9 |
|
|
24 |
Ohio |
26.14 |
25 |
1 |
35 |
New York |
22.74 |
38 |
3 |
|
|
41 |
Oklahoma |
22.02 |
37 |
-4 |
36 |
Arizona |
22.70 |
39 |
3 |
|
|
23 |
Oregon |
26.37 |
21 |
-2 |
37 |
Alaska |
22.53 |
41 |
4 |
|
|
30 |
Pennsylvania |
23.81 |
34 |
4 |
38 |
South Carolina |
22.35 |
44 |
6 |
|
|
28 |
Rhode Island |
24.14 |
31 |
3 |
39 |
Montana |
22.19 |
33 |
-6 |
|
|
38 |
South Carolina |
22.35 |
44 |
6 |
40 |
Florida |
22.16 |
40 |
0 |
|
|
16 |
South Dakota |
28.19 |
11 |
-5 |
41 |
Oklahoma |
22.02 |
37 |
-4 |
|
|
45 |
Tennessee |
20.40 |
46 |
1 |
42 |
North Carolina |
21.93 |
35 |
-7 |
|
|
29 |
Texas |
23.95 |
27 |
-2 |
43 |
Kentucky |
21.77 |
32 |
-11 |
|
|
5 |
Utah |
31.23 |
4 |
-1 |
44 |
Arkansas |
21.00 |
45 |
1 |
|
|
15 |
Vermont |
28.28 |
12 |
-3 |
45 |
Tennessee |
20.40 |
46 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
Virginia |
31.26 |
8 |
4 |
46 |
Alabama |
19.98 |
42 |
-4 |
|
|
18 |
Washington |
27.28 |
22 |
4 |
47 |
New Mexico |
19.65 |
47 |
0 |
|
|
48 |
West Virginia |
18.62 |
49 |
1 |
48 |
West Virginia |
18.62 |
49 |
1 |
|
|
8 |
Wisconsin |
29.44 |
6 |
-2 |
49 |
Louisiana |
16.76 |
48 |
-1 |
|
|
12 |
Wyoming |
28.56 |
20 |
8 |
50 |
Mississippi |
16.26 |
50 |
0 |
|
METHODOLOGY: To determine a state's "Livability Rating," each state's rankings for 43 categories were averaged. The scale is 1 to 50, the higher the number, the better. Data used are for the most recent year in which comparable numbers are available from most states. All factors were given equal weight. States with no data available for a given category were ranked based only on the remaining factors. In our book, data are listed from highest to lowest. However, for purposes of this award, we inverted rankings for those factors we determined to be "positive." Thus the state with the highest median income in the book (ranking 1st) would be given a number 50 ranking for this award.