With some states continuing to reopen while others have paused or reversed course due to surges in COVID-19, the personal-finance website WalletHub released updated rankings for the States with the Fewest Coronavirus Restrictions.

To identify which states have the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 17 key metrics. The data set ranges from whether the state has any penalties for non-compliance with COVID-19 legislation to whether the state has required face masks in public and health checks at restaurants. 

States with the Fewest Restrictions                          States with the Most Restrictions

1. South Dakota.                                                             42. New Jersey

2. Utah                                                                             43. Pennsylvania

3. Oklahoma                                                                     44. Oregon

4. Iowa                                                                              45. Colorado

5. Wyoming                                                                       46. Maine

6. Arkansas                                                                        47. Arizona

7. North Dakota                                                                  48. Massachusetts

8. Wisconsin                                                                        49. Virginia

9. Nebraska                                                                          50. California

10. Georgia                                                                           51. Hawaii



Biggest Changes in Rank from the Previous Report

  • Texas moved from 46 to 34, up 12 positions. This is due in part to the fact that the state has ordered in-person instruction part-time or full-time as schools reopen.
  • North Carolina moved from 49 to 38, up 11 positions. This is due in part to the fact that the state has expanded its limit on large gatherings to 25 people or fewer, and has reopened restaurants for limited dine-in service with capacity limits.
  • Hawaii moved from 37 to 51, down 14 positions. This is due in part to the fact that the state has limited large gatherings to 10 people or fewer, has ordered regional closures as schools reopen, has new service limits for reopening restaurants and bars, and has a limited statewide quarantine.

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/states-coronavirus-restrictions/73818/