Dive Brief:

• Oregon has the best overall infrastructure in the U.S., followed by Washington, Utah and Nevada, according to U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News examined each state's average commute time, percentage of roads in bad condition, households with internet access and energy from renewable sources to determine its rankings.
• Oregon clocked an average commute time of 24 minutes, and only 10% of its roads are in disrepair. Renewable sources provide 47% of Washington's energy, and 90% of its households have internet access.
• Utah has benefited from the infrastructure put in place prior to the 2002 Winter Olympics, which has helped lower its commute time to 21 minutes and left the state with 81% of its roads in good condition. Although only 12% of Nevada's energy comes from renewable sources, 80% of households have internet access and only 14% of its roads need major repairs.

Dive Insight:

While some states have dedicated resources to improvement in these categories, just last month the U.S. received an overall infrastructure score of D+ from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The ASCE estimates that it will take $4.6 trillion through 2025 to make all the necessary repairs and improvements to the country's infrastructure.

President Donald Trump campaigned in part on improving the country's infrastructure and said he would introduce a $1 trillion plan to do so. Although no additional details have been released, Trump's proposal centers around private investment in return for tax credits.

In the weeks after Trump's inauguration, the subject of infrastructure was set aside in favor of other agenda items like healthcare, trade and foreign policy, although the president did establish an infrastructure taskforce to oversee the plan.

Since the administration's attempt at repealing the Affordable Care Act has hit a wall, infrastructure could come back to the forefront. Administration officials have indicated that they expect to introduce a spending bill in the next month or so, and this week Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced a reorganization of positions within the department to facilitate and support the president's infrastructure plans.

The complete U.S. News list of best states for infrastructure include:

1. Oregon
2. Washington
3. Utah
4. Nevada
5. Minnesota
6. North Dakota
7. Colorado
8. South Dakota
9. Nebraska
10. Illinois