Rhode Island ranks No. 43 on new list of well-run US states

December 1st, 2011 at 11:42 am by under Nesi's Notes, On the Main Site

For a second year, 24/7 Wall St has run the numbers on the best- and worst-run states in America, and this time Rhode Island is near the bottom of the barrel.

The Ocean State comes in No. 43 on this year’s list, seventh-worst in the nation. Wyoming ranks first and California ranks last. That’s down nine spots from Rhode Island’s No. 34 placing in last year’s rankings.

“Rhode Island has many positive attributes, including [a] low violent crime rate and a relatively low poverty rate,” according to 24/7 Wall Street. “However, the state’s spending is exceptionally high, and it has accumulated $8,716 in debt per capita. Nearly 20% of expenditures are for public education, yet compared with other states it has the 10th-lowest percentage of adults who have graduated from high school.”

Coming in behind Rhode Island were Kentucky (No. 44), South Carolina (No. 45), Nevada (No. 46), Arizona (No. 47), Michigan (No. 48), Illinois (No. 49) and California (No. 50). Our neighbors did a bit better than us: Massachusetts was No. 30 and Connecticut was No. 22.

Better luck next time. You can read about 24/7 methodology here. Thanks to reader GB for sending it along.

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Permalink 3 Comments

3 Responses to “Rhode Island ranks No. 43 on new list of well-run US states”

  1. Ed says:
    December 1, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    If Rhode Island has such low rate of poverty, then why is the housing stock so decrepited. Rhode Island needs to elminate all business regulation, zoning laws and its social service programs. Elminating zoning laws would elminate much of Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket, Cranston and West Warwick. No zoning laws do not mean urban renewal which just makes more ghettos. It is time to close the projects and senior housing.

  2. messer says:
    December 2, 2011 at 10:26 am

    Closing senior centers would also eliminate the venues for our congressman to scare seniors while distributing meatballs.

  3. Study: RI ranks No. 1 among states in ‘spreading the wealth’ | WPRI.com Blogs says:
    December 8, 2011 at 3:08 pm

    [...] and other means,” according to a list put together by 24/7 Wall St, which last month ranked Rhode Island No. 43 among best- and worst-run [...]