Is Montana Still The Last Best Place? New Reports Says Nope.

For those of us living in Montana, we take great pride in our state. Here you will find values, a strong work ethic, and small towns where people still wave as they pass by. You will also find progress, quality universities, and major growth in a handful of our cities.

Over the last few years, Montana has been a hotbed for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of places like California, Oregon, Washington, and a handful of other states, however, according to one report, Montana might be losing some of its staying power.

US News and World Report recently ranked all 50 states in its "Best States" report, and let's say that Montana might have some work to do.

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While this might come as welcome news for those Montanans looking to slow down the number of out-of-staters moving here, for those who want to see Montana continue to grow, some of the facts and figures are a little alarming.

Where does Montana rank compared to the other 49 states?

According to the report, Montana isn't in the Top 10 or the Top 20. Montana is right around the halfway point coming in at 24th on the list. US News and World Report decided to use the following factors to determine the rank of each state:

• Crime and Corrections
• Education
• Health Care
• Natural Environment
• Economy
• Fiscal Stability
• Infrastructure
• Opportunity 

Montana did make the Top 10 in two of the categories. The Treasure State ranked 8th in opportunity and 9th in economy, however, in the categories of education, infrastructure, and health care we were in the middle of the pack. In the categories of crime and corrections and fiscal stability, we ranked 35th and 37th.

What may come as a surprise to many Montanans is where our neighboring states ranked. Utah ranked 1st while Idaho came in 5th. Washington was in 8th place while South Dakota came in 11th. Wyoming was 12th and North Dakota ranked 15th.

Will poor rankings result in fewer people moving to Montana?  Time will tell.