Is Idaho The Best State For “Freedom”?

In a country that prides itself on being the "land of the free", just where exactly does Idaho land on the "freedom" scale? While freedom can encompass a variety of things, the folks over at FreedomInThe50States.org actually came up with a formula to determine just how "free" a state in the good ol' US of A actually is.

According to 'Freedom in the 50 States', it's certainly "freedom o'clock" in Idaho as the Gem State ranks 10th out of the 50 states in terms of freedom. The ranking is determined by a variety of factors but includes three main categories: personal freedom, fiscal policy, and regulatory policy.

The report ranks Idaho second in regulatory policy while Idaho's fiscal policy "remains a weak spot in certain respects" according to 'Freedom in the 50 States.' The report says that Idaho ranks high in "tobacco freedom" but is also "less free than average for alcohol and gambling."

The entire report is interesting to glance at and it's important to note that the only neighboring state that ranks higher in freedom is none other than Nevada which ranks 3rd in freedom. California on the other hand has a terrible freedom ranking of 48. Oregon doesn't fair much better at 46th while Washington ranks 39th. Our neighbors in Montana rank 18th while Wyoming ranks 26th. Down south, our friends in Utah have a freedom ranking of 20.

Some people might point out the huge discrepancy between California and Idaho and say that's the reason people are making their way to the Gem State. Whether or not those people are right, one thing is for sure - it's always "freedom o'clock" in Idaho.