Minnesota Ranked Second in the Nation for Best Health Care

(KNSI) — Minnesota has the second-best healthcare in the country, according to a new WalletHub study released Monday.

The personal finance website compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 44 measures of cost, access and outcomes. Minnesota earned an overall score of 66.72, trailing only New Hampshire.

The ranking marks an improvement for the state, which placed third in last year’s study.

Minnesota posts strong marks across all three categories, ranking third on cost, second on access and 11th on outcomes. WalletHub credits the state with the highest number of convenient care clinics per capita in the nation. The study also finds Minnesota has the seventh-lowest out-of-pocket medical spending and the eighth-lowest average monthly insurance premium, and it reports the average dental visit costs less in only four other states.

On quality, the study ranks Minnesota’s public hospital system eighth-best in the country. Residents have the seventh-highest life expectancy, and the state records an extremely low maternal mortality rate. The average patient waits about 16 minutes to be seen in the emergency room.

Rounding out the top five are New Hampshire, Minnesota, Iowa, Rhode Island and Hawaii. At the other end of the list, Alaska ranks last at 51st, followed by Mississippi, Texas, Georgia and West Virginia.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo says the best states for healthcare are those that make high-quality care affordable while offering many options for doctors and easy access to insurance.

The study relies on data collected as of June 29th, 2026, from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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