41. Connecticut
42. Illinois
43. Massachusetts
44. Washington
45. Hawaii
46. Maryland
47. California
48. Rhode Island
49. New Jersey
50. New York
See post #2. Do you agree that we are #49, or do you think we're really #50?
Top 12.
Table V: Overall Freedom Ranking
State Overall Freedom
1. New Hampshire 0.432
2. Colorado 0.421
3. South Dakota 0.392
4. Idaho 0.356
5. Texas 0.346
6. Missouri 0.320
7. Tennessee 0.284
8. Arizona 0.279
9. Virginia 0.275
10. North Dakota 0.268
11. Utah 0.250
12. Kansas 0.210
This is a ridiculous study. It was created by Jason Sorens, founder of the Free State Project, which had a weird vote (complete with various irregularities as I dimily recall) among memebers to select a state which they would all move to.
The criteria were manipulated in such a way that New Hampshire finished #1. I’ve spent plenty of time in New Hampshire, and while it is a nice state in no way is it as free as many states finishing further down the list.
Washington, which finishes far down the list near the bottom has “shall carry” gun laws, no income tax and $40 car registration which you can complete at the local hardware store. To even imagine that it is less free that, say, Connecticut is absurd.