Wisconsin ranks eighth among all states in a new national assessment that measures 31 indicators of economic prosperity, environmental health, and resident wellbeing, placing the state in the top tier alongside neighboring Minnesota (first) and Iowa (third). Yet the 2026 State of the States report, published by the bipartisan State of the Nation Project and analyzed by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, reveals a troubling undercurrent: Wisconsin is losing ground relative to other states on 13 of those 31 measures while improving on just eight. The state's average ranking of 17.5 across all metrics puts it just behind South Dakota and just ahead of North Dakota, but unless current trends reverse, that top-10 standing may not hold much longer.

Wisconsin's strengths remain concentrated in work and labor force metrics, where the Upper Midwest dominates nationally. The state ranks sixth for long-term unemployment, fourth for income inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient, and ninth for poverty using the Census Bureau's supplemental measure. Voter turnout places Wisconsin eighth nationally, with participation rates higher than the national average. But cracks are showing in areas the state has traditionally prided itself on. Wisconsin ranks 28th for child mortality, with rates slightly above the national average and rising faster than the nation's during the past decade. The state's volunteerism rate, once 25% to 40% above the national rate in the 2000s and 2010s, has plummeted to just 9.7% above in 2023, dropping Wisconsin to 25th nationally. On greenhouse gas emissions, Wisconsin ranks 31st, with per capita emissions slightly higher than the nation's and relatively stable even as national emissions have plummeted since the Great Recession.

The report finds Wisconsin is deteriorating relative to the nation on three of four measures in the "children and families" category, both measures in the "violence" category, and two of four measures in the "work and labor force" category—one of the state's traditional areas of strength. Fatal shootings illustrate the pattern: Wisconsin ranks 16th with a lower rate than the nation, but its rate rose more sharply on a proportional basis than the national average through 2023. Labor force participation tells a similar story—Wisconsin ranks eighth, but its edge over national peers is eroding. According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum's analysis, "for a state that has long prided itself on being family friendly and boasting a high quality of life, these trends are worthy of attention."

The report's methodology draws from federal sources including the Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control, and Bureau of Labor Statistics, ranking each state on metrics grouped into 14 categories spanning children and families, economy, education, environment, inequality, mental health, physical health, violence, and work. Distinct regional patterns emerge: nine of the top 10 states sit in the northern Midwest, northern Great Plains, or New England, while eight of the bottom 10 are located in the South. Wisconsin's demographic profile—a median age slightly older than the nation's—may contribute to higher voting participation and lower violence rates, but it doesn't explain why the state is sliding backward on measures like low birth weight among newborns, where both state and national trends are worsening but Wisconsin's is declining faster.

The State of the Nation Project concludes that "by providing a clear, comprehensive, and unvarnished picture of where we stand, and examining the reasons behind our successes and failures, we hope to motivate and guide action at local, state, and national levels." At the national level, the data paint an even grimmer picture: no state is improving on eight of the 31 measures, including metrics for mental health, life satisfaction, and trust in the federal government—a troubling trend as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. Wisconsin may hold a strong overall position today, but the trajectory suggests that without course corrections on family wellbeing, violence, and civic engagement, the state's top-10 distinction won't survive the next decade.