Wisconsin was ranked 8th in the country for a broad range of metrics in the 2026 State of the States report, reflecting relatively low rates of poverty and income inequality as well as a strong labor force.
But the Wisconsin Policy Forum says the state is in danger of slipping lower based on trends in the report. In a recent analysis of the State of the Nation Project report, the group said Wisconsin’s “strong standing” may be at risk.
“Our state is losing ground relative to the nation on significantly more metrics than it is gaining,” authors wrote. “Unless it reverses course in a number of these areas, it may not hold its top 10 distinction for much longer.”
The rankings include 31 metrics grouped into 14 categories, covering things like the economy, education, mental and physical health, rates of violence, the workforce, citizenship, life satisfaction and more.
Overall, the state is worsening on 13 of the report’s 31 measures and improving on eight of them, WPF notes. For the other 10, its trend is “mixed, stable or unclear” when compared to the national level.
Wisconsin ranked No. 4 for income inequality and No. 9 for poverty, while its long-term unemployment rate was good for No. 6. WPF notes the state has “consistently performed better than the national rate” on this measure over the last three decades.
And while the state was also ranked No. 8 for its labor force participation rate, authors note “Wisconsin’s edge on its national peers in this area is eroding” despite the state and Upper Midwest region historically performing well on this measure.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s rate of fatal shootings has risen more than the national rate in recent years, with WPF deeming it “solid but slipping” on this measure. Still, the state ranked No. 16 with a lower rate than the national level.
And while the state ranked near the top or at least middling on “nearly all measures” in the report, WPF notes, other factors are dragging down Wisconsin’s ranking. One of these is child mortality, for which the state was ranked No. 28 with a rate slightly better than the national level.
“Our child mortality rate increased relative to the nation’s during the prior decade,” authors wrote.
Wisconsin also ranked No. 31 for net emissions of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. While the ranking report doesn’t provide emissions per capita, WPF drew on its own figures to note per capita net emissions were slightly higher than the national level in 2022.
“A comparison of the trend shows that emissions have plummeted nationally since the Great Recession, while Wisconsin’s have remained relatively stable,” authors wrote.
