Hey Look – Minnesota Ranked as One of the Best Places to Live

There are so many of these rankings for this that and the other thing.  And it's always great to see the state that we live in, Minnesota, to be included in the top 5 of the best states to live in.

If you are wondering how we ended up in the top 5, here are some of the reasons. The ranking includes many factors, but the biggest ones are education and health care.  Mostly because of that giant clinic we have in Southern Minnesota known as the Mayo Clinic.

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Last year Minnesota was also in the top 5, but it was at number 5. This year, Minnesota has moved up one spot and is now at number 4.

From US News:

More weight was accorded to some categories than others, based on a survey of what matters most to people. Health care and education were weighted most heavily. Then came state economies, infrastructure, and the opportunity states offer their citizens. Fiscal stability followed closely in weighting, followed by measures of crime and corrections and a state's natural environment.

The states that ranked ahead of Minnesota were Utah at number 1, New Hampshire at number 2 and Nebraska at number 3.  Idaho rounded out the top 5.

The article in US News mentions the beginning of Minnesota and how it was actually originally spelled "Minisota". It means "sky tinted water" of course referring to the underestimated 10,000 lakes.  Minnesota actually has about 11,500 lakes.

Some other factors in Minnesota's ranking included Fortune 500 companies such as Target, 3M, United Health Group and GM, all headquartered in Minnesota.