The US is a massive, complex economy, and so too are the component economies of the 50 states and Washington, DC, that make up the whole.
Business Insider combined six measures of labor-market and general economic health for all the states and the District of Columbia. They are the unemployment rate, job growth, per-capita GDP, GDP growth, average weekly wages, and wage growth. By putting all those on a common scale and combining them, we came up with an overall score for each state’s economy.
Click here to see our detailed sources and methods.
Here’s how the economy of each state and DC is doing right now, along with one of each state’s official symbols, according to Wikipedia – just for fun:
51. South Dakota
South Dakota was only one of two states with negative GDP growth in Q4 2017, with the state's GDP declining by 0.5%. The state's April 2018 average weekly wage of $754 was fourth-lowest in the country, but its unemployment rate of 3.4% was lower than the average rate of 4.0% among the states and DC.
50. North Dakota
North Dakota had the worst year-over-year change in its labor market among the 50 states and DC, with the number of non-farm payroll jobs declining by 1.8% between April 2017 and April 2018. The state also had the worst economic growth, with GDP falling 1.3% in Q4 2017.
49. Mississippi
Mississippi's Q4 2017 GDP per capita of $37,997 and April 2018 average weekly wage of $709 were both the lowest among the states and DC.
48. New Mexico
New Mexico's April 2018 unemployment rate of 5.4% was tied for third-highest among the 50 states and DC, while its average weekly wage of $744 was third-lowest.
47. Kentucky
Kentucky had the sixth-lowest rate of jobs growth among the 50 states and DC, with non-farm payroll jobs increasing just 0.4% between April 2017 and April 2018. The state's Q4 2017 GDP per capita of $46,234 was the seventh-lowest in the country.
46. Delaware
Delaware's Q4 2017 GDP growth of 0.2% was the fourth-lowest among the 50 states and DC, and its average hourly wage growth of 0.8% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the fifth-lowest. However, the state's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $77,945 was the fourth-highest in the country.
45. Alaska
Alaska's April 2018 unemployment rate of 7.3% was the highest among the 50 states and DC, and it was one of the only two states to lose jobs between April 2017 and April 2018, with non-farm payroll employment declining by 0.2%.
44. Arkansas
Arkansas' Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $42,028 and April 2018 average weekly wage of $743 were both the second-lowest among the 50 states and DC.
43. Montana
Montana's job growth rate of 0.6% between April 2017 and April 2018, its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $46,268, and its April 2018 average weekly wage of $790 were all the eighth-lowest among the 50 states and DC.
42. Iowa
Iowa's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 0.7% was the fifth-lowest among the 50 states and DC, and its wage growth rate of 1.0% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the sixth-lowest. On the bright side, the state's 2.8% unemployment rate in April 2018 was the fifth-best in the country.
41. West Virginia
West Virginia's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $43,377 was the fourth-lowest among the 50 states and DC, and its April 2018 unemployment rate of 5.4% was tied for third-highest.
40. Minnesota
Minnesota was one of only two states with negative wage growth, with the state's average weekly wage declining 0.4% between April 2017 and April 2018. Minnesota's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 1.5% was also somewhat below the average rate of 2.3% among the 50 states and DC.
39. Michigan
Michigan's April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.7% was tied for eighth-highest in the country. The state's April 2018 average weekly wage of $885 was slightly below the average of $908 among the 50 states and DC.
38. New York
While New York's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $78,810 was the second-highest among the 50 states and DC, its flat GDP growth rate of 0.0% during that quarter was the third-lowest.
37. Ohio
Ohio's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $56,703 was a bit below the average of $60,263 among the 50 states and DC, while its 4.1% wage growth between April 2017 and April 2018 was a bit above the average growth rate of 3.3%.
36. Nebraska
Nebraska's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 0.9% was the sixth-lowest among the states and DC, and its April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.8% was tied for fifth-lowest.
Nebraska fell pretty far since our last ranking of the state economies earlier this year, when it came in as the eighth-best economy in the country on the strength of high wage growth in that quarter.
35. Vermont
While Vermont had the third-lowest rate of job growth among the states and DC, with non-farm payroll jobs increasing just 0.2% between April 2017 and April 2018, the state's April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.8% was tied for fifth-best.
34. Alabama
Alabama's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $43,880 was the fifth-lowest among the states and DC. The state's April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.8% was slightly lower than the average rate of 4.0%.
33. New Hampshire
New Hampshire was one of only two states to see negative wage growth, with the average weekly wage falling 1.8% between April 2017 and April 2018. On the bright side, the state's April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.6% was tied for second-best among the 50 states and DC.
32. Missouri
Missouri's April 2018 average weekly wage of $838 was a bit below the average of $908 among the 50 states and DC, while its April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.6% was a bit better than the average rate of 4.0%.
31. Oklahoma
Oklahoma's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.3% was the sixth-highest among the states and DC, but its average weekly wage growth rate of 1.0% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the seventh-lowest.
30. Louisiana
Louisiana's average weekly wage growth of 4.9% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the ninth-highest among the states and DC, but its April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.5% was above the average rate of 4.0%.
28. Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.7% was tied for eighth-highest in the country, and its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $59,941 was close to the average per capita GDP of $60,263 among the 50 states and DC.
28. Nevada
Nevada had the fastest job growth among the 50 states and DC, with the number of non-farm payroll jobs increasing 3.4% between April 2017 and April 2018. However, the state's April 2018 average weekly wage of $783 was the sixth-lowest in the country.
27. Connecticut
Connecticut's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $74,098 was the fifth-highest among the 50 states and DC, and its April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,086 was fourth-highest. However, the state's non-farm payroll job growth rate of 0.5% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the seventh-lowest.
26. Arizona
Arizona's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.1% was the eighth-highest among the states and DC, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 2.2% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the seventh-highest. However, the state's April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.9% was tied for fifth-worst.
25. Maine
Maine's April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.7% was the fourth-lowest among the states and DC, and its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $46,799 was the tenth-lowest.
24. Kansas
Kansas' non-farm payroll job growth rate of 1.4% between April 2017 and April 2018 was just above the average rate among the states and DC of 1.3%, and its Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 2.3% was equal to the average rate.
23. Tennessee
Tennessee's April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.4% was below the average rate among the states and DC of 4.0%, but its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $52,407 was somewhat lower than the average of $60,263.
22. Illinois
Illinois' non-farm payroll job growth rate of 0.9% between April 2017 and April 2018 was a bit below the average rate of 1.3% among the 50 states and DC, but its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $65,274 was somewhat above the average of $60,263.
21. Oregon
Oregon's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.7% was the third-highest among the states and DC, but its average weekly wage growth of 1.1% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the eighth-lowest.
20. North Carolina
North Carolina's April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.4% was higher than the average rate among the states and DC of 4.0%, and its Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 2.9% was higher than the average rate of 2.3%.
19. New Jersey
New Jersey's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $66,840 was the eleventh-highest among the states and DC, and its April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,023 was the eighth-highest.
18. Virginia
Virginia's April 2018 average weekly wage of $994 was the tenth-highest in the country, and its unemployment rate of 3.3% was well below the average rate of 4.0% among the 50 states and DC.
17. Rhode Island
Rhode Island's 5.3% average weekly wage growth between April 2017 and April 2018 was the seventh-highest in the country, but its April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.5% was higher than the average rate among the 50 states and DC of 4.0%.
16. Wyoming
Wyoming's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $71,403 was the eighth-highest in the country, while its April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.8% was just below the average rate among the 50 states and DC of 4.0%.
15. Indiana
Indiana's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 2.7% was a bit higher than the average rate of 2.4% among the 50 states and DC, while its April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.2% was below the average 4.0% rate.
14. Maryland
Maryland's April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,042 was the sixth-highest among the 50 states and DC, and its wage growth rate of 7.5% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the highest.
13. South Carolina
South Carolina's average weekly wage growth rate of 6.4% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the fourth-highest among the states and DC, but its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $44,228 was the sixth-lowest.
12. Florida
Florida's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.7% was the third-highest among the states and DC, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 2.1% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the ninth-highest.
11. Georgia
Georgia's average weekly wage growth rate of 6.0% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the sixth-highest in the country, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 1.5% over that year was slightly above the average rate of 1.3% among the 50 states and DC.
10. Wisconsin
Wisconsin's April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.8% was tied for fifth-lowest among the states and DC, and its Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.1% was tied for eighth-highest.
9. Utah
Utah's non-farm payroll job growth rate of 3.3% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the third-highest in the country, and its April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.1% was well below the average rate among the 50 states and DC of 4.0%.
8. Massachusetts
Massachusetts' Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $78,300 and April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,116 were both the third-highest among the 50 states and DC.
7. California
California's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.4% was the fifth-highest among the states and DC, as was its April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,073.
6. Idaho
Idaho's non-farm payroll job growth rate of 3.3% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the second-highest among the states and DC, as was its Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 4.8%.
Idaho fared much better in this quarter's ranking than in our first-quarter ranking of the state economies, when it came in at number 20.
5. Hawaii
Hawaii's 2.0% unemployment rate in April 2018 was the lowest among the 50 states and DC, and its average weekly wage growth rate of 6.1% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the fifth-highest.
4. Texas
Texas' Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 5.2% was the highest among the 50 states and DC, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 2.7% between April 2017 and April 2018 was fifth-highest.
3. Colorado
Colorado's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.2% was the seventh-highest among the states and DC, and its April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.9% was the ninth-lowest.
2. Washington
Washington state's April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,168 was the second-highest among the states and DC, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 2.8% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the fourth-highest.
1. Washington, DC
The District of Columbia's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $193,091 and April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,552 were far and away the highest in the country. However, DC's April 2018 unemployment rate of 5.6% was the second-highest among the states and DC.
