State scorecard
Massachusetts in the US Political Rank
Every place Massachusetts holds across our state rankings, in one scorecard. Economy, taxes, education, crime, healthcare, and more, each measured the same way for all 50 states and each linked to the full cited ranking.
#1
of 50 on States Ranked by Health Care Outcomes
#49
of 50 on States Ranked by Dependence on Federal Money
41.9%
Governor Maura Healey performance score, rank 37 of 50
10
state rankings that score Massachusetts
Governor
Massachusetts's governor, Maura Healey (Democrat), holds performance rank 37 of 50 at 41.9% this week in the Governor Performance Rankings, scored on 263 metrics and updated every Monday.
| Ranking | Massachusetts's place | Score |
|---|---|---|
| States Ranked by Health Care OutcomesRanked first overall on the Commonwealth Fund's 2025 Scorecard, first for affordability and access, with the nation's highest insurance coverage, highest childhood vaccination rates, lowest infant mortality, and fewest premature avoidable deaths (Commonwealth Fund, 2025; Mass.gov, 2025). Its uninsured rate, about 2.4 percent, is the lowest of any state (Census ACS, 2023). | #1 of 50 | 100.0 |
| States Ranked by K-12 Education OutcomesThe highest numeric score of any state on all four 2024 NAEP assessments, including a 246 in fourth grade math and a 225 in fourth grade reading. Fifty-one percent of its fourth graders scored at or above NAEP Proficient in math, the highest rate of any state (NCES, NAEP 2024; Mass.gov, 2025). | #1 of 50 | 100.0 |
| States Ranked by Business Climate: What the Major Raters Agree OnCNBC's Most Improved State of 2025, climbing 18 spots to No. 20 on innovation and workforce strength (CNBC, 2025). The Tax Foundation grades its tax structure far less kindly, especially the millionaire surtax (Tax Foundation, 2026). | #15 of 25 | 82.1 |
| States Ranked by Violent Crime Rate314.7 per 100,000 but with a murder rate of just 1.8, among the lowest of any state (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2024). | #24 of 50 | 314.7 |
| Ranking the 50 State Economies of 2026CNBC's Most Improved State of 2025, climbing 18 spots to No. 20 on innovation and workforce (CNBC, 2025). A strong labor market coexists with a net domestic loss of about 37,900 residents (Census Bureau, Vintage 2025). | #24 of 50 | 73.6 |
| States Ranked by Total Tax BurdenA flat base income tax topped by a millionaire surtax, pushing high earners into an upper-tier burden (Tax Foundation, 2026), even as the state's labor market stays strong (BLS, 2026). | #40 of 50 | 59.9 |
| Voting With Their Feet: States Ranked by Migration and Population GrowthA net domestic loss of about 37,900 residents (Census Bureau, Vintage 2025). High housing costs keep pushing households outward even as the state's labor market stays strong. | #45 of 50 | 32.1 |
| States Ranked by Fiscal Health: Reserves, Pensions, and What They OweA perennial member of Truth in Accounting's sinkhole list, with liabilities well in excess of assets available to pay them (TIA, Financial State of the States 2025). | #47 of 20 | 36.9 |
| States Ranked by Housing AffordabilityAmong the highest home values in the country; even the state's top-tier incomes leave the ratio far above the healthy band (Zillow, Q1 2026; Best Interest research, 2026). | #48 of 25 | 34.5 |
| States Ranked by Dependence on Federal MoneyA negative per-capita balance of payments of 967 dollars in FFY 2023, the second-largest net contribution per resident of any state (Rockefeller Institute, 2025). | #49 of 50 | 42.1 |
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