FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — U.S. News & World Report recently released its annual “Best States Rankings,” and Arkansas dropped for the second time in the last three years.
The report, released annually, ranks all 50 states in multiple categories, including crime and corrections, economy, education, fiscal stability, healthcare, infrastructure, natural environment and opportunity.
Arkansas came in ranked as the 45th best state, according to the 2026 edition of the rankings.
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Here’s where Arkansas’ 2026 rankings in each category compared to previous editions dating back to 2017:
Utah topped the list for the fourth consecutive year, with South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota and Nebraska rounding out the top five…