Of the 50 states, Florida is the second ‘freest,’ just behind New Hampshire

Which state is the freest?

Which state the least free?

Which one has the most lightly taxed and regulated economy?

Which states protect personal freedoms the best and the worst?

How does your state fare?

The newly published 2021 edition of Freedom in the 50 States from the Cato Institute presents a completely revised and updated ranking of the American states based on how their policies promote freedom in the fiscal, regulatory, and personal realms.

From Florida Politics:

Overall, Florida ranks second, as it has since 2016, but it is a designation with internal differences. The state scores its best marks on economic freedom and fiscal policy, where it is #1. The state is #12 in personal freedom, and just #21 in regulatory freedom.

“Regulatory policy is improved but mediocre compared with the fiscal side. Florida’s personal freedom has lagged in the past; however, it has improved a lot since 2014,” authors William Ruger and Jason Sorens remark.

There is still room for improvement, however: " (Florida) does have a law restricting employers from banning guns on certain company property, such as parking lots, which violates employers’ property rights.”