The 5 states with the best economies in the U.S. — and the 5 worst

If you’re in the U.S., your economic situation probably has a lot to do with where you’re located. To that end, WalletHub looked at data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and ranked each according to the strength of its economy. The website’s metrics included economic activity (exports, share of fast-growing firms, etc.), economic health (unemployment rate, median household income, and so on), and innovation potential (entrepreneurial activity, high-tech jobs, R&D investment, and the like).

Click through to see which states were faring the most richly and the most poorly.

5th best: California

California had an economic score of 59.63 out of 100. It was ranked 2nd for economic activity, 49th for economic health, and 3rd for innovation potential.

4th best: Texas

Louisiana had an economic score of 60.08 out of 100. It was ranked 2nd for economic activity, 7th for economic health, and 24th for innovation potential.

3rd best: Massachusetts

Massachusetts had an economic score of 61.52 out of 100. It was ranked 11th for economic activity, 43rd for economic health, and 1st for innovation potential.

2nd best: Utah

Utah had an economic score of 62 out of 100. It was ranked 7th for economic activity, 1st for economic health, and 10th for innovation potential.

Best: Washington state

Washington had an economic score of 71.1 out of 100. It was ranked 1st for economic activity, 15th for economic health, and 2nd for innovation potential.

5th worst: Louisiana

Louisiana had an economic score of 32.6 out of 100. It was ranked 26th for economic activity, 48th for economic health, and 49th for innovation potential.

4th worst: Arkansas

Arkansas had an economic score of 31.77 out of 100. It was ranked 40th for economic activity, 38th for economic health, and 47th for innovation potential.

3rd worst: West Virginia

West Virginia had an economic score of 31.13 out of 100. It was ranked 32nd for economic activity, 45th for economic health, and 51st for innovation potential.

2nd worst: Hawai’i

Hawai’i had an economic score of 29.79 out of 100. It was ranked 49th for economic activity, 32nd for economic health, and 50th for innovation potential.

Worst: Mississippi

Mississippi had an economic score of 26.67 out of 100. It was ranked 48th for economic activity, 50th for economic health, and 45th for innovation potential.