Maryland ranked 21st overall in U.S. News & World Report’s newly released 2026 Best States rankings, placing just behind neighboring Virginia, which came in at 19th.
The annual rankings evaluate how well each state serves its residents using thousands of data points across eight categories. According to U.S. News, healthcare and education carry the greatest weight, followed by the economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, public safety, and natural environment.
Maryland received its highest marks in Healthcare (#5) and Natural Environment (#5). The state also ranked 24th in both Education and Infrastructure. Other category rankings included Opportunity (#27), Crime & Corrections (#33), Fiscal Stability (#34), and Economy (#37).
According to U.S. News, Maryland has a population of 6,265,347, covers 12,406 square miles, has a gross domestic product of $568.1 billion, a median household income of $102,905, and the nation’s highest percentage of college-educated residents at 51.3%.
The rankings are based on what Americans say matters most when evaluating their quality of life, with healthcare and education receiving the greatest emphasis in the overall score. Full rankings can be seen here.
