Florida ranked sixth in the nation in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best States rankings, supported by strong performance in economic growth, education, and fiscal stability metrics.
The annual report evaluates all 50 states across eight major categories and 71 individual measures, including health care, infrastructure, and opportunity. The five highest-ranked states were Utah, New Hampshire, Idaho, Minnesota, and Nebraska.
Florida earned the top spot nationwide for its economy and ranked second overall in education. The state’s economic growth rate was 2.7 percent, compared to a national average of 1.5 percent, with a net migration rate of 2.3 percent, nearly four times the national rate.
Florida’s business environment and employment metrics both ranked 16th nationally.
In education, Florida ranked first for higher education outcomes but 22nd for Pre-K through 12 performance. The state’s high-school graduation rate stood at 88 percent, above the national average of 85.8 percent.
Florida also placed ninth for fiscal stability, driven by an AAA-stable credit rating and a strong budget balance score. Its health care ranking was 21st, reflecting high quality of care but limited access, with 15.5 percent of residents uninsured versus a 10.2 percent national average. Infrastructure ranked 15th overall, while the natural environment ranked 12th, with Florida performing well in air and water quality (#6) but weaker in pollution (#26).
The state’s lowest score was in the “Opportunity” category, ranking 47th due to high housing and living costs. Florida’s cost-of-living index was 103.5 compared to a national average of 100, and the state’s median household income of $73,311 fell below the national average of $76,976.
U.S. News bases its rankings on data from federal sources and weighted public survey responses to determine which factors Americans view as most important. Florida’s sixth-place finish marks a three-spot improvement from its ninth-place ranking in 2024, placing the state just behind Nebraska and ahead of Vermont in the latest report.
