Utah governor unveils strategy for maintaining top state ranking in annual assessment.

For the second year in a row, Utah has been ranked as the best state in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report, thanks to its "unique" qualities.

Utah maintained its position as the top state in the U.S. News & World Report's Best States rankings for 2024 due to its consistency.

Cox emphasized the American Dream's vitality and highlighted his "Disagree Better" initiative promoting bipartisanship among governors in response to a report at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

"Utah stands out as a leader in upward mobility, social capital, and charitable giving, and our conservative policies have contributed to our strong economy and top-ranked education system, as Cox told Planet Chronicle Digital."

The U.S. News project evaluated over 70 metrics in eight categories, including fiscal stability, health care, infrastructure, and crime and corrections. Utah excelled in education (ranked 2nd), economy (ranked 3rd), and infrastructure (also ranked 3rd). Additionally, the state made significant improvements year over year in several categories, including crime and corrections (+6) and opportunity (+2).

Despite being known for its natural environment, Utah finished in the bottom half of the list in the category of natural environment, at No. 46. The report stated that this category reflected metrics such as pollution threats and air and water quality.

In January 2023, Cox became a part of the Utah Fits All Scholarship program, which offers K-12 students the opportunity to receive an education spending account of up to $8,000 to cover education-related expenses such as textbooks, tutors, and private school tuition.

"Cox stated that they have secured more funding for education and passed school choice to empower parents. They have also given teachers the largest raises in the state's history and provided families with more options to use taxpayer dollars to send their children to their preferred schools. Cox emphasized the importance of not treating these initiatives as a zero-sum game and finding solutions that benefit everyone while reducing government size. This, he believes, is what keeps Utah at the top."

Provo, Utah, has been ranked as the city with the highest percentage of young adults as homeowners, according to a recent study by MoneyGeek. In this city, people under 25 make up approximately 39% of homeowners, and young adults own more homes than those in any other age group, including those aged 25-44, 44-65, and over 65.

"Cox stated that we are the youngest state in the country and we value families. We believe that having children is important and beneficial. However, we are also aware of the rising cost of housing and are working hard to ensure that children can afford to own homes. We are grateful for places like Provo that are leading the way."

He remarked that although the state passed the most aggressive starter home package in the country, "they still have work to do."

"To keep the American Dream alive, we must construct 35,000 starter homes in the next five years, as Cox stated. This is our commitment, and we believe it is unethical to deny homeownership and the American Dream, which includes the ability to purchase a home and start a family, a fundamental aspect of our society."

In recent years, nearly 19,000 Californians have migrated to Utah, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

"Cox stated that there are numerous reasons why Californians are moving to Utah, including a strong economy, less regulation, and the state's status as a "laboratory of democracy." He noted that California has chosen a progressive path, which he believes is not working as more and more people are leaving the state. In contrast, Cox believes that Utah's approach is successful and is attracting people from California and other places."

Cox stated that the current problems in Utah stem from an influx of people into the state.

"I am often asked how I will prevent that from occurring, but the truth is, I cannot. My goal is for our state to be the top," he stated.

In June, Sean Hannity of Planet Chronicle questioned Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, about the state's population decline. Between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022, California lost 117,552 people, causing its population to drop back to its 2016 level, as stated by the state's Department of Finance.

Newsom emphasized his state's economic prospects and referenced red states that experienced population decline.

"Examine the evidence," Newsom stated. "We rank fourth globally in terms of economic size. Despite your discourse, you failed to mention the red states with policies that align with your views. There is a problem in these states, such as Mississippi, Louisiana, and West Virginia, which experienced higher population declines."

Last year, California's population grew by 67,000 people to 39,128,162, as per recent data from the California Department of Finance (DOF), marking the first year since 2020 that the state has experienced a net increase.

In order to maintain a high quality of life while accommodating an increasing population, Cox advised that Utah prioritize infrastructure investments.

He stated that he hoped other states would follow Utah's lead in deregulation and adoption of conservative values, so that their residents would feel content and want to stay rather than leaving.

Planet Chronicle' Alicia Warren contributed to this report.