The 10 worst states to live in, ranked
- WalletHub listed the 10 worst US states to live in based on five key metrics.
- It assessed each state's affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety.
- Louisiana was ranked the worst state to live in, followed by New Mexico.
The idea of crossing state lines in search of better job opportunities, a lower cost of living, or affordable housing seems to be having a moment.
The number of people making major moves, such as from one state to another, is rising, Business Insider previously reported. According to US Census Bureau data, 8.2 million people moved to a different state in 2022.
If you're also considering making your next move, you'll want to consider a state's strengths and weaknesses and how they align with your needs.
A recent WalletHub study ranked all 50 states based on five key parameters: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Within these categories, WalletHub further evaluated states on 51 metrics, such as cost of living, unemployment rate, crime rate, access to activities, and quality of local school and healthcare systems.
Each state was given an overall score based on its average rating across the five categories, and all the states were ranked based on these scores.
The report used data collected last month from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other sources, WalletHub said.
While Massachusetts and Florida were ranked among the 10 best states to live in, states such as Louisiana and Arkansas fell to the bottom of the list.
"One common thread among most of the lower 10 states is that you're talking about, for the most part, very rural, very low-income states," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, told Business Insider.
Here are WalletHub's 10 worst states to live in for 2024.
The Grand Canyon State, best known for its national parks and scenic mountain landscapes, was ranked 44th out of the 50 states for education and health and 40th for safety.
The Education Law Center reported last year that the state faced challenges in its education system because of poor funding and its failure to distribute funds equally among schools. Save Our Schools Arizona Network, a community-based organization, also reported last year that local and state authorities spent $10,670 per child on education, $5,461 below the national average.
The state also ranked low in women's health, based on research by the Commonwealth Fund, in part because many women between the ages of 19 and 34 reported not having healthcare coverage and in part because of its abortion laws, which ban women from getting an abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
The research organization Common Sense Institute Arizona reported that a rise in violent crime, fewer resources, and a shrinking police force have led to a decline in public safety in the state.
Expect to experience a great quality of life in the Beaver State — Oregon ranked 14th for quality of life among all states — but it comes at a cost. WalletHub ranked the state low in affordability and safety, with the economy and education and health following behind.
Taking into account factors such as the rates of violent and property crimes, traffic fatalities per capita, and total law-enforcement employees per capita, WalletHub ranked Oregon 47th on its safety index.
Two issues that kept coming up across different datasets used by WalletHub were the increase in gun violence and high property-crime incidents. The ABC2 affiliate station KATU reported that the city of Portland alone saw 483 incidents of gun violence and 34 homicides in the first three months of 2022, according to the police. These numbers declined during the same period in 2023 and 2024.
If you're looking for a state with a low cost of living, affordable housing, and low property taxes, South Carolina, which was ranked 10th among all states for affordability, makes for an attractive spot.
However, you may want to turn elsewhere if you're a parent and good school districts and quality healthcare are high on your priority list.
The South Carolina Policy Council reported in 2023 that the Palmetto State "ranked among the lowest performing states," noting that its graduating class of 2022 performed poorly compared to the rest of the US across all assessment areas: English, math, reading, and science. The high-school graduation rate was 82% in 2020, while reading proficiencies among eighth graders fell below the national average. However, there have been recent reforms aimed at improving performance.
Greenville Business Magazine reported that the state is "home to many rural areas with limited access to healthcare." A Commonwealth Fund study found that uninsured rates were higher than average in South Carolina, with 15% of residents uninsured compared to 12% nationwide.
WalletHub rated Oklahoma poorly for its economy and safety, and the state ranked worst among all states for education and health.
Oklahoma scored low on high-school-graduation rates among low-income students, reading and math test scores, student-to-teacher ratios, and rates of violence or disciplinary incidents. And many residents in the Sooner State lack access to adequate healthcare.
The state's economy ranked 34th out of the 50 states. State officials have taken measures to diversify the economy — which is heavily reliant on oil production — by introducing programs such as Tulsa Remote, which incentivizes remote workers to move to Tulsa for $10,000.
With rising costs at the top of most Americans' minds, Mississippi's inclusion in the top 10 list of affordable states may come as a relief for some. However, the state fared poorly in the economy, education and health — where it stands at 49th, behind Oklahoma — safety, and quality-of-life categories.
Nearly one in five residents in Mississippi lives in poverty, and many lower-income residents without health insurance don't qualify for Medicaid coverage in the state.
The state also has high infant mortality rates — with Black infants disproportionately affected — and high rates of obesity.
The state's health officer, Dr. Daniel Edney, said at a news conference in January, "If we choose the right policies for our people, we will see us move off the radar of having the highest rate of preventable death," The Associated Press reported.
The Silver State scored low across multiple categories, including affordability, education and health, and safety.
WalletHub ranked Nevada last among all states for the percentage of its population 25 and older with a high-school diploma. The state also ranks fourth among states with the highest housing costs.
A 2024 report called "Kids Count Data Book," released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, found that Nevada also underperforms when it comes to children's well-being, health, and academic outcomes, with 30% of students chronically missing school.
WalletHub ranked Alaska, one of the most sparsely populated states in the country, the lowest in its quality-of-life category. But what the state lacks in terms of entertainment, restaurants, and ease of commute, it makes up for a strong economy — standing ninth on the list.
But the state, known for its spectacular views of the northern lights, snow-capped glaciers, and the Iditarod, ranked poorly on the affordability metric as one of the most expensive states to live in.
WalletHub ranked Arkansas the third-worst state to live in because of its economy and education and health facilities. However, the state ranked eighth in affordability, making it one of the most affordable states on this list.
WalletHub ranked the state 39th last year for its economy; this year, it dropped to No. 45. The Bear State was also ranked sixth-worst for the percentage of people living in poverty and for its crime rate.
The Northwest Arkansas Council launched Life Works Here, an initiative similar to Oklahoma's Tulsa Remote project, in 2021. The program aims to boost the local economy by attracting remote workers to the region in exchange for $10,000 in cash or bitcoin.
"This program is not only a benefit to the recipients and new talent for our region, but it also contributes to the vibrancy of our existing, growing market and our local economy," Nelson Peacock, the president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, said.
The Land of Enchantment, known for its prehistoric art and high-tech industries, ranked 48th on WalletHub's index of the percentage of people living in poverty.
The home-security expert Derek Prall of Safetyhome.org reported that Gallup, once a famous filming destination, has one of the highest violent-crime rates in New Mexico. The state ranked the highest in violent-crime rates in the nation, with more than 700 violent crimes per 100,000 residents taking place in 2022, per the FBI's annual report on crimes.
US News and World Report also ranked Louisiana the worst state to live in earlier this year. The outlet reported that about one in five people in the state lives in poverty, 28.7% of its roads were in poor condition, and it had 629 violent crimes per 100,000 people — 65% higher than the national average.
The state has also faced challenges on the health front, especially in areas along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, where many communities live next to petrochemical and fuel industries, Human Rights Watch reported. In fact, this 85-mile stretch has been dubbed "cancer alley."
Correction: August 22, 2024 — An earlier version of this story included a photo caption that misstated Nevada's ranking on WalletHub's list of states with the highest housing costs. It ranks fourth, not seventh.