Despite regularly earning high marks for business climate and economic development, Georgia ranked among the nation’s least independent states in a new study measuring financial, economic and personal self-sufficiency.
The personal finance website ‘WalletHub ranked Georgia #32 in its 2026 “Most & Least Independent States” report, placing the Peach State in the bottom six nationwide. The analysis sought to define the ability of residents and state economies to rely less on outside assistance, debt, unstable employment, foreign trade, and addictive behaviors.
The study evaluated all 50 states across five broad categories: financial dependency, government dependency, job-market dependency, international trade dependency, and dependency related to personal vices.
The study considered metrics from federal data sources, including household emergency savings, reliance on public assistance, unemployment, income adjusted for cost of living, retirement participation, exports, and substance use indicators.
Among the study’s findings:
- Georgia tied for 45th in median credit score. (Tied with Oklahoma)
- The state ranked 49th for employer-based retirement access and participation.
- Georgia also placed near the bottom in several measures of household financial resilience, contributing heavily to its overall ranking.
Most Independent States
| Overall Rank | State | Total Score | Financial Dependency Rank | Government Dependency Rank | Job-Market Dependency Rank | International-Trade Dependency Rank | Vice Dependency Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | 62.75 | 27 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 31 |
| 2 | Utah | 62.62 | 30 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 12 |
| 3 | Hawaii | 61.56 | 15 | 32 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| 4 | Colorado | 60.24 | 7 | 18 | 30 | 4 | 35 |
| 5 | South Dakota | 60.07 | 24 | 23 | 2 | 11 | 23 |
| 6 | Nebraska | 59.84 | 23 | 10 | 1 | 20 | 29 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 59.17 | 1 | 9 | 28 | 34 | 5 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 58.55 | 10 | 17 | 8 | 26 | 21 |
| 9 | Washington | 58.25 | 4 | 16 | 31 | 28 | 7 |
| 10 | Virginia | 57.99 | 8 | 28 | 34 | 8 | 9 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 57.76 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 38 | 16 |
| 12 | Iowa | 57.75 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 25 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 57.13 | 6 | 5 | 49 | 31 | 3 |
| 14 | California | 57.12 | 18 | 15 | 42 | 19 | 6 |
| 15 | Vermont | 56.71 | 5 | 31 | 16 | 13 | 28 |
| 16 | Montana | 56.35 | 22 | 35 | 23 | 1 | 43 |
| 17 | Kansas | 56.34 | 34 | 2 | 12 | 27 | 47 |
| 18 | Florida | 55.54 | 25 | 19 | 44 | 16 | 10 |
| 19 | Minnesota | 55.29 | 3 | 29 | 14 | 24 | 32 |
| 20 | Ohio | 54.98 | 20 | 14 | 25 | 36 | 20 |
| 21 | New York | 54.94 | 11 | 25 | 35 | 30 | 1 |
| 22 | Delaware | 54.74 | 17 | 3 | 46 | 40 | 19 |
| 23 | North Carolina | 54.32 | 37 | 12 | 19 | 35 | 14 |
| 24 | Maryland | 54.10 | 12 | 41 | 41 | 6 | 13 |
| 25 | Nevada | 53.93 | 41 | 11 | 38 | 10 | 40 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | 53.88 | 14 | 34 | 32 | 23 | 8 |
| 27 | Wyoming | 53.07 | 28 | 39 | 29 | 9 | 17 |
| 28 | Missouri | 52.96 | 35 | 27 | 11 | 15 | 46 |
| 29 | Connecticut | 51.86 | 9 | 33 | 48 | 29 | 4 |
| 30 | Illinois | 51.50 | 16 | 8 | 45 | 42 | 27 |
| 31 | North Dakota | 51.21 | 33 | 26 | 3 | 43 | 26 |
| 32 | Georgia | 51.08 | 42 | 20 | 17 | 33 | 30 |
| 33 | Maine | 50.67 | 26 | 40 | 21 | 14 | 45 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | 50.59 | 21 | 42 | 43 | 21 | 11 |
| 35 | Oregon | 49.81 | 31 | 24 | 39 | 25 | 41 |
| 36 | Arizona | 49.45 | 36 | 44 | 27 | 22 | 15 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | 49.33 | 46 | 37 | 26 | 3 | 48 |
| 38 | Arkansas | 48.96 | 49 | 21 | 18 | 12 | 50 |
| 39 | Texas | 48.95 | 29 | 6 | 22 | 49 | 18 |
| 40 | Tennessee | 48.36 | 39 | 30 | 9 | 41 | 42 |
| 41 | Michigan | 48.27 | 13 | 22 | 40 | 44 | 34 |
| 42 | New Mexico | 45.80 | 43 | 47 | 50 | 7 | 22 |
| 43 | Alabama | 44.51 | 44 | 38 | 15 | 39 | 39 |
| 44 | Indiana | 43.67 | 38 | 36 | 6 | 48 | 37 |
| 45 | West Virginia | 41.79 | 45 | 50 | 47 | 17 | 36 |
| 46 | South Carolina | 40.67 | 40 | 43 | 20 | 46 | 38 |
| 47 | Alaska | 40.66 | 19 | 49 | 37 | 45 | 33 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 38.74 | 50 | 48 | 24 | 32 | 49 |
| 49 | Louisiana | 34.88 | 48 | 45 | 36 | 47 | 44 |
| 50 | Kentucky | 33.40 | 47 | 46 | 33 | 50 | 24 |
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
Read more on how the findings were calculated.
