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    States With the Best and Worst Infrastructure, Ranked

    Press RoomBy No Comments4 Mins Read

    Infrastructure has a big impact on the quality of day-to-day life.

    Whether you’re struggling to get around because of poor road quality, unreliable public transportation, or your neighborhood experiences frequent power outages, weak infrastructure can make everyday life more difficult.

    It’s also something that varies massively from state to state.

    US News & World Report compiled a ranking of states with the best and worst infrastructure, which forms part of its annual ranking of the best states to live in.

    To determine the quality of each state’s infrastructure, US News & World Report examined three categories: energy, internet access, and transportation.

    For energy, it calculated the average retail electricity price, power grid reliability, and renewable energy usage.

    Internet access was analyzed by looking at the broadband subscription internet and access to high-speed broadband internet.

    For transport, the metrics were commute time, bridge quality, road quality, and public transit usage. Each state was then ranked based on these metrics.

    US News & World Report prioritized recent and standardized data from government sources to compile the ranking.

    Here is the infrastructure quality of all 50 states, from worst to best.

    50. West Virginia


    Downtown Charleston skyline rises behind trees and a riverfront on a clear sunny day.

    Charleston, West Virginia.

    Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

    Transportation: 49th

    Energy: 49th

    Internet access: 49th

    49. Mississippi


    Downtown Jackson skyline with the Mississippi State Capitol’s gold dome, office towers, trees, roads, and parking lots.

    Jackson, Mississippi.

    CRobertson/Getty Images

    Transportation: 46th

    Energy: 47th

    Internet access: 48th

    48. Alaska


    Downtown Anchorage skyline at sunset with snow-covered mountains behind waterfront neighborhoods in the foreground.

    Anchorage, Alaska.

    Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images

    Transportation: 12th

    Energy: 48th

    Internet access: 47th

    47. Rhode Island


    Aerial view of downtown Providence with the Providence River, pedestrian bridge, riverwalks, and skyline at sunset.

    Providence, Rhode Island.

    Wirestock/Getty Images

    Transportation: 50th

    Energy: 44th

    Internet access: 36th

    46. Louisiana


    Nighttime New Orleans skyline with illuminated high-rises and a green-lit bridge over the Mississippi River.

    New Orleans, Louisiana.

    George Dodd/Getty Images

    Transportation: 48th

    Energy: 38th

    Internet access: 44th

    45. New Mexico


    Albuquerque cityscape at golden hour with the Sandia Mountains rising behind downtown buildings and residential neighborhoods.

    Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    GummyBone/Getty Images

    Transportation: 37th

    Energy: 16th

    Internet access: 50th

    44. Hawaii


    Palm trees frame a waterfront lagoon, marina, and high-rise skyline under colorful sunset clouds in Honolulu.

    Honolulu, Hawaii.

    Iryna Olkhova/Getty Images

    Transportation: 28th

    Energy: 50th

    Internet access: 16th

    43. Pennsylvania


    Center City Philadelphia skyline rises above the Schuylkill River with bridge traffic and sunset reflections.

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

    f11photo/Getty Images

    Transportation: 47th

    Energy: 36th

    Internet access: 34th

    42. Michigan


    Downtown Detroit skyline with the Detroit River and high-rise buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

    Detroit, Michigan.

    Vadym Terelyuk/Getty Images

    Transportation: 38th

    Energy: 37th

    Internet access: 38th

    41. Maine


    Portland, Maine skyline with church steeples, city buildings, autumn trees, and houses lit by warm sunset.

    Portland, Maine.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Transportation: 43rd

    Energy: 40th

    Internet access: 32nd

    40. Arkansas


    Curving wooden boardwalks cross a reflective river beside green parkland and a city skyline under cloudy skies.

    Little Rock, Arkansas.

    Brandon Olafsson/Getty Images

    Transportation: 33rd

    Energy: 33rd

    Internet access: 41st

    39. Virginia


    Aerial view of a wide sandy beach lined with high-rise oceanfront buildings beside waves under a clear sky.

    Virginia Beach, Virginia.

    Kyle Little/Getty Images

    Transportation: 34th

    Energy: 28th

    Internet access: 37th

    38. Massachusetts


    Boston waterfront skyline with boats, a cobblestone harborwalk, chain posts, and high-rise buildings along the water.

    Boston, Massachusetts.

    xbrchx/Getty Images

    Transportation: 45th

    Energy: 43rd

    Internet access: 14th

    37. Wisconsin


    Aerial view of downtown Milwaukee skyline with surrounding neighborhoods, Lake Michigan, and the Milwaukee River at sunset.

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    Jon Mattrisch/Getty Images

    Transportation: 31st

    Energy: 12th

    Internet access: 42nd

    36. Wyoming


    Downtown street with storefronts, traffic lights, parked cars, and a large mural reading “WYOMING HOME.”

    Cheyenne, Wyoming.

    Ceri Breeze/Getty Images

    Transportation: 6th

    Energy: 18th

    Internet access: 46th

    35. Missouri


    Downtown Kansas City skyline rises beyond green parkland and roads in warm evening light.

    Kansas City, Missouri.

    Garrett Smith/Getty Images

    Transportation: 36th

    Energy: 22nd

    Internet access: 33rd

    34. New York


    New York, New York.

    New York City, New York.

    william87/Getty Images

    Transportation: 32nd

    Energy: 35th

    Internet access: 27th

    33. Montana


    Downtown skyline and tree-filled neighborhoods stretch toward distant hills under a cloudy blue sky.

    Billings, Montana.

    George Dodd/Getty Images

    Transportation: 11th

    Energy: 14th

    Internet access: 45th

    32. California


    Downtown Los Angeles skyline rises beyond palm trees and residential neighborhoods under a clear blue sky.

    Los Angeles, California.

    frankpeters/Getty Images

    Transportation: 42nd

    Energy: 46th

    Internet access: 8th

    31. Ohio


    Columbus skyline reflects in the Scioto River at sunset with an arched bridge in the foreground.

    Columbus, Ohio.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Transportation: 16th

    Energy: 32nd

    Internet access: 39th

    30. Alabama


    Dusk Over The Downtown Urban City Center of Huntsville Alabama

    Huntsville, Alabama.

    ChrisBoswell/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Transportation: 21st

    Energy: 19th

    Internet access: 40th

    29. South Carolina


    Aerial view of historic Charleston rooftops, church steeples, palm-lined streets, and downtown buildings at sunset.

    Charleston, South Carolina.

    Kruck20/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Transportation: 40th

    Energy: 20th

    Internet access: 25th

    28. Kentucky


    Louisville skyline glows at dusk with high-rises reflected in the calm Ohio River.

    Louisville, Kentucky.

    littleny/Getty Images

    Transportation: 17th

    Energy: 30th

    Internet access: 30th

    27. Idaho


    Downtown Boise skyline and Idaho State Capitol appear beyond autumn trees and gardens with foothills in the background.

    Boise, Idaho.

    christiannafzger/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Transportation: 20th

    Energy: 9th

    Internet access: 43rd

    26. North Carolina


    Uptown Charlotte skyline rises beyond green trees, parkland and a curving roadway under a partly cloudy sky.

    Charlotte, North Carolina.

    Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

    Transportation: 23rd

    Energy: 26th

    Internet access: 29th

    25. Connecticut


    Waterfront industrial power plant with tall smokestacks and electrical equipment under a clear blue sky.

    Bridgeport, Connecticut.

    Andrea DiSavino/Getty Images

    Transportation: 39th

    Energy: 45th

    Internet access: 3rd

    24. Maryland


    Baltimore skyline at dusk with the Washington Monument and Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in the foreground.

    Baltimore, Maryland.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images

    Transportation: 44th

    Energy: 29th

    Internet access: 7th

    23. Arizona


    Downtown Phoenix skyline sits below desert mountains under a pastel sunset sky.

    Phoenix, Arizona.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images

    Transportation: 25th

    Energy: 17th

    Internet access: 23rd

    22. Indiana


    Downtown Indianapolis skyline rises above green parks and a canal in warm sunset light.

    Indianapolis, Indiana.

    Nicholas Klein/Getty Images

    Transportation: 13th

    Energy: 27th

    Internet access: 26th

    21. Illinois


    Chicago, Illinois.

    Chicago, Illinois.

    Iryna Olkhova/Getty Images

    Transportation: 29th

    Energy: 15th

    Internet access: 19th

    20. Georgia


    Atlanta skyline with downtown high-rises, green trees, roads, and a bright blue clouded sky.

    Atlanta, Georgia.

    Sean Davis/Getty Images

    Transportation: 18th

    Energy: 34th

    Internet access: 12th

    19. Oklahoma


    Bricktown Canal in Oklahoma City at sunset with water taxis, brick buildings, and Devon Energy Center in the skyline.

    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

    RudyBalasko/Getty Images

    Transportation: 19th

    Energy: 11th

    Internet access: 28th

    18. New Hampshire


    Manchester, New Hampshire skyline and red brick mill buildings reflect across a calm river at dusk.

    Manchester, New Hampshire.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Transportation: 41st

    Energy: 39th

    Internet access: 1st

    17. Tennessee


    Downtown Nashville skyline glows at dusk behind arched bridges over the Cumberland River.

    Nashville, Tennessee.

    Bilanol/Getty Images

    Transportation: 14th

    Energy: 31st

    Internet access: 13th

    16. Texas


    Downtown Houston skyline rises above parks, roads, and residential buildings at dusk.

    Houston, Texas.

    Scott Flathouse/Getty Images

    Transportation: 27th

    Energy: 24th

    Internet access: 10th

    15. Iowa


    Downtown Des Moines skyline rises behind a river bridge under a clear blue sky.

    Des Moines, Iowa.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images

    Transportation: 35th

    Energy: 2nd

    Internet access: 35th

    14. Vermont


    Brick pedestrian shopping street at dusk with lit storefronts, benches, trees, and a white church steeple in the distance.

    Burlington, Vermont.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images

    Transportation: 1st

    Energy: 42nd

    Internet access: 20th

    13. Delaware


    Downtown skyline and waterfront buildings are lit by warm sunset light beside a winding river.

    Wilmington, Delaware.

    ChrisBoswell/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Transportation: 8th

    Energy: 25th

    Internet access: 18th

    12. New Jersey


    Newark, New Jersey.

    Newark, New Jersey.

    Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

    Transportation: 15th

    Energy: 41st

    Internet access: 6th

    11. Florida


    Downtown Jacksonville skyline and Main Street Bridge span the St. Johns River in warm evening light.

    Jacksonville, Florida.

    otman lazrak/Getty Images

    Transportation: 22nd

    Energy: 13th

    Internet access: 11th

    10. Colorado


    Downtown Denver skyline stands before snow-covered Rocky Mountains under pink sunset light.

    Denver, Colorado.

    Nicholas Campbell/Getty Images

    Transportation: 24th

    Energy: 23rd

    Internet access: 5th

    9. Minnesota


    Downtown Minneapolis skyline at dusk with U.S. Bank Stadium illuminated beneath tall office towers.

    Minneapolis, Minnesota.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images

    Transportation: 2nd

    Energy: 8th

    Internet access: 24th

    8. Washington


    Seattle skyline at sunset with the Space Needle, Elliott Bay waterfront, and Mount Rainier in the distance.

    Seattle, Washington.

    Engel Ching/Getty Images

    Transportation: 30th

    Energy: 6th

    Internet access: 9th

    7. North Dakota


    Modern apartment buildings and storefronts line a city street at an intersection marked ROBERTS ST under a blue sky.

    Fargo, North Dakota.

    Sanghwan Kim/Getty Images

    Transportation: 7th

    Energy: 5th

    Internet access: 21st

    6. South Dakota


    Riverwalk curves beside a downtown river with bridges, spring trees, and the Arc of Dreams sculpture.

    Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

    Sanghwan Kim/Getty Images

    Transportation: 26th

    Energy: 1st

    Internet access: 31st

    5. Kansas


    Downtown Fort Wayne skyline at dusk with the Allen County Courthouse among modern office buildings.

    Wichita, Kansas.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Transportation: 3rd

    Energy: 10th

    Internet access: 15th

    4. Utah


    Salt Lake City skyline with the Utah State Capitol dome and mountains at sunset.

    Salt Lake City, Utah.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images

    Transportation: 10th

    Energy: 21st

    Internet access: 4th

    3. Nebraska


    Downtown Omaha skyline rises behind the illuminated Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River at dusk.

    Omaha, Nebraska.

    Sean Pavone/Getty Images

    Transportation: 5th

    Energy: 3rd

    Internet access: 22nd

    2. Oregon


    Downtown Portland skyline rises beside the Willamette River with bridges, waterfront trees, and a ferris wheel.

    Portland, Oregon.

    Nicholas Klein/Getty Images

    Transportation: 4th

    Energy: 4th

    Internet access: 17th

    1. Nevada


    Las Vegas Strip skyline with Bellagio fountains and the Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower under a partly cloudy sky.

    Las Vegas, Nevada.

    lucky-photographer/Getty Images

    Transportation: 9th

    Energy: 7th

    Internet access: 2nd

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