Economy, 8; education, 9; community, 7. High preschool enrollment (60 percent) and its many citizens with college degrees (nearly 39 percent) add to its "education" score.

Steven Senne/AP/File
In this file photo, a member of an American Legion Color Guard, center, carries an American flag during Veterans Day ceremonies in front of the Statehouse, in Boston. Owing partly to its large percentage of citizens with college degrees, Massachusetts has a high education score.