U.S. News and World Report’s annual Best States ranking gave Connecticut a third-place finish in healthcare and a sixth-place finish in crime and corrections
The state placed 18th overall, with rankings in education, environment and the economy also landing in the top half of the country
CNBC separately ranked Connecticut in the top five for education and quality of life in its own July rankings
U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking of the best states gave Connecticut two top-six rankings, with all but two of the state’s category rankings placing in the top half of the country.
Connecticut ranked third in the nation for the strength of its health care systems, with high marks for access, quality and public health. The state’s population without health insurance stood at 8.6%, down from the national average of 11.3%, and its obesity rate was about 2.3% below the national average.
Connecticut also placed sixth nationally on crime, driven by a top-five ranking in public safety and strong results on corrections outcomes. The state’s incarceration rate is more than 40% below the national average, and its violent crime rate is more than 60% below the national average. Nationally, violent crime affects 359 of every 100,000 residents; in Connecticut, that rate is 136 per 100,000.
Overall, Connecticut placed 18th nationally, with several other category rankings landing near that mark. The state’s education system ranked 14th in the country, driven by a third-place finish for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade but a 48th-place finish for higher education.
The state’s high college readiness, preschool enrollment and reading performance among students drove the K-12 ranking. The higher education ranking, by contrast, was weighed down by the state’s two-year college graduation rate and the cost of college; the report did not factor in the quality of colleges and universities in each state.
Connecticut also placed 16th for its natural environment, with much lower rates of unhealthy air quality and industrial toxins in the air compared with other states, and 18th for its economy, based in part on a business environment that the report said provides opportunities for companies, including a state’s private equity presence.
Separately in July, CNBC’s rankings of the best states placed Connecticut in the top five for education and quality of life, the state’s best-ever finish in that ranking at 23rd overall.
By Joe O’Leary
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