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Colorado ranks 10th highest on state-by-state prosperity index

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Colorado came in 10th highest in the second annual U.S. Prosperity Index from the Legatum Institute, based on growth, economic performance and quality-of-life indicators among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The analysis ranks the states and Washington, D.C., using 11 pillars of prosperity, including “Inclusive Societies” and “Personal Freedom.” Colorado ranked 35th on “Safety & Security,” fifth on “Business Environment” and ninth in the education category.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, prosperity had been on the upswing for 10 years in all states, with the exception of Alaska, the Legatum Institute report found. But the increase in prosperity was uneven, with northern states doing better than those in the South, according to the analysis.

The last 10 years marked the longest period of economic expansion in U.S. history, researchers said, with most states becoming more efficient and competitive and building up their financial reserves.

State Rankings on 2020 Prosperity Index Indicators

State

Overall Prosperity

Inclusive Societies

Safety & Security

Personal Freedom

Business Environment

Education

Massachusetts

1

3

9

2

3

1

Connecticut

2

2

6

1

13

6

Minnesota

3

7

14

22

16

7

New Hampshire

4

6

2

7

9

5

Washington

5

11

29

11

14

11

Utah

6

4

17

6

8

15

District of Columbia

7

18

51

3

4

4

Vermont

8

5

3

8

27

3

New York

9

29

11

16

2

21

Colorado

10

13

35

12

5

9

New Jersey

11

21

5

13

28

2

Wisconsin

12

9

15

29

10

16

North Dakota

13

15

18

17

34

24

Iowa

14

8

10

14

41

14

Maryland

15

22

34

18

25

10

Nebraska

16

12

19

30

19

13

Rhode Island

17

10

7

4

39

25

Maine

18

1

1

10

31

22

Virginia

19

19

12

35

18

8

Delaware

20

28

27

34

24

31

Illinois

21

24

32

9

7

19

Pennsylvania

22

32

21

23

1

12

Oregon

23

16

24

20

45

30

Hawaii

24

14

20

19

51

34

Wyoming

25

23

8

15

40

17

California

26

34

38

25

35

40

Idaho

27

17

4

33

29

38

South Dakota

28

27

16

42

32

26

Michigan

29

25

31

27

26

18

Florida

30

40

36

21

38

29

North Carolina

31

39

33

44

17

32

Montana

32

20

23

28

20

28

Indiana

33

31

28

31

11

23

Kansas

34

35

37

24

12

27

Ohio

35

33

25

46

21

20

Texas

36

43

39

45

15

41

Missouri

37

42

43

49

6

33

Georgia

38

48

30

51

23

35

Arizona

39

36

40

32

42

43

Alaska

40

30

47

26

48

44

Tennessee

41

41

44

48

22

36

South Carolina

42

44

46

43

37

37

Kentucky

43

37

22

37

30

39

New Mexico

44

38

49

5

43

51

Alabama

45

46

42

47

33

47

Nevada

46

51

50

39

49

50

West Virginia

47

26

13

40

50

49

Oklahoma

48

49

41

41

36

42

Louisiana

49

50

48

36

46

48

Arkansas

50

47

45

50

47

45

Mississippi

51

45

26

38

44

46

Source: Legatum Institute’s 2020 Prosperity Index