The Brief California ranked 35th overall in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best States Rankings, up two spots from last year despite landing dead last in opportunity. California made a modest climb to rank 35th overall in the newly released U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best States Rankings. Local perspective:California ranked 35th overall in the 2026 rankings, moving up slightly from No. SUGGESTED: California among top 3 destinations for weather-driven interstate moves, survey findsHowever, California ranked dead last at No. Overall, California performed slightly better than neighboring Nevada and Oregon, though it ranked behind Arizona.