For this year’s 2023 Best of the Beehive, we are taking a look at what Utah is the best at compared to other—less best—places. Utah has been dubbed the happiest state, the nerdiest state, the most business-friendly state, etc., etc. This year, Utah also has the new distinction of being the best state. Period. It’s science. U.S. News & World Report ranked Utah as the best overall state, largely thanks to its high scores in the ranking’s categories of “Economics” and “Financial Stability.” However, there are some categories where the Beehive State falls short. In those cases, we prefer to see it as…we’re the best at being the worst.
The Best at Being Happy
Utah is ranked among the happiest states in the union, according to WalletHub, but not so much for our actual emotional and physical well-being. Rather, we scored high in the “Work Environment” and “Community & Environment” categories.
The Best at Inviting the Supernatural
Utah has something of a reputation for the unexplained and supernatural. Not only are our residents adept at magical thinking, but the Beehive State is reportedly home to some of the most haunted places in the country.
The Best at Geeking Out
Utah is ranked as the nerdiest state—most recently by Zippia in 2022, which looked at our super geeky internet search history—earning supporting distinctions as well, like the state that plays the most Dungeons & Dragons.
The Best at Shopping in Style
In the days where much of the shopping for home can be done from home, a place has to be pretty special to lure us outside. These home-design retailers aren’t just shops
The Best at Starting a Business
Utah is the most entrepreneurial state in the country, as found by a 2020 Seek Capital study. The study looked at factors like the growth of the working-age population, employment rates, business tax climate, cost of living and business survival rates.
Utah-bred businesses of note that have grown from cool local startups >>>
Best Adventures for Kids
Utah is the fastest growing state because we’re the best at having kids, but it takes a little extra planning if you’re traveling with the whole family.
The Best at Digging up Dinosaurs
We even have our own raptor named after us! Just as an example of our dinosaur discovery supremacy, more than 6,000 different fossils have been found at a single dig site in Emery County.
The Best at Getting Outside
There is a lot that makes Utah’s outdoors remarkable, and having the highest concentration in the world of International Dark Sky Association-certified Dark Sky Parks is certainly one of them.
At 24 parks, there is no shortage of places to go outside at night and look up >>>
Want to find more Beehive favorites? Read our Best of the Beehive picks from 2022!
