States that voted to re-elect Obama earlier this month dominated the top half of the economic opportunity ranking, while those won by Republican Mitt Romney, who advocated for shrinking government by cutting spending, were found mostly toward the bottom.
Massachusetts often ranks high in such reports because, while government spending might be higher, it has a concentration of top universities such as Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to Alan Clayton-Matthews, professor in Northeastern University's public policy and urban affairs school.
The state's dozens of colleges once fed graduates into burgeoning financial, defense and computer industries. More recently, pharmaceutical, medical and biotechnology businesses have provided new jobs, according to Clayton-Matthews.
"College graduates tend to gravitate toward other college graduates," said Clayton-Matthews. "That seems to be compatible with this idea of migrating people and businesses, who are seeking a knowledgeable environment to live, will seek out these places."