Many states lack adequate mental health resources, worker protections, and reproductive rights.
High crime rates, poor air quality, and limited childcare availability plague several states.
Strict abortion bans and discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities are major concerns in some regions.
Source: KiddNation / Kidd Nation
After years in a post covid world, companies have been insisting that their employees return to the office for their day-to-day work. It’s important to find a place that you will want to live in when it comes to the city you work in.
CNBC is emphasizing quality of life, which was one of the competitiveness categories in its annual Americas Top States for Business study. They’ve been doing this study for 20 years, ranking every state’s business climate.
To score the states’ quality of life, CNBC used hard data, including crime rates, air quality, and health care. They also considered the cost and availability of childcare, inclusiveness of state laws and reproductive rights.
According to their study, these are America’s 10 worst states to live in for 2026:
Arkansas
2026 Quality of Life score: 103 out of 290 points
Arkansas is the overall most improved state in this year’s annual ranking; however, nearly 19% of its households lack the resources to put Sufficient food on the table, placing the state in dead last for food insecurity according to the United Health Foundation. Arkansas also has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation, according to FBI statistics, and among the weakest protections when it comes to discrimination, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Oklahoma
2026 Quality of Life score: 103 out of 290 points
Oklahoma imposes one of America’s strictest bans on abortion even though studies found abortion bans increase net migration outflow, particularly among single adults. Last year, Oklahoma was ranked 40th for worker protections, with the state’s $7.25 minimum wage covering only 19% of the cost of living for a family of 4. It’s also noted that state law prohibits municipalities from setting the wage any higher.
Alabama
2026 Quality of Life score: 99 out of 290 points
Alabama ranks dead last for mental health providers per capita, even though almost a quarter of residents have been told by a health professional that they have a depressive disorder. Alabama also ranks at the bottom for its worker protection. Workers lack basic protections, including mandatory paid sick leave and protections against sexual harassment. Alabama is one of 5 states with no public accommodation law protecting non-disabled people against discrimination.
Missouri
2026 Quality of Life score: 98 out of 290 points
According to 2024 FBI crime statistics, records show that Missouri has 462 violent offenses per 100,000 residents. This makes Missouri one of America’s most violent states. This state is also ranked in the top 10 for firearm deaths just last year.
Utah
2026 Quality of Life score: 95 out of 290 points
Utah is not the healthiest place to live, ranked number 47 for primary care providers. With high ozone levels, air quality is not the best here either. The state’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, covering just 16.5% of the cost of living for a family of 4.
Georgia
2026 Quality of Life score: 89 out of 290 points
Georgia offers little protection for the LGBTQ+ community, making it one of America’s least inclusive states. Georgia is also one of the 5 states with no public accommodation law protecting non- disabled people.
Louisiana
2026 Quality of Life score: 89 out of 290 points
Louisiana has the nation’s 5th highest violent crime rate. In 2024, the state recorded 495 homicides and has the second-highest firearm rate in the nation. Louisiana has the nation’s strictest abortion bans.
Indiana
2026 Quality of Life score: 82 out of 290 points
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With just 799 licensed childcare facilities in a state with nearly 7 million people, Indiana finishes at the bottom when it comes to childcare availability on a per capita basis, and what they do have available is expensive, eating up 15% of the median income for a household with two working parents.
Texas
2026 Quality of Life score: 78 out of 290 points
While Texas continues to lead the nation in attracting workers, those workers are finding a broad mix of challenges. The Lone Star State has the highest rate of people without health insurance at 16.7%, which is more than twice the national average. More than 17% of Texas adults said they had to forgo a doctor visit that they needed in the past year due to the cost; even those who do have health insurance can have trouble finding a doctor, causing the state of Texas to finish dead last in primary care physicians per capita.
Tennessee
2026 Quality of Life score: 64 out of 290 points
Tennessee makes no apologies for state laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community, including a “bathroom law” requiring transgender people to use bathrooms designated for their sex at birth. Tennessee also has one of the highest rates of drug deaths, according to the United Health Foundation.
