States With the Best Infrastructure – 2019 Edition

Lack of investment in infrastructure within a state can have tangible effects on its residents’ finances. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2016 report “Failure to Act” quantifies these effects, stating that on a national level, American families lose $3,400 in disposable income every year $9 a day due to infrastructure deficiencies, which could be money they could otherwise be using toward paying off their mortgages faster. In addition to increasing housing and utilities costs as well as the cost of personal transportation, deteriorating infrastructure increases costs incurred by businesses in terms of services and efficiency, which ultimately leads to higher prices for individuals.

Some states have stepped in to address infrastructure shortfalls themselves. For instance, the report notes that 23 states increased state gas tax rates between 2010 and 2016 to fund infrastructure investments. In this study, SmartAsset examined the states in the U.S. with the best infrastructure, as the benefits of stronger state infrastructure may be particularly important for potential homebuyers.

To find the states with the best infrastructure, we compared states across eight metrics related to road, bridge and public transportation quality; internet coverage; water system needs and electric grid reliability. For details on our data sources and how we put all the information together to create our final rankings, check out the Data and Methodology section here: https://bit.ly/35znSlb