Montana, South Dakota and Idaho are the top three places for physicians to practice in the U.S., according to a WalletHub ranking published on March 20. The worst places to practice this year are Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Alaska.

WalletHub’s 2023 ranking is based on comparisons across two key dimensions: opportunity and competition, and medical environment. Within those dimensions, 19 metrics are considered, including average annual wage, hospitals per capita and quality of the public health system. WalletHub calculated each state’s overall score using the weighted average across all metrics.

Montana, South Dakota and Idaho are the top three places for physicians to practice in the U.S., according to a WalletHub ranking published on March 20. The worst places to practice this year are Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Alaska.

WalletHub’s 2023 ranking is based on comparisons across two key dimensions: opportunity and competition, and medical environment. Within those dimensions, 19 metrics are considered, including average annual wage, hospitals per capita, and quality of the public health system. WalletHub calculated each state’s overall score using the weighted average across all metrics.

Fifteen BEST states for physicians: 

1. Montana

2. South Dakota

3. Idaho

4. Wisconsin

5. Minnesota

6. Louisiana

7. Utah

8. Nebraska

9. Iowa

10. Indiana

11. Colorado

12. Alabama

13. Tennessee

14. Georgia

15. North Dakota

WORST states for physicians: 

35. Arkansas

36. California

37. Florida

38. Vermont

39. Wyoming

40. Delaware

41. Maryland

42. Oregon

43. Pennsylvania

44. New York

45. Massachusetts

46. New Mexico

47. District of Columbia

48. New Jersey

49. Alaska

50. Rhode Island

51. Hawaii

Four other insights from the ranking: 

• Montana, which ranks No. 1 overall, placed 11th for opportunity and competition and fourth for the medical environment.
• Alabama ranked No. 1 in opportunity and competition and 33rd for the medical environment.
• Utah came in first place for the medical environment but its ranking as 41 in opportunity and competition brought down its overall ranking to seven.
• Hawaii, the worst state to practice overall, placed last for opportunity and competition and came in at 43 for the medical environment.

View the full ranking and scoring here. 

FOOTNOTE: This article was posted by the City-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.