U.S. News recently ranked all 50 states in the country (Sorry, D.C. and Puerto Rico) based on various factors such as health care, education, economy, and government. After the results were in, Massachusetts took the #1 spot, followed by New Hampshire and Minnesota.
Further down on the list came California... at a mediocre #23, wedged between Indiana and Florida.
California's highest individual category ranking came from its economy, at #3. Its performances in infrastructure (#33), opportunity (#42), and government (#44) dragged it down, though.
According to U.S. News, "More weight was accorded to some state measures than others, based on a survey of what matters most to people. Health care and education were weighted most heavily."
Apparently they didn't have a category for "Best access to beaches, mountains, Mexican food, and Disneyland"...
Check out the full list and read more about the methodology used in the study at https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings