Colorado is Losing Traction as Being One of the Best States

Ask pretty much anyone over the last few years what the best states in the nation are and we could guarantee that Colorado was in the top three mentioned states. Those of us living here in Colorado agree that we have a pretty incredible state.

However, it seems as if the Centennial State is losing traction in rankings regarding being one of the best. According to KDVR, Colorado has been in freefall on these national rankings due to perceptions of affordability and crime.

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Where Does Colorado Rank Overall?

Colorado's ranking on the U.S. News and World Report is 15. Not bad, but still up one from 16th place last year.  Many factors come into play for these rankings. Here are just a few that Colorado has declined in over the past five years.

Crime and Corrections in Colorado

The U.S. News and World Report ranked Colorado as 26th in 2017. Fast forward to 2023 and that ranking has massively tanked to 45.

Colorado's Economy

Colorado has held the number-one spot in the U.S. News and World Report three out of the five years in the report. From 2017 to 2019 Colorado was first. In 2022 Colorado took second place and in 2023, Colorado dropped again to third place.

Colorado's Infrastructure

When it comes to Colorado's infrastructure, it seems to be crumbling in the ranking year by year. In 2017, Colorado's infrastructure was ranked 7th. In 2023, it dropped to 21st place.

Opportunity in Colorado

Another area where Colorado seems to struggle is in opportunities for Coloradans. Ranking 31st in 2017, Colorado has dropped to 42nd in 2023.

Colorado has seen an increase in the rankings in other areas, however. Fiscal Stability is up the ranks by five and natural environment is up three in the past three years. If you would like to learn more about the best states, ranked, you can head over to U.S. News and World Report.