A new ranking of the states with the best economies puts Maine’s at No. 44 — the eighth-worst in the U.S.
Maine also ranks last economically among all northeastern states, according to the analysis published Monday by personal financial website WalletHub.
The comparison examined the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 criteria, ranging from household income to entrepreneurial activity to the change in gross domestic product from 2020 to 2021.
Arkansas, at No. 43, tops Maine in the national ranking. Below Maine are, respectively: Wyoming, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Louisiana, Alaska and West Virginia.
WalletHub, which obtained data from a variety of public sources, noted that Maine’s median annual household income is the country’s second-lowest, ahead of only West Virginia’s.
Among New England states, Massachusetts fares best in the overall ranking, at No. 4. New Hampshire is No. 5, followed by Connecticut, No. 25; Rhode Island, No. 36; and Vermont, No. 41.
Washington, Utah and California rank Nos. 1, 2 and 3 as states with the best economies, according to WalletHub. For more information and the complete findings, click here.
