July 13, 2026

CNBC's ten worst states to live in

Newsweek - CNBC’s ranking of the 10 worst states to live in 2026—all of them Republican-led—has drawn criticism from conservatives.   The broadcaster gave each state a Quality of Life score based on factors including crime rates, air quality, healthcare access, worker protections and civil rights laws. The Quality of Life category was one of 10 in the outlet's annual America's Top States for Business study.

Tennessee was ranked the worst state to live in after receiving a score of just 64 out of 290. CNBC noted that Tennessee had one of the highest violent-crime rates in the nation, citing FBI statistics, as well as the third-highest drug-death rate.

The broadcaster also cited state laws restricting transgender people’s bathroom access, limits on local anti-discrimination ordinances and Governor Bill Lee’s designation of June 2026 as "Nuclear Family Month." June is widely recognized as Pride Month across the United States.

CNBC's bottom 10 states for quality of life, from lowest-scoring upward, were:

  • Tennessee (64 out of 290)
  • Texas (78)
  • Indiana (82)
  • Louisiana (89)
  • Georgia (89)
  • Utah (95)
  • Missouri (98)
  • Alabama (99)
  • Oklahoma (103)
  • Arkansas (103)

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