Gov. Gary Locke Wednesday praised the states top ranking in a national publication of the best U.S. cities and states.
The Washington , D.C.-based National Policy Research Council ranked Washington state No. 1 in government and No. 5 overall in its Americas Best Cities & States: The Annual Gold Guide to Leading Rankings, which was released last week.
The guide also ranked Washington third in economic dynamism that measures competitiveness and performance of the economy, fourth in technology and seventh in infrastructure.
Several local cities ranked among the top 50, including Seattle, which was No. 11 overall, third in technology and in economic dynamism and fourth in health and welfare.
Other categories included public safety, quality of life, infrastructure, environment and business quality.
