Every Other State Beats California in Affordability, Rankings Reveal

Affordability is weighing California down in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best States Rankings, which revealed who is outperforming in areas like health care access and math test scores — and who is coming in dead last. California is both leading and lagging in the latest rankings unveiled on Tuesday, July 28. The rankings are an assessment of how each state performs based on numerous…