Illinois ranked No. 30 in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of best states in the country. It also ranks among the top 20 states in the education, opportunity and crime and corrections categories.

States were ranked in 71 metrics across eight main categories: health care, education, economies, infrastructure and opportunities; as well as fiscal stability, crime and corrections; and the state’s natural environment. Health care and education weighted most heavily in the survey, according to the report. 

Illinois also ranked 23rd in health care, 11th in education, 39th for economy, 26th for infrastructure, 12th for opportunity, 50th for fiscal stability, 16th for crime and corrections and 43rd for natural environment. 

In 2019 and in 2018, Illinois ranked No. 35. In 2017, Illinois broke the top 30 coming in at No. 29 in the annual report. There were no rankings in 2020 due to COVID.