And the Country's Strongest Economy Is...

Gov. Charlie Baker's got another accolade to add to his growing list. Not only has he been ranked most popular governor in the nation but a second, equally reputable list has pegged Massachusetts' economy as best-in-the-country.

Not too shabby.

The list out this week in Governing Magazine used a mix of numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis to create what it hopes is a full and balanced picture of states' economic wellness.

Its "Best of Times, Worst of Times" list also measures the progress (or lack thereof) between now and the last time Governing Magazine tallied these numbers in 2013, the pit of the recession. The last time it put those same variables together, Massachusetts ranked somewhere in the indeterminate middle.

The outlet also took a look at the dichotomy between top-performing states (most swing Democrat in presidential elections) and those on the bottom (largely Republican-voting or -leaning). But, as they note, the presence of Republican Governors Charlie Baker, here, and Larry Hogan, in Maryland, among others, makes it tough to draw a one-dimensional conclusion about politics and economics.

We have the top five (strongest) and bottom five (weakest) listed here, so you can assess for yourself.

1. Massachusetts
2. Oregon
3. Delaware
4. Colorado
5. California

-
46. Louisiana
47. New Mexico
48. Wyoming
49. Alaska
49. West Virginia (the last two tied for weakest economy)

Find the full list, an explanation of methodology and much more from the magazine here.

>> Image used under Creative Commons