1st Annual Most Improved State

MOST IMPROVED STATE AWARD, 1ST EDITION
ALPHA ORDER			RANK ORDER
RANK	STATE	SCORE	RANK	STATE	SCORE
7	Alabama	30.17	1	California	35.33
45	Alaska	19.42	2	Georgia	34.42
19	Arizona	27.08	3	Maryland	32.75
40	Arkansas	22.08	3	New Hampshire	32.75
1	California	35.33	5	Minnesota	32.50
22	Colorado	26.50	6	New Jersey	30.42
21	Connecticut	26.67	7	Alabama	30.17
9	Delaware	28.33	8	Texas	29.09
17	Florida	27.50	9	Delaware	28.33
2	Georgia	34.42	10	Nevada	28.17
48	Hawaii	18.17	11	Louisiana	28.08
31	Idaho	24.33	12	Missouri	28.00
26	Illinois	25.67	12	South Carolina	28.00
15	Indiana	27.75	12	Virginia	28.00
31	Iowa	24.33	15	Indiana	27.75
34	Kansas	24.17	16	Massachusetts	27.67
20	Kentucky	26.75	17	Florida	27.50
11	Louisiana	28.08	18	New York	27.17
27	Maine	25.50	19	Arizona	27.08
3	Maryland	32.75	20	Kentucky	26.75
16	Massachusetts	27.67	21	Connecticut	26.67
35	Michigan	23.83	22	Colorado	26.50
5	Minnesota	32.50	23	Ohio	26.25
25	Mississippi	26.17	23	Rhode Island	26.25
12	Missouri	28.00	25	Mississippi	26.17
49	Montana	16.08	26	Illinois	25.67
50	Nebraska	15.08	27	Maine	25.50
10	Nevada	28.17	27	South Dakota	25.50
3	New Hampshire	32.75	29	Pennsylvania	25.17
6	New Jersey	30.42	29	Utah	25.17
36	New Mexico	23.67	31	Idaho	24.33
18	New York	27.17	31	Iowa	24.33
47	North Carolina	18.83	31	Tennessee	24.33
42	North Dakota	21.17	34	Kansas	24.17
23	Ohio	26.25	35	Michigan	23.83
38	Oklahoma	23.17	36	New Mexico	23.67
36	Oregon	23.67	36	Oregon	23.67
29	Pennsylvania	25.17	38	Oklahoma	23.17
23	Rhode Island	26.25	39	Wyoming	22.17
12	South Carolina	28.00	40	Arkansas	22.08
27	South Dakota	25.50	41	West Virginia	21.75
31	Tennessee	24.33	42	North Dakota	21.17
8	Texas	29.09	43	Wisconsin	19.92
29	Utah	25.17	44	Vermont	19.67
44	Vermont	19.67	45	Alaska	19.42
12	Virginia	28.00	46	Washington	19.00
46	Washington	19.00	47	North Carolina	18.83
41	West Virginia	21.75	48	Hawaii	18.17
43	Wisconsin	19.92	49	Montana	16.08
39	Wyoming	22.17	50	Nebraska	15.08

METHODOLOGY: To determine a state's Improvement Score, each state's rankings for 12 factors were averaged. The scale is 1 to 50, the higher the number, the better. Data used are for the most recent 10-year period for which comparable numbers are available from most states. All factors were given equal weight. States with no data available for a given category were ranked based only on the remaining factors. In our book, data are listed from highest to lowest. However, for purposes of this award, we inverted rankings for those factors we determined to be "positive." Thus the state with the greatest improvement in median household income in the book (ranking 1st) would be given a number 50 ranking for this award.

The results shown in the table above reflect the improvement in a state, not how a state would rank if current data for the 12 factors were used. Because of this confusion we have another page that has two additional tables. One table shows how each state would have ranked 10 years ago if the 12 factors were used to compare the states and the second table shows how the states would rank if the most recent data were used to rank the states. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THIS ADDITIONAL PAGE

Which State Is The Most Improved?

"1" is Most Improved