Guide Rankings Health Updated June 21, 2026

Best Healthcare by State

Doctor reviewing patient chart in a bright modern medical office

Best Healthcare by State

Ranking - Health

Hawaii leads all 51 entries with a Final Score of 87.6. Alaska ranks last at 27.8, a gap of nearly 60 points across outcomes, cost, and access metrics.

Quick Answer

Best Healthcare by State

  1. 1

    Hawaii ranks first for healthcare with a Final Score of 87.6. New Hampshire (82.1) and Massachusetts (79.9) follow at second and third. Washington D.C. (79.3) and Minnesota (76.7) round out the top five.

  2. 2

    Alaska ranks last at 27.8 with a Cost score of 6.9, second lowest in the table. West Virginia ranks 50th at 28.9 and holds the lowest Cost score at 0. Mississippi ranks 49th at 29.9 with an Outcomes score of 0.

  3. 3

    New York holds an Outcomes score of 95.7, fourth best in the table, but its Cost score of 15.4 pulls it to 23rd overall with a Final Score of 57.4.

Map

Best Healthcare by State Map

Score
No data
Hawaii leads at 87.6 and Alaska sits last at 27.8, a gap of nearly 60 points. West Virginia (28.9) and Mississippi (29.9) are the only other entries below 30.
Best Healthcare by State Map
Rank State Score
1 Hawaii 87.6
2 New Hampshire 82.1
3 Massachusetts 79.9
4 Washington D.C. 79.3
5 Minnesota 76.7
6 New Jersey 75
7 Washington 74.9
8 Colorado 74.7
9 Rhode Island 74.6
10 North Dakota 72
11 California 71.6
12 Maryland 69.8
13 Iowa 67.8
14 Idaho 67.5
15 Oregon 67.2
16 Virginia 67.1
17 Connecticut 66.8
18 Utah 66.6
19 Illinois 65.5
20 Wisconsin 62.3
21 Pennsylvania 62.2
22 Michigan 62.1
23 New York 57.4
24 Maine 57.2
25 South Dakota 56.8
26 Montana 55.9
27 Ohio 55.8
28 Arizona 55.8
29 Nebraska 55.7
30 Indiana 55.4
31 Kansas 54
32 Vermont 53.4
33 Delaware 50.4
34 Missouri 49.8
35 Nevada 48.5
36 South Carolina 47.5
37 Florida 47.5
38 North Carolina 46.6
39 Kentucky 46.4
40 New Mexico 46.3
41 Louisiana 45.1
42 Alabama 44.4
43 Wyoming 41.2
44 Tennessee 40.4
45 Georgia 36.9
46 Texas 35.6
47 Arkansas 35.2
48 Oklahoma 30.9
49 Mississippi 29.9
50 West Virginia 28.9
51 Alaska 27.8

Hawaii leads at 87.6 and Alaska sits last at 27.8, a gap of nearly 60 points. West Virginia (28.9) and Mississippi (29.9) are the only other entries below 30.

Best Healthcare by State Table

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Clean, print-ready version of Best Healthcare by State.

States with the Best and Worst Healthcare

Highest

87.6
Hawaii flag
Hawaii #1

Lowest

27.8
Alaska flag
Alaska #51

Top 10 Highest — Final Score

#1 Hawaii flag Hawaii
87.6
#2 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
82.1
#3 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
79.9
#4 Washington D.C. flag Washington D.C.
79.3
#5 Minnesota flag Minnesota
76.7
#6 New Jersey flag New Jersey
75
#7 Washington flag Washington
74.9
#8 Colorado flag Colorado
74.7
#9 Rhode Island flag Rhode Island
74.6
#10 North Dakota flag North Dakota
72

Top 10 Lowest — Final Score

#51 Alaska flag Alaska
27.8
#50 West Virginia flag West Virginia
28.9
#49 Mississippi flag Mississippi
29.9
#48 Oklahoma flag Oklahoma
30.9
#47 Arkansas flag Arkansas
35.2
#46 Texas flag Texas
35.6
#45 Georgia flag Georgia
36.9
#44 Tennessee flag Tennessee
40.4
#43 Wyoming flag Wyoming
41.2
#42 Alabama flag Alabama
44.4

States with the Best Healthcare

Bright modern hospital corridor with clean clinical design
The highest-ranked healthcare systems combine strong outcomes, broad access, and manageable costs rather than excelling in only one category. Hawaii, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Minnesota all score well across multiple dimensions at once.

Hawaii leads all 51 entries with a Final Score of 87.6, the only entry above 85. New Hampshire ranks second at 82.1 and Massachusetts third at 79.9. Washington D.C. (79.3) and Minnesota (76.7) round out the top five.

Massachusetts holds an Outcomes score of 99.2, second only to Hawaii at 100. New Jersey ranks 6th overall at 75.0 with an Outcomes score of 98.6, third best in the table. Washington state holds the highest Cost score at 100 and ranks 7th overall at 74.9.

States with the Worst Healthcare

Small rural medical clinic building
Lower-ranked states tend to struggle with a mix of weak access, poorer outcomes, or very high costs. Alaska, West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas each land near the bottom for different combinations of those pressures.

Alaska ranks last at 27.8 with a Cost score of 6.9, second lowest in the table. West Virginia ranks 50th at 28.9 and holds the lowest Cost score of any entry at 0. Mississippi ranks 49th at 29.9 with an Outcomes score of 0, the lowest for health results.

Oklahoma ranks 48th at 30.9 with an Outcomes score of 13.1, second lowest after Mississippi. Texas ranks 46th at 35.6 and holds the lowest Access score at 0. Arkansas (35.2) ranks 47th with an Outcomes score of 19.5.

States with the Highest Healthcare Costs

Medical bills, paperwork, and a calculator on a desk
Healthcare affordability can pull down an otherwise strong overall system. States like New York and Vermont post excellent outcomes in some areas but lose ground when premiums and other costs rise too high.

West Virginia has the lowest Cost score in the table at 0, the worst cost performance of any entry. Alaska follows at 6.9 and Vermont at 12.6. Vermont's ACA benchmark Silver premium of $1,223 per month is the highest in the country.

New York holds a Cost score of 15.4, pulling its Final Score to 57.4 despite an Outcomes score of 95.7, fourth best in the table. Wyoming's Cost score of 17.8 reflects a benchmark premium of $1,114 per month. Washington state, by contrast, holds the highest Cost score at 100.

Quick Answers

What state has the best healthcare?
Hawaii has the highest Final Score at 87.6, more than 5 points ahead of second-ranked New Hampshire at 82.1. No other state scores above 80 in the table.
What state has the worst healthcare?
Alaska ranks last at 27.8. West Virginia (28.9) and Mississippi (29.9) are the only other entries below 30. All three score below 7 on Cost performance or hold a Cost score of zero.
Which state has the best healthcare outcomes?
Hawaii holds an Outcomes score of 100, the maximum in the table. Massachusetts follows at 99.2 and New Jersey at 98.6. Hawaii's combination of top Outcomes and a Cost score of 89.1 drives its first-place finish at 87.6.
Which state has the best healthcare access?
Washington D.C. has the highest Access score at 100, the best healthcare access of any entry. North Dakota ranks second for access at 78.2 and Vermont third at 77.3. D.C. ranks 4th overall with a Final Score of 79.3.
Which state has the best cost performance for healthcare?
Washington state has the highest Cost score at 100, leading all entries on affordability and cost efficiency. Idaho follows at 99.2 and Maryland at 97.4. Washington ranks 7th overall with a Final Score of 74.9.
How does California rank for healthcare?
California ranks 11th overall with a Final Score of 71.6. Its Outcomes score of 90.5 is fifth best in the table, ahead of several states ranked higher overall.

Methodology

Rankings and scores are from MoneyGeek's Best & Worst States for Health Care report. Final Score is a weighted composite of three pillars: Outcomes, Cost, and Access, each scaled from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better performance.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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