PODCAST:
July 31, 2026 ~ Michigan ranked 46th in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best States rankings, dragged down by challenges in education, infrastructure, and the economy. Matt Friedman joins Kevin Dietz to examine why the state performed so poorly and what leaders must do to improve Michigan’s standing.
MICHIGAN ~ A national ranking of all 50 U.S. states by how great it is to live in them was released this week, and it put Michigan down at 46th place.
The 2026 Best States rankings from U.S. News & World Report assessed the performance of U.S. states by using 71 metrics across eight categories: education, healthcare, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, natural environment, and crime and corrections. Michigan ranked particularly poorly in education (ranked 45th), economy (ranked 43rd), and infrastructure (ranked 42nd). Michigan’s best ranking was in heallthcare, ranked 24th.
