Rankings 2014
Education:
26th
Economy:
30th
Safety:
18th
Environment:
5th
Health:
22nd
Infrastructure:
11th
Government:
4th
Results Champion?: YES
Oregon stands out among its sister states in two areas: environment and government. The state ranks 3rd in renewable energy (most of which comes from hydroelectric power), and 5th in air quality. Water quality is the only environmental factor which could be improved significantly. The state government has adopted programs that encourage transparency, technology, and use of scorecards to make administrative decisions. The state also has one of the best funded public pension systems in the country.
One of the state’s problem areas is economic. Unemployment rate (48th), economic diversity (48th), and business competitiveness (44th) measures depress the overall economic goal ranking. Improving these areas should be top priority. Most of Oregon’s score do not stand out as either best or worst in the nation.
Recommendations
The only true area that Oregon stands out is in government effectiveness. In terms of economy, education, and health outcomes, Oregon is decidedly average. Using the resources and high performing agencies in government to improve any of these areas will increase Oregon’s rankings.