Iowa is one of the best states in this country.

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This state in the heart of the American Midwest, its rolling hills covered with corn, soybeans and other crops, its ever-present pork some of the most sumptuous in the nation, is home to just over 3 million people. They are overwhelmingly white, 92 percent. And if it’s perceived as simply a farm state, Iowa has the nation’s highest high school graduation rate, 90 percent. And two-thirds of the state’s high school graduates go directly to college – matching the national average.

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U.S. News & World Report ranked Iowa at No. 6 in the country in its Best States rankings released Tuesday — which evaluates all 50 states across a range of criteria, from education and health care to infrastructure and economy. This is the first year U.S. News has ranked states.

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In determining Iowa's sixth overall spot, the state placed:
-fifth in health care
- sixth in opportunity and eighth in education
- 10th in government
-16th in both crime/corrections and infrastructure
- 30th in economy.

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In calculating the rankings, each of the seven categories were assigned weightings based on a national survey that asked people to prioritize each subject in their state:

Health Care: 18 percent
Education: 16 percent
Infrastructure: 14 percent
Crime & Corrections: 14 percent
Opportunity: 14 percent
Economy: 13 percent
Government: 10 percent In calculating the rankings, each of the seven categories were assigned weightings based on a national survey that asked people to prioritize each subject in their state:

Health Care: 18 percent
Education: 16 percent
Infrastructure: 14 percent
Crime & Corrections: 14 percent
Opportunity: 14 percent
Economy: 13 percent
Government: 10 percent

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Massachusetts claimed first, which had the best ranking in education and was runner-up in health care. New Hampshire followed in second and Minnesota in third. North Dakota (fourth) and Washington (fifth) rounded out the first five. U.S. News calls these top five states "geographically and politically diverse." Arkansas (48th), Louisiana (49th) and Mississippi (50th) closed out the bottom portion of the list.

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