By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD — U.S. News and World Reports annual ranking of states finds New Hampshire in sixth place, but is ranked number one for the safest state and for economic opportunity, although sixth for overall opportunities for its residents and businesses.
“New Hampshire is the safest state in the nation thanks to the dedicated first responders who protect and serve our communities every day,” said Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte. “I’m grateful for their efforts and proud of the work we’ve done together — we’ve fixed our bail system, strengthened protections for victims of crimes like domestic violence and human trafficking, restored retirement benefits for first responders, and more.”
Utah is ranked the best state in the country, followed by South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota and Nebraska.
The bottom five are Michigan, New Mexico, Mississippi, Alaska and Louisiana.
Other New England states’ rankings are: Vermont, 10; Massachusetts, 11; Connecticut, 18; Maine, 27, and Rhode Island, 33.
U.S. News & World Report uses 71 metrics across eight categories to assess a state’s performance. The data behind the rankings aims to show how well states serve their residents in a variety of ways, the magazine states.
In calculating the rankings, each of the eight categories was assigned weights based on the average of three years of data from national surveys that asks tens of thousands of people to prioritize various issues in their state.
The rankings for New Hampshire expose some of its strengths and its weaknesses.
For example the rankings find the state has the best economic opportunities for its citizens, but affordability is a major concern as is the price of energy.
While it ranks number 1 in the country for internet access, it lacks public transportation for many of its citizens.
While the state’s public education system performs well, its lack of support for its public university system hurts its ranking along with high student debt upon graduation.
And while the state may be a mecca for business executives who are shielded from a state income tax, its antiquated tax system leads to fiscal instability, lacking the resources to respond to a significant economic downturn.
The largest factor in the ranking was education, including elementary, secondary and higher education categories, and health care based on access, quality and public health.
The economy is the third highest ranking including business environment, employment and growth, followed by infrastructure including energy, internet access and transportation.
The fifth ranked category is opportunity including affordability, economic opportunity and equality, followed by fiscal stability, including long-term and short-term.
The seventh most important ranking is natural environment including air and water quality and pollution, and the final category is crime, including corrections outcome and public safety.
For education, New Hampshire ranked 12th in the country, with its elementary and secondary education ranked fourth and higher education ranked 40th in the country.
New Hampshire’s health care ranking is ninth, with access 4, public health 10, but quality 34 in the country.
For the economy, New Hampshire is ranked only 32 in the country, with employment 13, business environment 19 and growth next to last at 49. The magazine notes the state’s low job growth and lack of venture capital investment, while its population migration numbers are about the national average.
New Hampshire’s infrastructure ranked 18, with internet access number 1 in the country, but energy 39 and transportation 41.
For opportunities, the state is ranked 6, with economic opportunity 1, equality 4, but affordability 41. The magazine notes the state’s costs of living is well above the national average, while median household income is also above the national average while the poverty level is below the national average,
The state’s worst ranking came in the fiscal stability category where the state ranks 36. Its long term stability ranking is 33 and short term ranking is 38.
The magazine notes the state has a stable bond rating, is about average in budget balancing, but its liquidity is well below the national average.
As you would expect, the state’s national environment ranking was number 3 in the country with air and water quality at 15 and pollution at 2.
Days with unhealthy air are well below the national average, but drinking water violations are well above the national average. The state is well below the national average for industrial toxins.
The state is ranked number one in the crime and corrections category, ranking 3 in corrections outcomes and 1 in crime.
The adult and juvenile incarceration and violent crime rates are all well below the national average.
New Hampshire and other smaller more rural states tend to do better than the largest and more industrialized states in the annual ranking by the magazine.
Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.