We’re number 17! We’re number 17!

Well, it’s not a catchy chant, we’ll grant you.

But it does mean that – like all the children in Lake Wobegon – we’re above average. At least if you accept the data analysis released this week by the list-happy folks at WalletHub.

WalletHub, a Washington, D.C.-based online site offering credit scores, analysis and financial advice, is also prone to near-constant calculations of economic lists.

To rank the states in terms of "best-performing economies," WalletHub used 23 measures, most of them data collected by the government. WalletHub divided them into three categories: economic activity, economic health and innovation potential, then weighted them to accord what it believed was the correct importance.

Among the factors: gross domestic product, exports, unemployment rate, job growth, share of residents lacking health insurance, foreclosure rate, in-migration of educated people and the government’s budget balance.

Georgia ranked 11th in economic activity, 29th in economic health and 26th in innovation potential. And, as we mentioned, 17th overall.

Top state economies, according to WalletHub’s calculations:

— Utah, which had the highest number of independent-inventor patents per 1,000 working-age residents.

— Washington, which had the highest value of exports per capita.

— California

— Massachusetts, which had the lowest percentage of uninsured population.

— Colorado

About the Author

Keep Reading

Trains line the tracks during Tracks of Hope, an event hosted by Norfolk Southern in support of Hope Atlanta, in Forest Park, on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. Norfolk Southern has become a prominent corporate citizen in the metro region, donating millions to charitable causes. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

Featured

Prosecutor Skandalakis has previously suggested that pursuing criminal charges against President Donald Trump may not be feasible until after he leaves office in 2029. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images