When it comes to economic performance and financial management, states in the West are fairly typical. Or so says a study whose results were recently published on the Atlantic magazine’s website.
Factors considered ranged from violent crime rates and median income to employment trends. To quote from the article, “well-run states have a great deal in common with well-run companies: Books are kept balanced. Investment is prudent. Debt is sustainable. Innovation is prized. Workers are properly recruited and well-trained. Executives are chosen on the basis of merit.”
Wyoming ranked first, “with the highest high school completion rate, sixth lowest debt per capita and second lowest poverty rate. But there are blemishes. Wyoming ranks 19th in median income and 32nd in health coverage.”
Also in the top 10 was Utah at 6th, mostly on account of its steady economy and low unemployment rate.
At the other end of the scale was Kentucky, dead last at 50th, preceded by two Western states: Arizona at 48th and California at 49th. Nevada, at 41st, was also in the bottom 10.
Colorado finished right in the middle at 25th. As for other Western states, Washington was 15th, Oregon 27th, Idaho 28th, Montana 30th, and New Mexico 37th,
So the West has two top performers, a few near the bottom, and many in the middle — that makes us fairly typical. As for other regions, New England and the upper Midwest (with the notable exception of Michigan at 47th) generally did well, while many Southern states (Virginia at 7th was an exception) fared poorly.
Ed Quillen is a freelance writer in Salida, Colorado.
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