The 10 worst US states to live in, ranked

In America, not all states are created equal.

If you’re thinking of relocating, looking at factors like education, the local economy, and overall quality of life could make or break your decision.

A new WalletHub study ranks all 50 states from best to worst places to live, using what it calls “key indicators of livability,” which include housing costs, quality of public education and healthcare, and quality of life.

These were based on factors such as homeownership rate, unemployment rate, high school graduation rate, life expectancy, and average hours worked per week. The study used data collected from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among other sources.

“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report. “Many states have strong economies, though, so you should also consider a wide variety of other factors, such as how where you live will impact your health and safety, and whether you will have adequate access to activities that you enjoy.”

Here are the 10 lowest-ranked US states to live in in 2025, according to WalletHub.

10. Alabama

Although Alabama ranked first on the study’s affordability index, which considers factors like homeownership rate and annual property taxes, the state ranked poorly for its economy and its education and health.

In the education-and-health index, which looks at factors like life expectancy and the share of the population aged 25 and older with a high school or higher education degree, the state ranked fifth worst. Earlier this year, the state was ranked 50th in the US for public school education in a World Population Review study.

Adding to the state’s cons list: It was also ranked as having the ninth worst economy, which factored in markers like unemployment and poverty rates.

9. West Virginia

West Virginia had the highest homeownership rate in the WalletHub study, which contributed to its ranking as the second most affordable US state overall. It also had the fifth lowest crime rate in the study.

But the state ranked poorly in education and health and quality of life — WalletHub reported that, among all states, it had the fourth highest percentage of its population living in poverty.

8. Oklahoma

Oklahoma was ranked as the seventh worst state in WalletHub’s education-and-health index. When looking at the population of insured residents in each state, Oklahoma had the second lowest percentage of insured people, behind only Texas.

Oklahoma also came 49th out of 50 states on public school resources and safety in the World Population Review study.

7. South Carolina

South Carolina was ranked within the top 10 most affordable states, but that wasn’t enough to make up for its low rankings in other categories.

It was ranked the fifth unsafest state in the US, according to the WalletHub study, and it was within the 10 worst states in the education-and-health index.

6. Nevada

Nevada‘s unfavorable ranking is at least partly due to the state’s unaffordable housing, which contributes to it having the third lowest homeownership rate and third highest housing cost in the study.

The state’s economy was also ranked as the seventh worst in the country, and the state is in the top 10 unsafest states in the US.

5. Alaska

Alaska, which was recently ranked as America’s worst state for business by CNBC, was ranked by WalletHub as the worst state for quality of life and income growth.

The WalletHub study also found that the state had the lowest rate of restaurants per capita and that its residents worked the highest number of hours a week when compared to all states.

Despite this, the state came fourth in WalletHub’s economy ranking.

4. Mississippi

Despite being ranked as the eighth most affordable US state, Mississippi was found to have the second lowest quality of life out of every US state, and its economy ranking fell within the bottom 10.

People in the state work the fourth highest number of hours weekly out of every US state. Mississippi also has the fifth lowest percentage of insured population.

Additionally, its residents have the lowest average credit score in the country, according to recent Experian data, and have the highest percentage of its population living in poverty. The state also has the third lowest percentage of population age 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher.

3. Arkansas

Having the third worst quality of life out of every US state, Arkansas was also found to be the sixth unsafest, and it ranked within the bottom 10 for education, health, and economy.

2. Louisiana

Found to have the worst economy out of every US state by the WalletHub study, Louisiana ranks as the second worst state when it comes to education and health, as well as percentage of population living in poverty.

The state, which was ranked as the worst US state to live in last year, also has the third highest crime rate and its residents work the highest number of hours weekly, WalletHub reported.

1. New Mexico

Ranked as the worst US state to live in in 2025, New Mexico, which had the highest crime rate of any US state, was ranked as the second unsafest. It also has the third worst education-and-health ranking and the third highest share of its population living in poverty.

The state was also found to have the worst public K-12 school performance out of every US state by the World Population Review study.

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