• No two states' economies are the same.
• A recent WalletHub study ranked the economies of every state and Washington, DC, from worst to best.
• Massachusetts topped the list overall, while South Dakota ranked no. 1 in economic health.

California's economy is the fourth largest in the world, having passed Japan's last year and trailing only the US, China, and Germany in terms of GDP.

But GDP metrics don't always tell the full story of what conditions are like for the people and businesses located there.

A recent WalletHub study ranked all US states and Washington, DC, on their economies by evaluating their performance in 28 different economic indicators. These metrics made up three overall categories: economic activity, economic health, and innovation potential.

Economic activity was measured by factors including the state's change in GDP from 2024 to 2025, its share of fast-growing companies, and exports per capita. Economic health included the state's unemployment rate, foreclosure rate, and fiscal health. Innovation potential was measured by the share of jobs in high-tech industries, entrepreneurial activity, and other indicators.

WalletHub then calculated each state's weighted average across the three dimensions, which provided the basis for its overall ranking. The study drew on data from a range of sources, including the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Bureau of Economic Analysis.

While the study doesn't paint the full picture of the economic conditions for residents, it may indicate the states where workers might have more job opportunities and where businesses have strong growth potential. WalletHub added that its analysis also shows "which states are pulling the most weight in moving the US economy forward."

"A strong state economy doesn't guarantee success for the state's residents, but it certainly makes financial success more attainable," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the study.

Here's the list of every US state and Washington, DC, ranked by their economies, from worst to best.

51. West Virginia

Economic Activity Rank: 51

Economic Health Rank: 30

Innovation Potential Rank: 51

50. Kentucky

Economic Activity Rank: 43

Economic Health Rank: 38

Innovation Potential Rank: 50

49. Louisiana

Economic Activity Rank: 37

Economic Health Rank: 48

Innovation Potential Rank: 47

48. Maine

Economic Activity Rank: 50

Economic Health Rank: 25

Innovation Potential Rank: 41

47. Rhode Island

Economic Activity Rank: 49

Economic Health Rank: 35

Innovation Potential Rank: 31

46. Wyoming

Economic Activity Rank: 46

Economic Health Rank: 20

Innovation Potential Rank: 44

45. Mississippi

Economic Activity Rank: 34

Economic Health Rank: 32

Innovation Potential Rank: 45

44. Hawaii

Economic Activity Rank: 30

Economic Health Rank: 14

Innovation Potential Rank: 49

43. Oklahoma

Economic Activity Rank: 39

Economic Health Rank: 23

Innovation Potential Rank: 40

42. Missouri

Economic Activity Rank: 44

Economic Health Rank: 33

Innovation Potential Rank: 32

41. South Dakota

Economic Activity Rank: 47

Economic Health Rank: 1

Innovation Potential Rank: 48

40. North Dakota

Economic Activity Rank: 48

Economic Health Rank: 5

Innovation Potential Rank: 38

39. Iowa

Economic Activity Rank: 45

Economic Health Rank: 29

Innovation Potential Rank: 28

38. Ohio

Economic Activity Rank: 32

Economic Health Rank: 44

Innovation Potential Rank: 33

37. Illinois

Economic Activity Rank: 27

Economic Health Rank: 50

Innovation Potential Rank: 26

36. Arkansas

Economic Activity Rank: 24

Economic Health Rank: 15

Innovation Potential Rank: 46

35. Nevada

Economic Activity Rank: 21

Economic Health Rank: 34

Innovation Potential Rank: 43

34. Nebraska

Economic Activity Rank: 40

Economic Health Rank: 7

Innovation Potential Rank: 37

33. Washington, DC

Economic Activity Rank: 25

Economic Health Rank: 51

Innovation Potential Rank: 14

32. Alaska

Economic Activity Rank: 14

Economic Health Rank: 42

Innovation Potential Rank: 42

31. Wisconsin

Economic Activity Rank: 41

Economic Health Rank: 26

Innovation Potential Rank: 18

30. Pennsylvania

Economic Activity Rank: 29

Economic Health Rank: 41

Innovation Potential Rank: 16

29. Vermont

Economic Activity Rank: 38

Economic Health Rank: 28

Innovation Potential Rank: 21

28. Alabama

Economic Activity Rank: 26

Economic Health Rank: 22

Innovation Potential Rank: 34

27. Michigan

Economic Activity Rank: 42

Economic Health Rank: 46

Innovation Potential Rank: 11

26. New Mexico

Economic Activity Rank: 36

Economic Health Rank: 36

Innovation Potential Rank: 13

25. New Jersey

Economic Activity Rank: 23

Economic Health Rank: 47

Innovation Potential Rank: 15

24. Oregon

Economic Activity Rank: 33

Economic Health Rank: 45

Innovation Potential Rank: 8

23. Kansas

Economic Activity Rank: 20

Economic Health Rank: 13

Innovation Potential Rank: 30

22. Indiana

Economic Activity Rank: 13

Economic Health Rank: 39

Innovation Potential Rank: 27

21. Minnesota

Economic Activity Rank: 28

Economic Health Rank: 12

Innovation Potential Rank: 20

20. Maryland

Economic Activity Rank: 35

Economic Health Rank: 43

Innovation Potential Rank: 4

19. Montana

Economic Activity Rank: 17

Economic Health Rank: 6

Innovation Potential Rank: 35

18. South Carolina

Economic Activity Rank: 11

Economic Health Rank: 17

Innovation Potential Rank: 39

17. Tennessee

Economic Activity Rank: 12

Economic Health Rank: 3

Innovation Potential Rank: 36

16. Connecticut

Economic Activity Rank: 22

Economic Health Rank: 40

Innovation Potential Rank: 7

15. Arizona

Economic Activity Rank: 16

Economic Health Rank: 16

Innovation Potential Rank: 23

14. Virginia

Economic Activity Rank: 18

Economic Health Rank: 9

Innovation Potential Rank: 19

13. New Hampshire

Economic Activity Rank: 31

Economic Health Rank: 10

Innovation Potential Rank: 6

12. Georgia

Economic Activity Rank: 10

Economic Health Rank: 21

Innovation Potential Rank: 25

11. Idaho

Economic Activity Rank: 19

Economic Health Rank: 2

Innovation Potential Rank: 17

10. Florida

Economic Activity Rank: 6

Economic Health Rank: 19

Innovation Potential Rank: 29

9. Colorado

Economic Activity Rank: 15

Economic Health Rank: 24

Innovation Potential Rank: 5

8. Texas

Economic Activity Rank: 7

Economic Health Rank: 11

Innovation Potential Rank: 24

7. New York

Economic Activity Rank: 4

Economic Health Rank: 31

Innovation Potential Rank: 22

6. North Carolina

Economic Activity Rank: 9

Economic Health Rank: 8

Innovation Potential Rank: 9

5. Delaware

Economic Activity Rank: 1

Economic Health Rank: 27

Innovation Potential Rank: 10

4. California

Economic Activity Rank: 2

Economic Health Rank: 49

Innovation Potential Rank: 3

3. Utah

Economic Activity Rank: 3

Economic Health Rank: 4

Innovation Potential Rank: 12

2. Washington

Economic Activity Rank: 8

Economic Health Rank: 18

Innovation Potential Rank: 2

1. Massachusetts

Economic Activity Rank: 5

Economic Health Rank: 37

Innovation Potential Rank: 1

Read the original article on Business Insider