
Where did Oregon rank on US News & World Report's list of best states in US?
Oregon was ranked 35th on U.S. News & World Report's list for the 2025 best states in the U.S.
The digital media company conducted a study determining which U.S. states were the best based on each state's health care, education, economics, infrastructure, public safety, government, environment, and opportunities.
The state's ranking was a drop from its 2024 ranking as the 31st best state in the U.S.
According to the study, Oregon stretches more than 98,379 square miles and has a population of around 4,272,371.
The study found that 47% of Oregonians are college educated. It noted the state's overall median income is $45,295.
Oregon's gross domestic product is $331 billion and is among the most trade-dependent states, U.S. News & World Report said.
"The state's greenhouse and nursery products, cattle and calves, milk, hay, grass seed and wheat also generate significant revenue," the report said.
Oregon ranked fifth for infrastructure, 17th for health care, 22nd for fiscal stability, 37th for economy, 39th for opportunity, 41st for education, 44th for natural environment and 44th for crime and corrections.
Oregon's highest ranking was for infrastructure, which looked at a state's use of renewable energy, the quality of its roads and bridges, and its residents' access to high-speed internet.
Oregon's lowest ranking was for crime and corrections, which looks at corrections and outcomes and public safety.
U.S. News & World Report calculated its rankings for the 2025 best states in the U.S. by evaluating the performance of each state using 71 metrics across eight categories. Each category was weighted based on three years of national survey data.
To see U.S. News & World Report's full methodology, go to usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/methodology.
Here is U.S. News & World Report's full list of the 2025 best states in the U.S.
No. 1: Utah
No. 2: New Hampshire
No. 3: Idaho
No. 4: Minnesota
No. 5: Nebraska
No. 6: Florida
No. 7: Vermont
No. 8: South Dakota
No. 9: Massachusetts
No. 10: Washington
No. 11: Colorado
No. 12: North Dakota
No. 13: North Carolina
No. 14: Iowa
No. 15: Connecticut
No. 16: Virginia
No. 17: Wisconsin
No. 18: Delaware
No. 19: New Jersey
No. 20: Maryland
No. 21: Georgia
No. 22: New York
No. 23: Wyoming
No. 24: Rhode Island
No. 25: Kansas
No. 26: Montana
No. 27: Maine
No. 28: Hawaii
No 29: Texas
No. 30: Arizona
No. 31: Missouri
No. 32: Tennessee
No. 33: Indiana
No. 34: Nevada
No. 35: Oregon
No. 36: Illinois
No. 37: California
No. 38: Ohio
No. 39: Kentucky
No. 40: South Carolina
No. 41: Pennsylvania
No. 42: Oklahoma
No. 43: Michigan
No. 44: Arkansas
No. 45: Alabama
No. 46: West Virginia
No. 47: New Mexico
No. 48: Mississippi
No. 49: Alaska
No. 50: Louisiana
Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon ranked 35th on US News & World Report list for best US states
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