Minnesota Ranked #2 State in the Union by Politico Magazine

If you've ever wondered just how great of a state we live in, look no further than Politico Magazine's ranking of the 50 states. Though this survey in all reality means nothing, it's still a fun little gold star for all Minnesotans to wear. The ranking system is based off 14 different criteria, none of which are average snowfall or temperature, ranging from education, to obesity, to crime rate. Minnesota was edged out by New Hampshire, a state we all really know pales in comparison to the great "North Star State." The data used to generate this ranking was compounded from trusty data sources like the FBI, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Census Bureau -- while this ranking is no where near scientific or conclusive, since Minnesota sits close to the top, and Wisconsin sits at #19, I'm sure the results are fair. The determining factors are listed below, with Minnesota's ranking alongside. -- Highest home ownership (2) -- Highest percentage employed in science, tech, engineering and mathematics (11) -- Least income inequality (14) -- Lowest obesity rate (13) -- Lowest infant mortality rate (10) -- Highest percentage of high school graduates (10) -- Highest reading scores (8) -- Highest math scores (3) -- Lowest crime rate (9) -- Lowest poverty rate (10) -- Lowest unemployment rate (9) -- Wealthiest per capita (12) -- Highest reported wellbeing (3)   Photo via: Google