JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Coming out of a pandemic has not been easy across the U.S. as many states are struggling with jumpstarting their economies. Some have recovered quicker than others.
Mountain states bordering Wyoming—Utah (#1), Idaho (#5), and Colorado (#6—have come out of COVID quickest, while the Equality State languishes at 42nd worst economy. Wyoming’s dependence on the energy sector is most to blame as the state looks to diversify and get back to work.
The personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021’s Best & Worst State Economies.
In order to determine America’s top economic performers, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 29 key indicators of economic performance and strength. The data set ranges from change in GDP to startup activity to the share of jobs in high-tech industries.
Best vs. Worst
- Louisiana has the highest value of exports per capita, $12,782, which is 56.8 times higher than in Hawaii, the state with the lowest at $225.
- New Hampshire has the lowest share of the population living in poverty, 7.60 percent, which is 2.7 times lower than in Mississippi, the state with the highest at 20.30 percent.
- Vermont has the lowest foreclosure rate, 0.0015 percent, which is 11.9 times lower than in Delaware and Nevada, the states with the highest at 0.0179 percent.
- Massachusetts has the highest share of jobs in high-tech industries, 8.37 percent, which is 4.1 times higher than in Arkansas, the state with the lowest at 2.03 percent.
