#Colorado
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| Michael Yearout Photography |
Colorado hung onto its No. 10 spot in U.S. News' third annual ranking of the "Best States."
The report evaluates how all 50 states are serving residents in 71 metrics across eight categories: education, health care, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and environment.
For the second year, the Centennial State ranked No. 1 in the "economy" category.
"Historically, the state has been rich in agriculture, livestock and mineral extraction," U.S. News writes.
"In addition to tourism, the state's economy is bolstered by a developing technology scene and a presence from the military, including the U.S. Air Force Academy."
For the first time, Washington topped the list, followed by New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah and Vermont.
At the bottom was Louisiana.
Here's how Colorado fared in all eight categories:
- Health care: 12
- Education: 11
- Economy: 1
- Infrastructure: 8
- Opportunity: 28
- Fiscal responsibility: 29
- Crime and corrections: 29
- Natural environment: 31
The low mark in "environment" was based in part on a ranking of 44th in air quality and 20th in pollution.
