Worst States To Live In

Worst States to Live In Ranking
Worst States to Live In Index
1.LouisianaLouisiana10.00
2.MississippiMississippi14.56
3.New MexicoNew Mexico17.75
4.West VirginiaWest Virginia20.42
5.AlabamaAlabama20.78
6.AlaskaAlaska25.85
7.ArkansasArkansas25.93
8.OklahomaOklahoma32.97
9.South CarolinaSouth Carolina36.04
10.KentuckyKentucky37.81
11.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania40.25
12.ArizonaArizona40.72
13.MichiganMichigan43.59
14.NevadaNevada45.48
15.OhioOhio45.72
16.WyomingWyoming46.19
17.Rhode IslandRhode Island46.31
18.MontanaMontana47.57
19.IndianaIndiana47.88
20.TexasTexas53.23
21.IllinoisIllinois53.66
22.TennesseeTennessee56.18
23.MissouriMissouri56.73
24.MaineMaine58.23
25.KansasKansas58.54
26.HawaiiHawaii58.93
27.CaliforniaCalifornia59.41
28.DelawareDelaware59.96
29.OregonOregon62.36
30.New YorkNew York62.55
31.ConnecticutConnecticut63.50
32.New JerseyNew Jersey64.99
33.GeorgiaGeorgia66.64
34.MarylandMaryland67.55
35.ColoradoColorado71.36
36.South DakotaSouth Dakota71.76
37.North DakotaNorth Dakota75.49
38.North CarolinaNorth Carolina77.15
39.IowaIowa79.82
40.VermontVermont79.94
41.FloridaFlorida81.39
42.MassachusettsMassachusetts81.67
43.WisconsinWisconsin81.71
44.VirginiaVirginia81.98
45.NebraskaNebraska82.69
46.IdahoIdaho84.58
47.New HampshireNew Hampshire84.58
48.UtahUtah92.09
49.MinnesotaMinnesota97.48
50.WashingtonWashington100.00

Living Conditions across the States

Quality of life, a term often bandied about yet seldom deeply understood, is the yardstick by which we measure societal progress. Defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an individual's perception of their place in society, it encompasses both material (income, housing) and immaterial (health, education, safety) aspects. In the United States, quality of life varies significantly across its 50 states, reflecting a textured landscape of advantages, opportunities, and challenges unique to each region. The 'Worst States to Live In Ranking' indexes each state based on these quality of life measures, integrating data spanning a wide spectrum of criteria including healthcare, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and natural environment. These intertwined metrics offer a holistic snapshot of the state's well-being, catering to both the tangible and intangible facets of living. Several noteworthy patterns emerge from the data:

  • Louisiana ranks at the bottom, with a score of just 10.00, revealing the region's pressing challenges across critical quality of life measures such as healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. The state has consistently ranked poorly, suggesting slow progress in improving living conditions.
  • States in the Southern U.S., including Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi, landed in the lowest tier of the ranking, indicating overarching regional struggles in enhancing quality of life. These states share common issues such as low median household incomes, high poverty rates, and under-performing public schools.
  • Interestingly, states known for harsher climates like Alaska also feature towards the bottom of the list, pointing towards possible correlations between environmental conditions and quality of life indices.
  • On the flip side, relatively less populated states such as Washington, Minnesota, and New Hampshire scores high, reflecting commendable performance in areas of healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
  • While it might be tempting to assume that larger states with bigger economies offer a better quality of life, this notion is dispelled by the lower ranks of populous states like California and Texas.

10 Worst States to Live In

Ranking at the very bottom is Louisiana with a disappointing index value of 10.00. This state has consistently fared poorly across critical quality of life metrics including healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. Evidently, the quality of life in Louisiana needs substantial improvements. Second from the bottom, Mississippi has an index value of 14.56. Many of the state's limitations reflect the broader struggles typical of the Southern U.S, including low median household incomes, high poverty rates, and under-performing schools. Moving a little up the ladder, New Mexico comes in third from the bottom, with an index value of 17.75. The state has consistently ranked at the lower end of the spectrum, especially on crime and healthcare measures. The cold state of West Virginia scores an underwhelming 20.42 due to challenges such as low workforce participation and high poverty rates. Alabama closely follows, rounding out the bottom five states with an index value of 20.78, reflecting ongoing struggles in healthcare access and educational attainment amongst other issues. Despite its natural beauty and vast wilderness, Alaska ranks sixth from the bottom, with surprisingly low scores in areas like physical wellbeing and crime. Just south of Alaska, Arkansas demonstrates a marginal improvement, wit an index value of 25.93. Oklahoma, with an index value of 32.97, South Carolina with an index of 36.04, and Kentucky with an index value of 37.81, complete this list.

The Worst States to Live in:

  1. Louisiana - 10.00
  2. Mississippi - 14.56
  3. New Mexico - 17.75
  4. West Virginia - 20.42
  5. Alabama - 20.78
  6. Alaska - 25.85
  7. Arkansas - 25.93
  8. Oklahoma - 32.97
  9. South Carolina - 36.04
  10. Kentucky - 37.81

By Region

Alabama

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Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

20.78

#5

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

25.85

#6

Arizona

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Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

40.72

#12

Arkansas

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Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

25.93

#7

California

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California

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

59.41

#27

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

71.36

#35

Connecticut

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Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

63.50

#31

Delaware

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Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

59.96

#28

Florida

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Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

81.39

#41

Georgia

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Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

66.64

#33

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

58.93

#26

Idaho

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Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

84.58

#46

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

53.66

#21

Indiana

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Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

47.88

#19

Iowa

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Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

79.82

#39

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

58.54

#25

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

37.81

#10

Louisiana

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Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

10.00

#1

Maine

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Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

58.23

#24

Maryland

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Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

67.55

#34

Massachusetts

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Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

81.67

#42

Michigan

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Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

43.59

#13

Minnesota

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Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

97.48

#49

Mississippi

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Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

14.56

#2

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

56.73

#23

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

47.57

#18

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

82.69

#45

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

45.48

#14

New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

84.58

#47

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

64.99

#32

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

17.75

#3

New York

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New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

62.55

#30

North Carolina

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North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

77.15

#38

North Dakota

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North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

75.49

#37

Ohio

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Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

45.72

#15

Oklahoma

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Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

32.97

#8

Oregon

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Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

62.36

#29

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

40.25

#11

Rhode Island

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Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

46.31

#17

South Carolina

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South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

36.04

#9

South Dakota

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South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

71.76

#36

Tennessee

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Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

56.18

#22

Texas

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Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

53.23

#20

Utah

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Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

92.09

#48

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

79.94

#40

Virginia

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Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

81.98

#44

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

100.00

#50

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

20.42

#4

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

81.71

#43

Wyoming

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Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Worst States to Live In Ranking

46.19

#16

Table

Region ↕Worst States to Live In Ranking ↕
Alabama iconAlabama20.78
Alaska iconAlaska25.85
Arizona iconArizona40.72
Arkansas iconArkansas25.93
California iconCalifornia59.41
Colorado iconColorado71.36
Connecticut iconConnecticut63.50
Delaware iconDelaware59.96
Florida iconFlorida81.39
Georgia iconGeorgia66.64
Hawaii iconHawaii58.93
Idaho iconIdaho84.58
Illinois iconIllinois53.66
Indiana iconIndiana47.88
Iowa iconIowa79.82
Kansas iconKansas58.54
Kentucky iconKentucky37.81
Louisiana iconLouisiana10.00
Maine iconMaine58.23
Maryland iconMaryland67.55
Massachusetts iconMassachusetts81.67
Michigan iconMichigan43.59
Minnesota iconMinnesota97.48
Mississippi iconMississippi14.56
Missouri iconMissouri56.73
Montana iconMontana47.57
Nebraska iconNebraska82.69
Nevada iconNevada45.48
New Hampshire iconNew Hampshire84.58
New Jersey iconNew Jersey64.99
New Mexico iconNew Mexico17.75
New York iconNew York62.55
North Carolina iconNorth Carolina77.15
North Dakota iconNorth Dakota75.49
Ohio iconOhio45.72
Oklahoma iconOklahoma32.97
Oregon iconOregon62.36
Pennsylvania iconPennsylvania40.25
Rhode Island iconRhode Island46.31
South Carolina iconSouth Carolina36.04
South Dakota iconSouth Dakota71.76
Tennessee iconTennessee56.18
Texas iconTexas53.23
Utah iconUtah92.09
Vermont iconVermont79.94
Virginia iconVirginia81.98
Washington iconWashington100.00
West Virginia iconWest Virginia20.42
Wisconsin iconWisconsin81.71
Wyoming iconWyoming46.19
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