The Best States rankings from U.S. News & World Report show how each of the 50 U.S. states ranks in 71 metrics across eight categories. The data behind the rankings aims to show how well states serve their residents in a variety of ways. In calculating the rankings, each of the eight categories was assigned weights based on the average of three years of data from recent national surveys that asked nearly 70,000 people total to prioritize each subject in their state.

In the Health Care category, California ranked #6 in the nation this year. The top ten were 1. Hawaii, 2. Massachusetts, 3. Connecticut, 4. New Jersey, 5. Rhode Island, 6. California, 7. Maryland, 8. New York, 9. Delaware and 10. Washington.

Out of the eight categories, the Health Care Category follows the following three metric areas:

Health Care Access

– – Population Without Health Insurance: The percentage of adults ages 19 to 64 who reported having no health insurance coverage. (U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 1-year estimates; 2022)
– – Child Dental Visits: The percentage of children and young adults enrolled in Medicaid who received past-year preventive dental services among those eligible for the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for 90 continuous days. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; fiscal 2021)
– – Child Wellness Visits: The percentage of children and young adults enrolled in Medicaid and eligible for the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit who received screening services among those who should have received such services. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; fiscal 2021)
– – Adults Without Dental Visit: The age-adjusted percentage of adults who reported not visiting a dentist or dental clinic within the past year. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; 2022)
– – Adults Without Wellness Visit: The age-adjusted percentage of adults who reported they had not visited a doctor for a routine checkup within the past year. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; 2022)
– – Adults Deterred From Care Due to Costs: The age-adjusted percentage of adults who reported there was a time in the past 12 months when they needed to see a doctor but could not because they could not afford it. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; 2022)

Health Care Quality

– – Preventable Hospital Admissions: The number of preventable hospital admissions per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 2022)
– – Medicare Enrollees With Top-Quality Coverage: The percentage of Medicare Advantage enrollees with a health plan rated 4 stars or better, among plans with a published star rating and number of enrollees. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; enrollment data as of February 2024, performance data reflective of March-June 2023)
– – Nursing Home Quality Rating: An average index score per state reflecting a proportional scale between nursing homes rated by U.S. News as “high-performing” and those rated as “below average.” (U.S. News Best Nursing Homes; 2023-2024)
– – Hospital Quality Rating: An average index score per state reflecting a proportional scale between hospitals rated by U.S. News as “high-performing” and those rated as “below average,” among hospitals that perform or treat specific procedures or conditions. (U.S. News Best Hospitals; 2023-2024)

Public Health

– – Infant Mortality Rate: The number of infants who died before turning 1 year old, per 1,000 live births. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2021)
– – Mortality Rate: The number of age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2022 provisional data)
– – Obesity Rate: The age-adjusted percentage of obese adults, based on self-reported height and weight. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; 2022)
– – Smoking Rate: The age-adjusted percentage of adults who are current smokers, based on self-reported tobacco usage. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; 2022)
– – Poor Mental Health: The age-adjusted percentage of adults who reported their mental health was not good for 14 days or more in the past 30 days. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; 2022)
– – Suicide Rate: The age-adjusted rate of suicides per 100,000 population. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2022 provisional data)

Sadly, despite California’s high ranking in health care, it ranked #37 in terms of “Best States Overall.” This global category is based on ranking of the 8 sub-categories which includes health care. The California rankings in each of the 8 sub-categories was #34 Crime & Corrections, #34 Economy, #23 Education, #42 Fiscal Stability, #6 Health Care, #32 Infrastructure, #33 Natural Environment, and #50 Opportunity.

And out of the 30 Worst Places to Live, San Francisco was 3rd worst. The City by the Bay is one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S. The median income is higher here, but so are the costs for gasoline and utilities, which fall well above the national average. Job growth hovers just above 1%. Renters pay an average of $4,030 per month for a place to live. About 10% of the population lives below the poverty level. As for crime, the city experienced more than 50 murders and nearly 4,000 assaults in 2021.