The Hoosier state is fiscally responsible.

But Indiana ranks in the bottom half overall in five of the eight categories measured in U.S. News and World Reports 2019 ranking of states.

In a news release, the web-based media company said it ranked all 50 states using education, health care, infrastructure, the economy and other factors to capture how states best serve their citizens.

The state of Washington ranked first overall, followed by New Hampshire and Minnesota.

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Indiana comes in at No. 36, just below Illinois and above Nevada.

The score was created by taking the average of three years of data on a national survey that asked 50,000 people to prioritize each of eight topics in their states. Each category was then given a weighted score -- healthcare was given the most weight, while the environment was given the least.

Indiana's worst showing was for the environment at No. 48.

In other bad news, U.S. News ranked Indiana 40th for health care; 37th for infrastructure; and 34th for crime and corrections.

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Indiana had a couple bright spots. The state ranked ranked No. 12 for opportunity and No. 6 for fiscal stability.

Indiana's high mark for fiscal responsibility comes from its solid credit rating, balanced budget and liquidity, according to the rankings. The opportunity score is based largely on Indiana's affordability.

In the remaining two categories, Indiana posted average rankings of 28 for the economy and 24 for education.

Call IndyStar reporter Vic Ryckaert at 317-444-2701. Follow him on Twitter: @VicRyc.