New Ranking Reveals Montana’s Biggest Strengths And Weaknesses

How Montana Ranked In The Best States In America Report

Montana is a place a lot of people dream of moving to, and plenty of them have made that dream a reality over the past decade.

But a new ranking shows that while we have a lot to be proud of here in the Treasure State, there are also some areas where we still have plenty of work to do.

U.S. News Ranking Reveals Montana's Strengths and Weaknesses

Each year, U.S. News releases its rankings of the best states in America, looking at categories like healthcare, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and natural environment.

That Montana scored well in some areas probably won't surprise many people. After all, there are plenty of reasons people continue moving here. But it's the categories where we struggled that might catch some people off guard.

Montana ranked No. 15 nationally for opportunity and No. 16 for education, showing that the state continues to be viewed as a good place for people looking for a strong quality of life.

When it comes to fiscal stability and the economy, Montana ranked No. 21 and No. 27, putting us right around the middle of the pack. Not terrible, but not exactly leading the way either.

The bigger concerns came in some of the other categories.

Photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash

Montana Falls Behind Neighboring States In Overall Rankings

Healthcare was Montana's lowest ranking, coming in at No. 41. Infrastructure wasn't much better at No. 33, and our crime and corrections ranking landed at No. 38.

One ranking that might make some people raise an eyebrow is the natural environment category, where Montana came in at No. 29. Considering our national parks, public lands, and outdoor recreation opportunities, that one might surprise a few people.

The toughest part of these rankings might be looking at our neighbors. Utah ranked No. 1 overall, South Dakota came in at No. 2, North Dakota ranked No. 4, and Idaho landed at No. 7.

Montana finished at No. 29.

Of course, the things that make Montana special can't always be measured by a ranking. The mountains, the communities, and the way of life here are things you can't put a number on.

But if we want to keep calling this The Last Best Place, it's important to recognize the areas where we can continue improving.

Source: US News