Washington Tops List of State Economies

California, Texas, New York and Florida have economies so large that if they were countries, they would rank in the top 20 in the world, but only three of them made the top 10 in personal-finance website WalletHub's report on 2024's Best and Worst State Economies.

WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 key indicators of economic performance and strength. The data set ranges from GDP growth and the unemployment rate to startup activity and the share of jobs in high-tech industries.

Best state economies

1. Washington
2. Utah
3. Massachusetts
4. Texas
5. California
6. Colorado
7. Florida
8. North Carolina
9. District of Columbia
10. Arizona

Worst state economies

1. Ohio
2. Maine
3. Iowa
4. Rhode Island
5. Kentucky
6. Louisiana
7. Arkansas
8. West Virginia
9. Hawaii
10. Mississippi

Best vs. worst 

Louisiana has the highest value of exports per capita, which is 54.9 times higher than in Hawaii, the state with the lowest.

New Hampshire has the lowest share of the population living in poverty, which is 2.6 times lower than in Mississippi, the state with the highest.

Vermont has the lowest foreclosure rate, which is 14.5 times lower than in District of Columbia, the state with the highest.

Massachusetts has the highest share of jobs in high-tech industries, which is four times higher than in Arkansas, the state with the lowest.

North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate, which is 2.8 times lower than in Nevada, the state with the highest.

Click here for the complete report.