The best states for physicians in 2020: The 11 worst states

July 27, 2020

Drew Boxler

, Logan Lutton

Logan Lutton

Physicians might not get the most bang for the buck in these states.

Mean Salary: $175,250 (50)

Tax Collection per Capita: $3,083 (34)

Highest Malpractice Rate: $28,164 (11)

Lowest Malpractice Rate: $14,738 (43)

Average Cost of Living Index: 118.7 (41)

Physician Density: 4,988 (12)

Mean Salary: $208,470 (34)

Tax Collection per Capita: $2,956 (32)

Highest Malpractice Rate: $36,230 (5)

Lowest Malpractice Rate: $15,441 (44)

Average Cost of Living Index: 102.4 (32)

Physician Density: 51,069 (47)

Mean Salary: $192,900 (21)

Tax Collection per Capita: $2,658 (22)

Highest Malpractice Rate: $10,970 (41)

Lowest Malpractice Rate: $9,225 (25)

Average Cost of Living Index: 95.0 (21)

Physician Density: 28,379 (41)

Mean Salary: $207,110 (36)

Tax Collection per Capita: $4,590 (46)

Highest Malpractice Rate: $7,399 (49)

Lowest Malpractice Rate: $3,956 (3)

Average Cost of Living Index: 101.5 (30)

Physician Density: 18,171 (34)

Mean Salary: $199,890 (40)

Tax Collection per Capita: $4,555 (46)

Highest Malpractice Rate: $33,787 (7)

Lowest Malpractice Rate: $12,667 (38)

Average Cost of Living Index: 126.5 (43)

Physician Density: 15,605 (30)

Mean Salary: $201,120 (39)

Tax Collection per Capita: $5,015 (50)

Highest Malpractice Rate: $18,693 (22)

Lowest Malpractice Rate: $9,869 (29)

Average Cost of Living Index: 101.4 (29)

Physician Density: 23,307 (38)

Mean Salary: $176,120 (49)

Tax Collection per Capita: $4,014 (45)

Highest Malpractice Rate: $41,112 (4)

Lowest Malpractice Rate: $6,536 (12)

Average Cost of Living Index: 137.3 (48)

Physician Density: 89,500 (50)

Mean Salary: $202,440 (37)
Tax Collection per Capita: $4,012 (44)
Highest Malpractice Rate: $28,570 (10)
Lowest Malpractice Rate: $12,414 (37)
Average Cost of Living Index: 127.6 (44)
Physician Density: 24,676 (39)

Mean Salary: $197,860 (42)

Tax Collection per Capita: $3,936 (43)

Highest Malpractice Rate: $16,826 (25)

Lowest Malpractice Rate: $4,168 (4)

Average Cost of Living Index: 137.7 (49)

Physician Density: 112,906 (51)

Mean Salary: $186,760 (48)
Tax Collection per Capita: $4,924 (49)
Highest Malpractice Rate: $10,418 (43)
Lowest Malpractice Rate: $8,709 (24)
Average Cost of Living Index: 191.8 (51)
Physician Density: 3,660 (9)

Mean Salary: $199,300 (41)
Tax Collection per Capita: $3,569 (40)
Highest Malpractice Rate: $14,341 (28)
Lowest Malpractice Rate: $16,062 (42)
Average Cost of Living Index: 130.1 (46)
Physician Density: 36,506 (43)

What are the best states for physicians to practice in? Find out in the 2020 Best States to Practice rankings, a project produced by our partner publication at Physicians Practice.

Editors ranked the states based on 2019 data covering five categories:

Mean salary
Highest/lowest malpractice premiums
The 2019 cost of living index
Tax climate (state collections per capita)
Physician density
Malpractice premium costs

Physicians Practice obtained the data from publicly available sources and partner organizations.

The Cunningham Group provided malpractice premium averages for each state.

Here’s a brief description of our methodology: We ranked each state on the criteria described desirable outcome per criteria, then averaging those scores resulted in the ranks of all 50 states and D.C.

See the complete project at Physicians Practice.