U.S. News & World Report ranks states on well-being; Mass., N.H. top list, La., Miss. at bottom

Where New Hampshire ranks

Massachusetts is the nation's top state, while Louisiana leads a host of Southern states at the bottom of the list, according to the Best State Rankings by U.S. News & World Report. Following Massachusetts at the top is New Hampshire, Minnesota, North Dakota and Washington. The bottom five states are Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and New Mexico.

Rankings were based on seven categories: health care; education; crime and corrections: infrastructure; opportunity; economy; and government. Health care accounted for 18 percent of the state' score, education 16 percent, infrastructure, opportunity and crimes and corrections 14 percent, economy 13 percent and government 10 percent. Rankings include analysis for each category, data on each state and charts that show the numbers on how states were ranked.

Hawaii was ranked No. 1 in health care, Massachusetts in education, Vermont in crime and corrections, Oregon in infrastructure, New Hampshire in opportunity, Colorado in economy and Indiana in government. Arkansas was last in health care, South Carolina in education, Louisiana in crimes and corrections, Mississippi in infrastructure and opportunity, Alaska in economy and New Jersey in government.