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Each state's infrastructure, ranked worst to best

Each state's infrastructure, ranked worst to best

Roya Shahidi Business 25 Sep, 2026 Americas

Infrastructure has a big impact on the quality of day-to-day life. Some states have slower internet, longer commutes, and more expensive electricity.

Downtown Portland skyline stretches below snow-covered Mount Hood under a clear blue sky.
Oregon was ranked among the states with one of the best infrastructure systems in the country.

Brooke Tierney/Getty Images

  • Slow internet, long commutes, and expensive electricity are often beyond our control.
  • Yet, these daily inconveniences can make a massive impact on your quality of life.
  • US News & World Report ranked the quality of infrastructure across all 50 states.

Infrastructure has a big impact on the quality of day-to-day life.

Whether you're struggling to get around because of poor road quality, unreliable public transportation, or your neighborhood experiences frequent power outages, weak infrastructure can make everyday life more difficult.

It's also something that varies massively from state to state.

US News & World Report compiled a ranking of states with the best and worst infrastructure, which forms part of its annual ranking of the best states to live in.

To determine the quality of each state's infrastructure, US News & World Report examined three categories: energy, internet access, and transportation.

For energy, it calculated the average retail electricity price, power grid reliability, and renewable energy usage.

Internet access was analyzed by looking at the broadband subscription internet and access to high-speed broadband internet.

For transport, the metrics were commute time, bridge quality, road quality, and public transit usage. Each state was then ranked based on these metrics.

US News & World Report prioritized recent and standardized data from government sources to compile the ranking.

Here is the infrastructure quality of all 50 states, from worst to best.

50. West Virginia
Downtown Charleston skyline rises behind trees and a riverfront on a clear sunny day.
Charleston, West Virginia.

Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

Transportation: 49th

Energy: 49th

Internet access: 49th

49. Mississippi
Downtown Jackson skyline with the Mississippi State Capitol’s gold dome, office towers, trees, roads, and parking lots.
Jackson, Mississippi.

CRobertson/Getty Images

Transportation: 46th

Energy: 47th

Internet access: 48th

48. Alaska
Downtown Anchorage skyline at sunset with snow-covered mountains behind waterfront neighborhoods in the foreground.
Anchorage, Alaska.

Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images

Transportation: 12th

Energy: 48th

Internet access: 47th

47. Rhode Island
Aerial view of downtown Providence with the Providence River, pedestrian bridge, riverwalks, and skyline at sunset.
Providence, Rhode Island.

Wirestock/Getty Images

Transportation: 50th

Energy: 44th

Internet access: 36th

46. Louisiana
Nighttime New Orleans skyline with illuminated high-rises and a green-lit bridge over the Mississippi River.
New Orleans, Louisiana.

George Dodd/Getty Images

Transportation: 48th

Energy: 38th

Internet access: 44th

45. New Mexico
Albuquerque cityscape at golden hour with the Sandia Mountains rising behind downtown buildings and residential neighborhoods.
Albuquerque, New Mexico.

GummyBone/Getty Images

Transportation: 37th

Energy: 16th

Internet access: 50th

44. Hawaii
Palm trees frame a waterfront lagoon, marina, and high-rise skyline under colorful sunset clouds in Honolulu.
Honolulu, Hawaii.

Iryna Olkhova/Getty Images

Transportation: 28th

Energy: 50th

Internet access: 16th

43. Pennsylvania
Center City Philadelphia skyline rises above the Schuylkill River with bridge traffic and sunset reflections.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

f11photo/Getty Images

Transportation: 47th

Energy: 36th

Internet access: 34th

42. Michigan
Downtown Detroit skyline with the Detroit River and high-rise buildings under a partly cloudy sky.
Detroit, Michigan.

Vadym Terelyuk/Getty Images

Transportation: 38th

Energy: 37th

Internet access: 38th

41. Maine
Portland, Maine skyline with church steeples, city buildings, autumn trees, and houses lit by warm sunset.
Portland, Maine.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Transportation: 43rd

Energy: 40th

Internet access: 32nd

40. Arkansas
Curving wooden boardwalks cross a reflective river beside green parkland and a city skyline under cloudy skies.
Little Rock, Arkansas.

Brandon Olafsson/Getty Images

Transportation: 33rd

Energy: 33rd

Internet access: 41st

39. Virginia
Aerial view of a wide sandy beach lined with high-rise oceanfront buildings beside waves under a clear sky.
Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Kyle Little/Getty Images

Transportation: 34th

Energy: 28th

Internet access: 37th

38. Massachusetts
Boston waterfront skyline with boats, a cobblestone harborwalk, chain posts, and high-rise buildings along the water.
Boston, Massachusetts.

xbrchx/Getty Images

Transportation: 45th

Energy: 43rd

Internet access: 14th

37. Wisconsin
Aerial view of downtown Milwaukee skyline with surrounding neighborhoods, Lake Michigan, and the Milwaukee River at sunset.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Jon Mattrisch/Getty Images

Transportation: 31st

Energy: 12th

Internet access: 42nd

36. Wyoming
Downtown street with storefronts, traffic lights, parked cars, and a large mural reading “WYOMING HOME.”
Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Ceri Breeze/Getty Images

Transportation: 6th

Energy: 18th

Internet access: 46th

35. Missouri
Downtown Kansas City skyline rises beyond green parkland and roads in warm evening light.
Kansas City, Missouri.

Garrett Smith/Getty Images

Transportation: 36th

Energy: 22nd

Internet access: 33rd

34. New York
New York, New York.
New York, New York.

william87/Getty Images

Transportation: 32nd

Energy: 35th

Internet access: 27th

33. Montana
Downtown skyline and tree-filled neighborhoods stretch toward distant hills under a cloudy blue sky.
Billings, Montana.

George Dodd/Getty Images

Transportation: 11th

Energy: 14th

Internet access: 45th

32. California
Downtown Los Angeles skyline rises beyond palm trees and residential neighborhoods under a clear blue sky.
Los Angeles, California.

frankpeters/Getty Images

Transportation: 42nd

Energy: 46th

Internet access: 8th

31. Ohio
Columbus skyline reflects in the Scioto River at sunset with an arched bridge in the foreground.
Columbus, Ohio.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Transportation: 16th

Energy: 32nd

Internet access: 39th

30. Alabama
Dusk Over The Downtown Urban City Center of Huntsville Alabama
Dusk Over The Downtown Urban City Center of Huntsville Alabama

ChrisBoswell/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Transportation: 21st

Energy: 19th

Internet access: 40th

29. South Carolina
Aerial view of historic Charleston rooftops, church steeples, palm-lined streets, and downtown buildings at sunset.
Charleston, South Carolina.

Kruck20/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Transportation: 40th

Energy: 20th

Internet access: 25th

28. Kentucky
Louisville skyline glows at dusk with high-rises reflected in the calm Ohio River.
Louisville, Kentucky.

littleny/Getty Images

Transportation: 17th

Energy: 30th

Internet access: 30th

27. Idaho
Downtown Boise skyline and Idaho State Capitol appear beyond autumn trees and gardens with foothills in the background.
Boise, Idaho.

christiannafzger/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Transportation: 20th

Energy: 9th

Internet access: 43rd

26. North Carolina
Uptown Charlotte skyline rises beyond green trees, parkland and a curving roadway under a partly cloudy sky.
Charlotte, North Carolina.

Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

Transportation: 23rd

Energy: 26th

Internet access: 29th

25. Connecticut
Waterfront industrial power plant with tall smokestacks and electrical equipment under a clear blue sky.
Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Andrea DiSavino/Getty Images

Transportation: 39th

Energy: 45th

Internet access: 3rd

24. Maryland
Baltimore skyline at dusk with the Washington Monument and Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in the foreground.
Baltimore, Maryland.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Transportation: 44th

Energy: 29th

Internet access: 7th

23. Arizona
Downtown Phoenix skyline sits below desert mountains under a pastel sunset sky.
Phoenix, Arizona.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Transportation: 25th

Energy: 17th

Internet access: 23rd

22. Indiana
Downtown Indianapolis skyline rises above green parks and a canal in warm sunset light.
Indianapolis, Indiana.

Nicholas Klein/Getty Images

Transportation: 13th

Energy: 27th

Internet access: 26th

21. Illinois
Chicago, Illinois.
Chicago, Illinois.

Iryna Olkhova/Getty Images

Transportation: 29th

Energy: 15th

Internet access: 19th

20. Georgia
Atlanta skyline with downtown high-rises, green trees, roads, and a bright blue clouded sky.
Atlanta, Georgia.

Sean Davis/Getty Images

Transportation: 18th

Energy: 34th

Internet access: 12th

19. Oklahoma
Bricktown Canal in Oklahoma City at sunset with water taxis, brick buildings, and Devon Energy Center in the skyline.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

RudyBalasko/Getty Images

Transportation: 19th

Energy: 11th

Internet access: 28th

18. New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire skyline and red brick mill buildings reflect across a calm river at dusk.
Manchester, New Hampshire.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Transportation: 41st

Energy: 39th

Internet access: 1st

17. Tennessee
Downtown Nashville skyline glows at dusk behind arched bridges over the Cumberland River.
Nashville, Tennessee.

Bilanol/Getty Images

Transportation: 14th

Energy: 31st

Internet access: 13th

16. Texas
Downtown Houston skyline rises above parks, roads, and residential buildings at dusk.
Des Moines, Iowa.

Scott Flathouse/Getty Images

Transportation: 27th

Energy: 24th

Internet access: 10th

15. Iowa
Downtown Des Moines skyline rises behind a river bridge under a clear blue sky.
Des Moines, Iowa.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Transportation: 35th

Energy: 2nd

Internet access: 35th

14. Vermont
Brick pedestrian shopping street at dusk with lit storefronts, benches, trees, and a white church steeple in the distance.
Burlington, Vermont.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Transportation: 1st

Energy: 42nd

Internet access: 20th

13. Delaware
Downtown skyline and waterfront buildings are lit by warm sunset light beside a winding river.
Wilmington, Delaware.

ChrisBoswell/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Transportation: 8th

Energy: 25th

Internet access: 18th

12. New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey.
Newark, New Jersey.

Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

Transportation: 15th

Energy: 41st

Internet access: 6th

11. Florida
Downtown Jacksonville skyline and Main Street Bridge span the St. Johns River in warm evening light.
Jacksonville, Florida.

otman lazrak/Getty Images

Transportation: 22nd

Energy: 13th

Internet access: 11th

10. Colorado
Downtown Denver skyline stands before snow-covered Rocky Mountains under pink sunset light.
Denver, Colorado.

Nicholas Campbell/Getty Images

Transportation: 24th

Energy: 23rd

Internet access: 5th

9. Minnesota
Downtown Minneapolis skyline at dusk with U.S. Bank Stadium illuminated beneath tall office towers.
Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Transportation: 2nd

Energy: 8th

Internet access: 24th

8. Washington
Seattle skyline at sunset with the Space Needle, Elliott Bay waterfront, and Mount Rainier in the distance.
Seattle, Washington.

Engel Ching/Getty Images

Transportation: 30th

Energy: 6th

Internet access: 9th

7. North Dakota
Modern apartment buildings and storefronts line a city street at an intersection marked ROBERTS ST under a blue sky.
Fargo, North Dakota.

Sanghwan Kim/Getty Images

Transportation: 7th

Energy: 5th

Internet access: 21st

6. South Dakota
Riverwalk curves beside a downtown river with bridges, spring trees, and the Arc of Dreams sculpture.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Sanghwan Kim/Getty Images

Transportation: 26th

Energy: 1st

Internet access: 31st

5. Kansas
Downtown Fort Wayne skyline at dusk with the Allen County Courthouse among modern office buildings.
Wichita, Kansas.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Transportation: 3rd

Energy: 10th

Internet access: 15th

4. Utah
Salt Lake City skyline with the Utah State Capitol dome and mountains at sunset.
Salt Lake City, Utah.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Transportation: 10th

Energy: 21st

Internet access: 4th

3. Nebraska
Downtown Omaha skyline rises behind the illuminated Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River at dusk.
Omaha, Nebraska.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Transportation: 5th

Energy: 3rd

Internet access: 22nd

2. Oregon
Downtown Portland skyline rises beside the Willamette River with bridges, waterfront trees, and a ferris wheel.
Portland, Oregon.

Nicholas Klein/Getty Images

Transportation: 4th

Energy: 4th

Internet access: 17th

1. Nevada
Las Vegas Strip skyline with Bellagio fountains and the Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower under a partly cloudy sky.
Las Vegas, Nevada.

lucky-photographer/Getty Images

Transportation: 9th

Energy: 7th

Internet access: 2nd

Read the original article on Business Insider

Roya Shahidi

Source: Business Insider

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