Mississippi ranks as the best state for doctors, while the District of Columbia comes in as the worst, according to a new report on 2016’s Best & Worst States for Doctors from personal finance website WalletHub.
A press release from WalletHub notes analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 11 key metrics to identify the best states for those in the business of saving lives. Data set ranged from “physicians’ monthly average starting salary” to “number of hospitals per capita” to “medically underserved areas or populations.”
| Best States for Doctors | Worst States for Doctors |
| 1. Mississippi | 42. Maine |
| 2. Iowa | 43. Delaware |
| 3. Minnesota | 44. Massachusetts |
| 4. North Dakota | 44. Vermont |
| 5. Idaho | 46. New Jersey |
| 6. Texas | 47. Connecticut |
| 7. Kansas | 48. Maryland |
| 8. Tennessee | 49. Rhode Island |
| 9. Tennessee | 50. New York |
| 10. Alabama | 51. District of Columbia |
The release compared the best and worst, highlighting the following:
- Mississippi has the highest cost of living-adjusted annual mean wage for surgeons, $312,168, which is two times higher than in the District of Columbia, where it is lowest, $129,503.
- The District of Columbia has the highest number of physicians per 1,000 residents, 8.41, which is seven times higher than in Nevada, where it is lowest, 1.17.
- The District of Columbia has the highest projected number of physicians per 1,000 residents in 2022, 5.59, which is six times higher than in Mississippi, where it is lowest, 0.91.
- Florida has the highest projected percentage of the population aged 65 and older by 2030, 27.08 percent, which is two times higher than in Utah, where it is lowest, 13.21 percent.
- Wyoming has the highest rate of state medical boards’ serious disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians, 6.79, which is five times higher than in South Carolina, where it is lowest, 1.33.
- New York has the highest amount of malpractice award payouts per capita, $36.15, which is 35 times higher than in North Dakota, where it is lowest, $1.03.
- New York has the highest malpractice liability insurance rate, $41,911, which is six times higher than in Wisconsin, where it is lowest, $6,678.
