Here's Where Indiana Landed in New 'Best States' Ranking

A recent report of the best states in America has been released, and you may or may not be surprised where Indiana landed on the list.

Most people typically take pride in where they come from. Sometimes there's a little friendly (or not-so-friendly) rivalry between states, where people say this state is better than that state for whatever reason. But in reality, what really makes a state better than another? That's what one recent report actually dug into based on several factors.

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Every year, US News & World Report (USNews.com) rolls out their Best States Rankings, for which they look at "thousands of data points" to see how well states are performing for their citizens:

<p>In addition to health care and education, the rankings take into account a state’s economy; its roads, bridges, internet and other infrastructure; its public safety; its natural environment; the fiscal stability of state government; and the opportunity it affords its residents.</p><p>More weight was accorded to some categories than others, based on a survey of what matters most to people. Health care and education were weighted most heavily.</p>

So, with that in mind, where did the Hoosier State find itself on the list?

Here's Where Indiana Landed in New 'Best States' Ranking

Before we get to where US News ranked Indiana, here are their picks for the top 5 best states in the United States:

Utah
Washington
Idaho
Nebraska
Minnesota

As you can see, Indiana clearly wasn't in the top five. How far down the list is Indiana? Luckily, we didn't find ourselves near the bottom...but we also weren't too high on the list either.

Maksym Kapliuk

Indiana ranked as the 29th best state in America for 2024. Again, not the best spot on the list, but also not the worst. A few key data points that break down Indiana's ranking in more detail that US News mentioned include:

#22 Crime & Corrections
#26 Economy
#17 Education
#25 Fiscal Stability
#43 Health Care
#26 Infrastructure
#50 Natural Environment
#7 Opportunity

So the big question here is are you surprised where Indiana landed on this list? You can find out where the other states ranked by clicking here.

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KEEP READING: 40 Real Indiana Towns with Quirky, Weird, and Funny Names

Outside the major cities, the Hoosier state is full of tiny little towns you've probably passed through on your way to one of those cities. Most of them are likely 100 to 150 years old, or older, and have been around far longer than the large metropolitan areas such as Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, and Evansville. Typically, they were started by early settlers who found their way to the state and decided to make it home. Eventually, others would join them, and a community was formed. Over time, as the surrounding areas grew, most of them were folded into those areas and governed by the nearest city or county's governing body officially making them "unincorporated," meaning they did not have their own formally organized municipal government.

A scroll through Wikipedia's long list of unincorporated communities in Indiana shows several of them have names that by today's standards would be considered weird, quirky, or just downright right funny. These are my 40 favorities.

Gallery Credit: Ryan O'Bryan

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