With Tax Day delayed to May 17 and 74% of people thinking the government has not spent their tax dollars wisely during the COVID-19 pandemic, WalletHub today released its report on the states with the Best & Worst Taxpayer Return on Investment in 2021, as well as accompanying videos.
WalletHub used 30 metrics to compare the quality and efficiency of state-government services across five categories — Education, Health, Safety, Economy, and Infrastructure & Pollution — taking into account the drastically different rates at which citizens are taxed in each state.
| States with Best Taxpayer ROI | States with Worst Taxpayer ROI |
| 1. New Hampshire | 41. Vermont |
| 2. Florida | 42. Louisiana |
| 3. South Dakota | 43. Arkansas |
| 4. Virginia | 44. New York |
| 5. Missouri | 45. Nevada |
| 6. Ohio | 46. Delaware |
| 7. Texas | 47. North Dakota |
| 8. Georgia | 48. New Mexico |
| 9. Nebraska | 49. California |
| 10. Tennessee | 50. Hawaii |
Best vs. Worst
- Red States have a higher taxpayer return on investment, with an average ranking of 21.20, compared with 29.80 for Blue States (1 = Best).
- Tennessee has the lowest proportion of major roads in poor or mediocre condition, 15.00 percent, which is 5.3 times lower than in Rhode Island, the state with the highest at 79.00 percent.
- Maine has the fewest violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 1.15, which is 7.5 times lower than in Alaska, the state with the most at 8.67.
- Vermont has the lowest infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, 2.8, which is 3.1 times lower than in Mississippi, the state with the highest at 8.79.
