Washington has been ranked as the best state economy in the nation, according to a recent study by WalletHub, a personal finance website.
The study compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia by economic activity, economic health and innovation potential. The study used 28 measures to compare states such as exports, unemployment rates, fiscal health, entrepreneurial activity and jobs in high tech industries.
Washington ranked as the top state overall, as well as ranking third in economic activity, seventh in economic health and second in innovation potential.
Following Washington in the top five ranked state economies were Utah, California, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
The state with the worst economy was West Virginia, which beat out Alaska, Louisiana, Hawaii and Oklahoma.
The study used information and data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the National Science Foundation.
