‘Index of Personal and Economic Freedom’ Shows Red States at Top, Blue States at Bottom

A recent analysis shows that Republican-led states are outpacing Democrat-led states in overall freedom.

The Cato Institute’s newest “Freedom in the 50 States” report shows that across a variety of metrics — including fiscal policy, government regulations, and civil liberties — red states generally promote a higher quality of life.

In overall freedom, the top five states are:

  1. New Hampshire
  2. Florida
  3. Nevada
  4. Tennessee
  5. South Dakota

Meanwhile, the bottom states are:

  1. Oregon
  2. New Jersey
  3. California
  4. Hawaii
  5. New York