The Old Dominion scored a major ranking in this year's U.S. News & World Report's Best State Rankings list.
According to the ranking, Virginia ranked at #7 on the list, surpassed by Maryland, Vermont, Utah, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Washington.
Virginia made a 13-spot jump from 20th in 2018.
U.S News scores each state by drawing on thousands of data points to measure how well states perform in the areas of health care, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and natural environment.
Virginia scored highest in the areas of infrastructure, economy, natural environment, and health care. Our lowest scored area was in education.
The report cites that more weight is given to some areas than others depending on the results of a survey of what matters most to state citizens.
Check out the ranking here.
Governor Ralph Northam released the following statement about the 13-spot jump:
“In Virginia, we are laser-focused on growing and diversifying our economy, driving innovation, and bringing jobs and prosperity to all corners of the Commonwealth—and as a result, we are making steady progress toward restoring Virginia’s standing as the top-ranked business destination in the country. Virginia’s rise to from 20th to 7th in the U.S. News Best States ranking is evidence that our priorities of expanding healthcare, investing in education, and creating economic opportunity are paying off. I look forward to building on this momentum with our state, local, and regional partners across the Commonwealth.”
