Top Ten State Economies According to MSN Money -- and Colorado's Big Finish

Plenty of folks in these parts continue to complain about the rough economy -- but according to MSN Money, such gripes have reached their expiration date. The site has just ranked the fifty state economies from worst to first, and Colorado is solidly ensconced in the top ten. But where did it finish? Count down the meme-illustrated list below, complete with excerpts from MSN Money text -- and to see the original post, which features even more facts and figures, click here.

See also: Top Ten States With the Most and least People Who'd Leave If They Could: Suck It, New Jersey

Number 10: Massachusetts MSN Money excerpt: "Massachusetts, powered by its many prestigious colleges and universities, has a robust service economy, anchored by creative industries, financial services, information technology and the life sciences...."

Sample fact: "Massachusetts saw a drop in unemployment in the past year, from 7.1 percent in June 2013 to 5.5 percent in June 2014...."

Number 9: Nevada MSN Money excerpt: "Nevada was hit extremely hard by the implosion of the 2000's housing bubble, but its economy, including its housing market, is getting back on its feet...."

Sample fact: "The unemployment rate dropped 2.3 percent from 10.0 percent in June 2013 to 7.7 percent in June 2014, the second-best improvement in the country...."

Continue to keep counting down the ten best state economies according to MSN Money. Number 8: South Carolina MSN Money excerpt: "In recent months, South Carolina has begun booming its way out from the shadow of the Great Recession...."

Sample fact: "South Carolina had the largest drop in its unemployment rate among the states, going from 7.8 percent in June 2013 to only 5.3 percent in June 2014 -- a drop that puts South Carolina's rate under the national average...."

Number 7: Washington MSN Money excerpt: "The state of Washington is home to many major corporations, with the headquarters of technology companies such as Microsoft and Amazon, the home of coffee behemoth Starbucks, and a significant presence of airplane giant Boeing...."

Sample fact: "Washington saw 6.3 percent growth in international exports between 2012 and 2013, led by $42.6 billion of exports of aircraft, engines, and parts...."

Continue to keep counting down the ten best state economies according to MSN Money. Number 6: Florida MSN Money excerpt: "Florida's sunny and hot climate has long made it a natural destination for tourists and retirees, and, largely owing to NASA's presence at Cape Canaveral, the state has a long history of being a center for aerospace industries...."

Sample fact: "Florida's housing market shows strong signs of recovery, with prices rising 8.9 percent from Q1 2013 to Q1 2014...."

Number 5: Utah MSN Money excerpt: "With a state government focused on economic growth, Utah frequently shows up at or near the top of lists of states where it's good to do business...."

Sample fact: "State GDP rose 3.8 percent in 2013, tied for sixth in the country...."

Continue to keep counting down the ten best state economies according to MSN Money. Number 4: Arizona MSN Money excerpt: "With Phoenix at its heart, and despite being hit especially hard by the collapse of the housing bubble, Arizona continues to have a rapidly growing economy...."

Sample fact: "Arizona saw an 18.8 percent jump in per-dealer auto sales from $60.6 million in 2012 to $71.9 million in 2013, the largest jump of that in any state...."

Number 3: Texas MSN Money excerpt: "Since the discovery of vast oil reserves around the turn of the 20th century, Texas has been an economic powerhouse. Energy continues to be a huge part of the Texas economy, but many industries have a large presence in the state...."

Sample fact: "Exports grew by 4.1 percent to about $279 billion, solidifying Texas' lead in international exports among the states...."

Continue to keep counting down the ten best state economies according to MSN Money. Number 2: California MSN Money excerpt: "California is the country's largest state by population and sheer economic size. California's economy is enormous in nearly every industrial sector...."

Sample fact: "Housing prices jumped up by 15 percent, showing strong signs of a booming housing market, though of course this has its costs, especially in the Bay Area...."

Number 1: Colorado MSN Money excerpt: "Colorado was in the top 10 states on five of our metrics, and in the top 15 on the other three. As with many of the other top economies, Colorado's economy is highly diversified, and it especially boasts a strong aerospace sector and a huge amount of federal investment, such as the NORAD complex...."

Sample facts: "Colorado saw 1.2 percent growth in its working-age population from 2012 to 2013.

"The state also had 2.8 percent growth in nonfarm payroll jobs, adding 66,300 jobs between June 2013 and June 2014."

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