What are the best and worst states to live in?

The "best" and "worst" states vary by criteria, but recent reports often highlight Utah, New Hampshire, Idaho, and Massachusetts as top contenders for overall living, safety, or quality of life, while Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, and Alabama frequently appear on lists for having lower rankings, often due to economic, safety, or quality of life metrics, though states like California and Alaska present unique trade-offs (high cost vs. opportunity/beauty).

What is the best and worst state to live in?

The study found the best states to move to are Utah, New Hampshire, Idaho and Virginia. According to the list, worst states to move to are California, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oregon.

What is the #1 state to live in the US?

1. Massachusetts. According to WalletHub's study, Massachusetts is the best state to live in, excelling in all key factors—and earning the top spot in the ranking. It has the lowest premature death rate in the US, and residents earn a cushy median household income of over $101,000.

What is the unhappiest state in the US?

Based on recent studies, particularly WalletHub's 2025 analysis, Louisiana and West Virginia consistently rank as the unhappiest states, often swapping the bottom spots, with Louisiana frequently cited as the absolute least happy due to factors like high depression rates, long work hours, low sleep quality, and high divorce rates, while West Virginia struggles with high adult depression and poor sleep. Other states often in the bottom ranks include Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee. 

What is the #1 cheapest state to live in?

Below is a detailed breakdown of the ten most affordable states to live in 2025:

• Arkansas. Arkansas continues to be one of the most affordable states in the U.S., especially for those looking to buy property. ...
• Mississippi. ...
• Oklahoma. ...
• New Mexico. ...
• Missouri. ...
• Tennessee. ...
• Michigan. ...
• Texas.

All 50 States & 5 Territories in the USA Ranked WORST to BEST (2025)

What is the happiest state to live in?

According to WalletHub's 2025 study, Hawaii is the happiest state in the U.S., ranking first for its strong emotional/physical well-being, work environment, and community/environment factors, with residents showing high life satisfaction, low depression, and long life expectancy, followed by Maryland and Nebraska in the top three. 

Where is the cheapest but nicest place to live in the US?

The cheapest, best places to live in the U.S. often involve the Midwest and South, with cities like Wichita (KS), Fort Wayne (IN), Dayton (OH), and Knoxville (TN) offering low housing costs and good value, while states like West Virginia, Mississippi, and Oklahoma consistently rank as most affordable overall. Key factors are low housing prices and a cost of living significantly below the national average, with some top contenders being Decatur (IL), Enid (OK), and Brownsville (TX), but "best" depends on balancing budget with lifestyle needs like jobs, culture, and amenities. 

What is the hardest US state to live in?

These states are America's worst for quality of life in 2025:

• Arkansas.
• Alabama.
• Georgia.
• Louisiana.
• Utah.
• Indiana.
• Texas.
• Tennessee.

What state is #1 in quality of life?

There isn't one single answer, as different reports rank states differently, but Vermont is frequently cited as #1 for Quality of Life (CNBC), while Massachusetts often leads overall livability/best state rankings (WalletHub), and Utah ranks high overall for Best States (U.S. News). These rankings vary by the specific metrics used, such as health, safety, environment, education, or economic opportunity. 

What is the least fun state in the US?

There's no single "least interesting" state, as it's subjective, but surveys and opinions often point to West Virginia, Mississippi, Delaware, and North Dakota as having fewer entertainment/recreation options by some metrics, while states like Kansas, Nebraska, and Idaho are sometimes cited as less engaging for driving due to flatness or remoteness, though all states offer unique spots. 

What state has the friendliest people?

While subjective, studies and surveys consistently rank Minnesota, Tennessee, and South Carolina as some of the friendliest U.S. states, often followed by Texas and Wyoming, with general "Southern hospitality" and Midwest politeness often cited, though perceptions of "niceness" (like Minnesota's reserved style) can vary.
 

What is the prettiest state to live in?

The "prettiest" state is subjective, but California, Hawaii, Washington, Colorado, and Alaska consistently rank high for stunning, diverse scenery like coastlines, mountains, and forests, while Utah and Arizona are praised for unique desert/canyon beauty, and Maine/Vermont for charming East Coast landscapes, catering to different tastes from tropical to rugged wilderness.
 

What city has the worst quality of life?

Global Liveability Index

Copenhagen was ranked the most liveable city in 2025, while Damascus was ranked the least liveable.

What are the top 3 safest states to live in?

Based on recent 2025 analyses, the top three safest states in the U.S. are consistently Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, often followed closely by Maine, with these Northeastern states leading due to low violent crime, good healthcare access, and lower disaster risks. These rankings consider factors like crime rates, financial security, and natural disaster prevalence, with New Hampshire often ranking #1 for public safety by specific metrics, while Vermont leads overall in some studies. 

What's the best state to move to right now?

The "best" state to move to depends on your priorities (affordability, jobs, lifestyle), but recent studies highlight North Carolina, Idaho, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire for strong economies, quality of life, or affordability, while Florida and Texas remain popular for growth and tax benefits, though costs are rising. Top contenders often balance economic opportunity with lifestyle factors like lower crime, good healthcare, and reasonable housing costs, with many pointing to the Southeast and Mountain West for current appeal. 

Which state is the cheapest to live in?

Mississippi is consistently ranked as the cheapest state to live in the U.S., primarily due to the nation's lowest housing costs, plus low property taxes and inexpensive groceries, though other contenders like West Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Alabama also offer very low overall costs, with strong affordability in housing, utilities, and transportation. 

What is the least desirable state to live in?

U.S. & World News ranks Louisiana the worst state in the nation, as it has rather consistently since 2017. Low performance across all metrics, especially crime and education concerns.

What is the most stable state to live in?

Massachusetts leads WalletHub's overall “Best States to Live In” ranking with the lowest premature death rate, 97.4 percent health insurance coverage, and top healthcare and education systems, followed by Idaho and New Jersey.

What is the most calm state in the US?

Maine consistently ranks as the most peaceful U.S. state due to low violent crime rates, low incarceration, and high personal safety, often followed by New Hampshire and Vermont, while the Northeast generally leads in peacefulness over the South, according to indices like the US Peace Index.
 

What is the unhealthiest state to live in?

While rankings vary slightly by study, West Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Kentucky consistently appear as the most unhealthy U.S. states, often due to high rates of obesity, smoking, chronic disease, substance abuse, poor nutrition, mental distress, and lower life expectancies, with many of these top contenders located in the South.
 

What is the #1 crime state in America?

Alaska consistently ranks as the state with the highest violent crime rate, followed closely by New Mexico, with Tennessee and Arkansas also having very high rates, according to 2024 data from sources like USAFacts and WorldAtlas. These figures reflect crimes per 100,000 residents, showing Alaska at over 724 incidents, significantly above the national average. 

What is a $1 dollar house in the US?

The One-Dollar Homeownership Program is an unprecedented partnership between NACA and cities and towns across the nation to create affordable homeownership for low to moderate income homebuyers in underserved communities. Community residents can purchase a vacant house or lot from the city for only one dollar.

What is America's happiest city?

According to recent studies, Fremont, California, is frequently named the happiest city in the U.S., noted for high life satisfaction, financial stability, low depression, strong community, and ample green space. Other cities like San Jose, Irvine, and Sioux Falls also rank highly, with happiness often linked to economic well-being, good mental health, strong social connections, and access to nature and recreation, though rankings vary slightly by study. 

Where is the warmest and cheapest place to live?

For the cheapest, warmest places to live in the U.S., consider the Southeast (Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Carolinas) for low housing costs and mild winters (cities like Jackson, MS; Birmingham, AL; Charlotte, NC), or South Texas (Mission) and Central/North Florida (Jacksonville, Tampa) for warmth, no income tax, and growing job markets, with options in the Southwest (Phoenix, Arizona) offering desert warmth and big-city amenities at a lower cost than coastal California. The ideal spot depends on your preference for humidity, specific amenities, and how far south you want to go, but the Southeast often offers the best affordability.