Strongest states in America

Quote: "Politico Magazine rounded up 14 different state rankings from reputable sources like the Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FBI, and on important factors such as high school graduation rates, per capita income, life expectancy and crime rate. Then we averaged out each state’s 14 rankings to come up with a master list."

Top 5:
Overall rank (1 = best)
Rank
1. New Hampshire
2. Minnesota
3. Vermont
4. Utah
5. Massachusetts

Bottom 5:
Alabama
Tennessee
Arkansas
Louisiana
Mississippi

In 1931, a study done by Mencken and Angoff declared Connecticut and Massachusetts “the most fortunate American States,” and they deemed Mississippi “without a serious rival to the lamentable preëminence of the Worst American State.

What can be done to turn this around? Better education? Better government? Change in thinking?
Why have southern states ranked as the worst in America for many many years?
Not a flame, just trying to figure out when and how they can turn things around.
States Rankings