12 States With the Worst Economies: 2023

Among individual states, some contribute significantly less to U.S. economic growth than others, according to a recent study by WalletHub. The economies of these states lag behind those of the states with the best economies in several categories, from GDP growth to startup activity to the share of jobs in high-tech industries. To identify which states pulled the most and least weight, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across these key dimensions:

• Economic activity, including change in GDP from 2021 to 2022, exports and startup activity.
• Economic health, including unemployment, household income, business growth and fiscal health.
• Innovation potential, including the share of jobs in high-tech industries, the rate of independent inventor patents per 1,000 working-age people and entrepreneurial activity.

Researchers evaluated these dimensions using 28 metrics and graded each on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest economic performance. They then determined the weighted average of each state and the district across all metrics to calculate its overall score. See the gallery for the 12 states with the worst economies, according to WalletHub.