The economies of every US state and DC, ranked from worst to best

51. South Dakota

South Dakota was only one of two states with negative GDP growth in Q4 2017, with the state's GDP declining by 0.5%. The state's April 2018 average weekly wage of $754 was fourth-lowest in the country, but its unemployment rate of 3.4% was lower than the average rate of 4.0% among the states and DC.

50. North Dakota

North Dakota had the worst year-over-year change in its labor market among the 50 states and DC, with the number of non-farm payroll jobs declining by 1.8% between April 2017 and April 2018. The state also had the worst economic growth, with GDP falling 1.3% in Q4 2017.

49. Mississippi

Mississippi's Q4 2017 GDP per capita of $37,997 and April 2018 average weekly wage of $709 were both the lowest among the states and DC.

48. New Mexico

New Mexico's April 2018 unemployment rate of 5.4% was tied for third-highest among the 50 states and DC, while its average weekly wage of $744 was third-lowest.

47. Kentucky

Kentucky had the sixth-lowest rate of jobs growth among the 50 states and DC, with non-farm payroll jobs increasing just 0.4% between April 2017 and April 2018. The state's Q4 2017 GDP per capita of $46,234 was the seventh-lowest in the country.

46. Delaware

Delaware's Q4 2017 GDP growth of 0.2% was the fourth-lowest among the 50 states and DC, and its average hourly wage growth of 0.8% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the fifth-lowest. However, the state's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $77,945 was the fourth-highest in the country.

45. Alaska

Alaska's April 2018 unemployment rate of 7.3% was the highest among the 50 states and DC, and it was one of the only two states to lose jobs between April 2017 and April 2018, with non-farm payroll employment declining by 0.2%.

44. Arkansas

Arkansas' Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $42,028 and April 2018 average weekly wage of $743 were both the second-lowest among the 50 states and DC.

43. Montana

Montana's job growth rate of 0.6% between April 2017 and April 2018, its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $46,268, and its April 2018 average weekly wage of $790 were all the eighth-lowest among the 50 states and DC.

42. Iowa

Iowa's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 0.7% was the fifth-lowest among the 50 states and DC, and its wage growth rate of 1.0% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the sixth-lowest. On the bright side, the state's 2.8% unemployment rate in April 2018 was the fifth-best in the country.

41. West Virginia

West Virginia's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $43,377 was the fourth-lowest among the 50 states and DC, and its April 2018 unemployment rate of 5.4% was tied for third-highest.

40. Minnesota

Minnesota was one of only two states with negative wage growth, with the state's average weekly wage declining 0.4% between April 2017 and April 2018. Minnesota's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 1.5% was also somewhat below the average rate of 2.3% among the 50 states and DC.

39. Michigan

Michigan's April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.7% was tied for eighth-highest in the country. The state's April 2018 average weekly wage of $885 was slightly below the average of $908 among the 50 states and DC.

38. New York

While New York's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $78,810 was the second-highest among the 50 states and DC, its flat GDP growth rate of 0.0% during that quarter was the third-lowest.

37. Ohio

Ohio's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $56,703 was a bit below the average of $60,263 among the 50 states and DC, while its 4.1% wage growth between April 2017 and April 2018 was a bit above the average growth rate of 3.3%.

36. Nebraska

Nebraska's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 0.9% was the sixth-lowest among the states and DC, and its April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.8% was tied for fifth-lowest.

Nebraska fell pretty far since our last ranking of the state economies earlier this year, when it came in as the eighth-best economy in the country on the strength of high wage growth in that quarter.

35. Vermont

While Vermont had the third-lowest rate of job growth among the states and DC, with non-farm payroll jobs increasing just 0.2% between April 2017 and April 2018, the state's April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.8% was tied for fifth-best.

34. Alabama

Alabama's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $43,880 was the fifth-lowest among the states and DC. The state's April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.8% was slightly lower than the average rate of 4.0%.

33. New Hampshire

New Hampshire was one of only two states to see negative wage growth, with the average weekly wage falling 1.8% between April 2017 and April 2018. On the bright side, the state's April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.6% was tied for second-best among the 50 states and DC.

32. Missouri

Missouri's April 2018 average weekly wage of $838 was a bit below the average of $908 among the 50 states and DC, while its April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.6% was a bit better than the average rate of 4.0%.

31. Oklahoma

Oklahoma's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.3% was the sixth-highest among the states and DC, but its average weekly wage growth rate of 1.0% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the seventh-lowest.

30. Louisiana

Louisiana's average weekly wage growth of 4.9% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the ninth-highest among the states and DC, but its April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.5% was above the average rate of 4.0%.

28. Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.7% was tied for eighth-highest in the country, and its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $59,941 was close to the average per capita GDP of $60,263 among the 50 states and DC.

28. Nevada

Nevada had the fastest job growth among the 50 states and DC, with the number of non-farm payroll jobs increasing 3.4% between April 2017 and April 2018. However, the state's April 2018 average weekly wage of $783 was the sixth-lowest in the country.

27. Connecticut

Connecticut's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $74,098 was the fifth-highest among the 50 states and DC, and its April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,086 was fourth-highest. However, the state's non-farm payroll job growth rate of 0.5% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the seventh-lowest.

26. Arizona

Arizona's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.1% was the eighth-highest among the states and DC, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 2.2% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the seventh-highest. However, the state's April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.9% was tied for fifth-worst.

25. Maine

Maine's April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.7% was the fourth-lowest among the states and DC, and its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $46,799 was the tenth-lowest.

24. Kansas

Kansas' non-farm payroll job growth rate of 1.4% between April 2017 and April 2018 was just above the average rate among the states and DC of 1.3%, and its Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 2.3% was equal to the average rate.

23. Tennessee

Tennessee's April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.4% was below the average rate among the states and DC of 4.0%, but its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $52,407 was somewhat lower than the average of $60,263.

22. Illinois

Illinois' non-farm payroll job growth rate of 0.9% between April 2017 and April 2018 was a bit below the average rate of 1.3% among the 50 states and DC, but its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $65,274 was somewhat above the average of $60,263.

21. Oregon

Oregon's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.7% was the third-highest among the states and DC, but its average weekly wage growth of 1.1% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the eighth-lowest.

20. North Carolina

North Carolina's April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.4% was higher than the average rate among the states and DC of 4.0%, and its Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 2.9% was higher than the average rate of 2.3%.

19. New Jersey

New Jersey's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $66,840 was the eleventh-highest among the states and DC, and its April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,023 was the eighth-highest.

18. Virginia

Virginia's April 2018 average weekly wage of $994 was the tenth-highest in the country, and its unemployment rate of 3.3% was well below the average rate of 4.0% among the 50 states and DC.

17. Rhode Island

Rhode Island's 5.3% average weekly wage growth between April 2017 and April 2018 was the seventh-highest in the country, but its April 2018 unemployment rate of 4.5% was higher than the average rate among the 50 states and DC of 4.0%.

16. Wyoming

Wyoming's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $71,403 was the eighth-highest in the country, while its April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.8% was just below the average rate among the 50 states and DC of 4.0%.

15. Indiana

Indiana's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 2.7% was a bit higher than the average rate of 2.4% among the 50 states and DC, while its April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.2% was below the average 4.0% rate.

14. Maryland

Maryland's April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,042 was the sixth-highest among the 50 states and DC, and its wage growth rate of 7.5% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the highest.

13. South Carolina

South Carolina's average weekly wage growth rate of 6.4% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the fourth-highest among the states and DC, but its Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $44,228 was the sixth-lowest.

12. Florida

Florida's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.7% was the third-highest among the states and DC, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 2.1% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the ninth-highest.

11. Georgia

Georgia's average weekly wage growth rate of 6.0% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the sixth-highest in the country, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 1.5% over that year was slightly above the average rate of 1.3% among the 50 states and DC.

10. Wisconsin

Wisconsin's April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.8% was tied for fifth-lowest among the states and DC, and its Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.1% was tied for eighth-highest.

9. Utah

Utah's non-farm payroll job growth rate of 3.3% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the third-highest in the country, and its April 2018 unemployment rate of 3.1% was well below the average rate among the 50 states and DC of 4.0%.

8. Massachusetts

Massachusetts' Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $78,300 and April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,116 were both the third-highest among the 50 states and DC.

7. California

California's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.4% was the fifth-highest among the states and DC, as was its April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,073.

6. Idaho

Idaho's non-farm payroll job growth rate of 3.3% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the second-highest among the states and DC, as was its Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 4.8%.

Idaho fared much better in this quarter's ranking than in our first-quarter ranking of the state economies, when it came in at number 20.

5. Hawaii

Hawaii's 2.0% unemployment rate in April 2018 was the lowest among the 50 states and DC, and its average weekly wage growth rate of 6.1% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the fifth-highest.

4. Texas

Texas' Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 5.2% was the highest among the 50 states and DC, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 2.7% between April 2017 and April 2018 was fifth-highest.

3. Colorado

Colorado's Q4 2017 GDP growth rate of 3.2% was the seventh-highest among the states and DC, and its April 2018 unemployment rate of 2.9% was the ninth-lowest.

2. Washington

Washington state's April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,168 was the second-highest among the states and DC, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 2.8% between April 2017 and April 2018 was the fourth-highest.

1. Washington, DC

The District of Columbia's Q4 2017 per capita GDP of $193,091 and April 2018 average weekly wage of $1,552 were far and away the highest in the country. However, DC's April 2018 unemployment rate of 5.6% was the second-highest among the states and DC.