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A newly released study by personal finance website WalletHub has revealed which U.S. states offer the best and the worst health care—with New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Minnesota leading the nation.

How It Was Calculated

WalletHub ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on cost, access and health outcomes, each weighted equally. The analysis used 44 metrics, including insurance premiums, provider availability, ER efficiency, life expectancy and disease rates. States were scored on a 100-point scale, with higher scores indicating better health care performance.

Data was compiled as of June 30 from sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KFF and U.S. Census Bureau.

What To Know

New Hampshire ranked first overall for best health care, the report found. The state boasts the lowest average monthly health insurance premium—about $470—and the fourth-lowest out-of-pocket medical spending nationally, according to WalletHub.

It was also found to have high per-capita availability of urgent care centers, nurses and physician assistants. New Hampshire residents showed strong overall health indicators, according to the report, including low rates of coronary heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Rhode Island ranked second, with residents spending just 5.6 percent of their income on out-of-pocket medical expenses—the lowest nationwide. The state has high levels of insured adults and children, as well as the sixth-highest number of physicians per capita and the sixth-most geriatricians, along with one of the highest child vaccination rates and the 13th-lowest child mortality rate, WalletHub found.

Minnesota placed third overall. It has the most convenient care clinics per capita and relatively low medical costs, including the 13th-lowest average out-of-pocket spending and the eighth-lowest monthly insurance premiums. The state also scored well in hospital quality, life expectancy and maternal health outcomes, WalletHub said.

At the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi, Alaska, Alabama, Georgia and Texas were ranked as the bottom five.

What People Are Saying

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, in the report: “Health care has two crucial components, cost and quality. The best health care in the nation isn’t helpful if it bankrupts the people who try to get it, and cheap health care isn’t worth paying for if it provides subpar or ineffective treatment. Therefore, the best states for health care are those that make high-quality care affordable, on top of providing many options for doctors and making insurance easily accessible.”

What Happens Next

WalletHub releases its “Best & Worst States for Health Care” report annually.