U.S. News and World Report says Illinois sucks, basically
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Much like our colleagues in Portland, we're feeling a bit defensive about U.S. News and World Report's latest state rankings.
Driving the news: We're No. 36, behind Oregon and before California.
Why it matters: Our governor is constantly on the defense (and offense) as President Trump likes to talk trash about our state.
- Hell, even some Illinoisans want to defect.
In other words, we don't need to give Illinois haters any more material, so back off, U.S. News and World Report!
Methodology
The publication's annual list ranks Illinois, and all states, based on eight categories, including crime (No. 15), economy (No. 42), health care (No. 24) and natural environment (No. 45).
- Each area is weighted in order of importance based on surveys collected by the publication.
The rankings
Losers: The most brutal ranking for Illinois: long-term fiscal stability, where we come in dead last. Ouch.
Reality check: We have a history of unfunded pensions, high taxes and credit downgrades, a popular point of contention for Republicans like Ken Griffin who packed up for the sunny shores of Miami, blaming everything from Pritzker to the economy to Chicago crime.
- Griffin is onto something — Florida ranks No. 13 for long-term fiscal stability and No. 1 for the economy on the list.
Yes, but: Despite Griffin's (and his Citadel headquarters') departure, Chicago's population is growing. According to new Census data, the city grew by 0.8% from 2023-2024, but Houston is hot on our heels, putting our third-largest city status at risk.
Winners: Illinois received its best marks in education, coming in at No. 14 overall, and No. 4 for pre-K-12.
- In 2006, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a law that greatly expanded access to free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds.
- In 2019, then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Pritzker doubled down on that commitment by adding more Pre-K classrooms and more funding.
The bottom line: Do the rankings really matter? Probably not, unless you're at the top of the list and you use them for bragging rights.
- Who cares if Illinois is 30-whatever when we live in the best city in the country?