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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: People leaving California to Arizona in record numbers
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: More Californians are flocking to the Grand Canyon State.
LOS ANGELES - Whether you love or hate living in California, there’s no denying there’s no other state quite like it. However, those who don’t love it may feel some validation after a new study was released by U.S. News & World Report ranking the best states in 2024.
Researchers looked at numerous factors including a state’s economy, health care, education, public safety, infrastructure, and opportunities for its residents.
It’s worth noting that many of the top-ranking states aren’t commonly considered the most desirable places to live.
As far as the Golden State, it did not rank among the best. In fact, California and New Mexico were the lowest-ranking states in the West.
An aerial view of Pacific Coastline at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Arizona, a state many Californians have flocked to, hardly has bragging rights and was ranked 32nd. Meanwhile, Hawaii narrowly avoided the bottom 15 in 34th place.
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Here were the top 15 best states per the study:
1. Utah
2. New Hampshire
3. Nebraska
4. Minnesota
5. Idaho
6. Iowa
7. Vermont
8. Washington
9. Florida
10. Massachusetts
11. South Dakota
12. Wyoming
13. Virginia
14. New Jersey
15. North Dakota
Meanwhile, the bottom 15 states were ranked as follows:
35. Missouri
36. Ohio
37. California
38. Illinois
39. Kentucky
40. Pennsylvania
41. South Carolina
41. Michigan
43. Oklahoma
44. Alabama
45. Alaska
46. West Virginia
47. Arkansas
48. Mississippi
49. New Mexico
50. Louisiana
Click here for the full study.
Even though California didn’t exactly shine in this study, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows its population has grown for the first time since 2019.
SUGGESTED: California's population has grown for the first time since 2019