News Summary
Rhode Island has been rated as the 24th best state overall in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report’s Best States listing. This ranking considers multiple factors affecting quality of life, with notable strengths in health care and crime rates. However, the state faces challenges in education and infrastructure, ranking 38th and 45th respectively. Utah remains the top-ranked state, while Louisiana ranks the lowest. Rhode Island’s overall position emphasizes both its accomplishments and areas in need of improvement for residents and potential newcomers.
Rhode Island Ranks 24th in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best States Listing
Rhode Island has been ranked the 24th best state overall in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best States listing, which evaluates states based on multiple factors affecting the quality of life. The rankings consider eight key categories and a total of 71 metrics, showcasing the strengths and weaknesses across various areas of performance.
Category Highlights and Rankings
Rhode Island’s rankings in several specific categories illustrate its relative strengths and challenges:
- Health care: No. 4
- Education: No. 38
- Natural environment: No. 8
- Opportunity: No. 24
- Economy: No. 16
- Crime and corrections: No. 6
- Infrastructure: No. 45
- Fiscal stability: No. 45
Among these categories, Rhode Island excelled particularly in health care, where it ranked fourth, as well as in crime and corrections, where it ranked sixth. The state also performed well in terms of its natural environment, achieving an eighth place ranking.
Health Care and Safety
Highlighting its strength in health care, five hospitals in Rhode Island received “A” grades from the Leapfrog Group, indicating high quality and safety standards. Additionally, Rhode Island boasts generally lower crime rates compared to many other states, contributing to its strong ranking in the crime and corrections category.
Economy and Infrastructure Challenges
While Rhode Island’s economy ranked 16th, its infrastructure and fiscal stability faced significant challenges, placing 45th in both categories. This suggests that despite some areas of economic strength, there are pressing issues regarding the state’s infrastructure development and financial management that need to be addressed.
Comparison with Other States
Utah topped the list as the highest-ranked state overall for the third consecutive year, consistently performing in the top five for economic indicators. In contrast, the lowest-ranked state on the list was Louisiana. The bottom ten states included Alaska, Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, with low-ranking states predominantly found in the South, West, Midwest, Northeast, and Alaska.
Overall Ranking Methodology
The rankings were determined using a comprehensive methodology that involved data from government sources and national surveys. These reflected the priorities and concerns of residents across the United States. Notably, the education category, which holds the highest weight in the overall rankings, saw five of the top ten states also place in the top ten for education.
Overall, Rhode Island’s position in the 24th slot highlights its strengths in health care and safety, while also illuminating critical areas for improvement, particularly in education, infrastructure, and fiscal stability. These findings offer a detailed glimpse into the qualities that define life in Rhode Island, both for residents and those considering a move to the state.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
- Patch: Rhode Island Ranks 24th Among States
- CT Post: Connecticut Best State Rankings 2025
- Providence Journal: Best Colleges in Rhode Island
- Turn to 10: Brown University Drops Out of Top 10
- GoLocalProv: Rhode Island Worst State to Start a Business
- Wikipedia: Rhode Island
- Google Search: Rhode Island
- Google Scholar: Rhode Island
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Rhode Island
- Google News: Rhode Island
Author: STAFF HERE PROVIDENCE WRITER
PROVIDENCE STAFF WRITER The PROVIDENCE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREProvidence.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Providence, Providence County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as WaterFire, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Rhode Island Comic Con. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, plus leading businesses in finance and manufacturing that power the local economy such as Citizens Financial Group and Textron. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Rhode Island's dynamic landscape.
