What is the least healthy state?

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 most unhealthy state?

While rankings vary by study, Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Alabama consistently appear as the most unhealthy U.S. states, often due to high rates of obesity, smoking, chronic diseases, mental distress, and lack of physical activity, with Southern states dominating the bottom of most health lists. Louisiana and Mississippi frequently swap the top spots for overall unhealthiness, while West Virginia often leads in lifestyle factors and substance abuse issues, notes this study via NOLA.com, another source on Ozmosi data, and another report via The Hill.
 

What are the top unhealthiest states?

Top Healthiest States in the United States

• Hawaii.
• Colorado.
• New Hampshire.
• New Jersey.
• Massachusetts.
• California.
• Utah.
• Connecticut.

What state gets sick the least?

Hawaii secures its spot at number one with the highest score of 79.40 out of 100. Hawaii ranks as the healthiest state with a final score of 79.4. It has the lowest PM2. 5 Annual Average Concentration and a relatively low obesity rate.

What state is #1 in quality of life?

There isn't one single answer, as it depends on the study, but recent reports often name Massachusetts, Vermont, or New Jersey as #1 for Quality of Life, with Massachusetts leading in overall metrics (health, education) and Vermont shining in specific areas like low crime and natural environment. Other top contenders include Idaho, Minnesota, and New York, highlighting that rankings vary based on whether they emphasize healthcare, economy, safety, or environment. 

Top 10 Least Healthy States in the U.S. in 2024

What is the safest state to live in?

The safest states to live in consistently rank high for low crime (violent and property), strong financial health, and good emergency preparedness, with Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine frequently appearing at the top of 2025 lists from sources like WalletHub and World Population Review. Other top contenders often include Massachusetts, Utah, Idaho, and Connecticut, while factors like cybercrime rates and road safety also play a role in overall safety scores. 

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 state has the fittest people?

While rankings vary by study, Colorado consistently appears as the fittest state, often topping lists for low obesity, high physical activity, and abundant outdoor recreation, with other top contenders usually including Utah, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Montana. These states generally show high percentages of residents engaging in regular exercise, lower rates of chronic diseases, and strong fitness cultures.
 

What state has the unhealthiest food?

Mississippi and Kentucky follow closely, with high rates of obesity and sugar consumption, indicating dietary challenges and a heavy reliance on fast food options. Delaware's high alcohol consumption, combined with a high number of fast food chains, places it among the states with the least healthy eating patterns.

What's the worst state in the United States?

There's no single "worst" state, as rankings depend on criteria, but Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi consistently appear at the bottom of lists from sources like U.S. News, WalletHub, and CNBC, often due to poor scores in economy, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and high crime/poverty rates, with Louisiana often cited as #50 overall. Other states frequently ranked poorly include Arkansas, West Virginia, and Alaska, each facing unique challenges like safety, health, or economic opportunity. 

Which US state eats the healthiest?

While it varies by study, Utah, Colorado, and Washington consistently rank as having some of the healthiest diets, leading in factors like fruit/veg intake and low diet-related diseases, with Vermont, Minnesota, and New Hampshire also frequently appearing in top spots for overall health and good eating habits, often driven by Western and Northeastern states.
 

What are the happiest states in the US?

Hawaii, Maryland, and Nebraska consistently rank as the happiest states in the U.S. (as of late 2025 studies), followed by New Jersey, Connecticut, and Utah, based on factors like emotional well-being, physical health, work-life balance, and community support. Hawaii leads due to high life satisfaction, good health, and low unemployment, while Maryland and Nebraska boast strong economies and high financial security.
 

What state is the most overweight?

West Virginia consistently ranks as the most overweight state in the U.S., followed closely by states like Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, based on recent data from sources like USAFacts, WalletHub, and U.S. News & World Report, using CDC's BRFSS data. These states often see obesity rates over 40%, while Colorado usually has the lowest rates.
 

What state has the most diseases?

Key Indicators of Poor Health

Obesity rates are alarmingly high in states like Mississippi and Alabama, correlating with increased rates of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Smoking prevalence stands out in West Virginia and Arkansas, leading to higher instances of lung cancer and other chronic diseases.

What is the most unhealthiest city in America?

According to recent analyses, Brownsville, Texas, consistently ranks as the unhealthiest city in America, struggling with low physical activity, obesity, limited access to healthy food, and poor healthcare metrics, with similar Southern/Southwestern cities like Gulfport (MS), Shreveport (LA), Columbus (GA), and Laredo (TX) also appearing at the bottom of lists based on WalletHub and other studies. These cities often score poorly due to factors like high rates of chronic disease, lack of green spaces, and fewer healthy food options. 

What is the #1 worst food for you?

The Top 10 Worst Foods to Eat

• White bread.
• French fries.
• Fast food burgers.
• Donuts.
• Processed cheese.
• Potato chips.
• Processed snack foods.
• Alcohol.

What is the 2 2 2 rule for food?

The 2-2-2 food rule is a simple guideline for handling leftovers: get cooked food into the fridge within 2 hours, eat it within 2 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months to prevent bacterial growth and foodborne illness. It helps manage food safety and reduce waste by providing a clear timeline for perishable items, especially those left at room temperature in the "danger zone" (40-140°F or 5-60°C). 

What food adds 33 minutes to your life?

A peanut butter and jelly (PB&J) sandwich adds about 33 minutes to your healthy life, according to a University of Michigan study that analyzed foods' impact on lifespan, with nuts and fruits contributing benefits like healthy fats and antioxidants that promote cardiovascular health. This research used a Health Nutritional Index (HNI) to quantify life gained or lost per serving, finding that whole foods like PB&J, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables increase healthy life, while processed items like hot dogs decrease it. 

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 is the calmest state in the USA?

There were also slight reductions in the number of police employees and the number of firearm suicides as a percentage of total suicides, which suggests a fall in gun ownership. – Maine is the most peaceful state in the U.S. for the 11th year in a row, Louisiana is the least peaceful.

What is the 70/30 rule gym?

The 70/30 rule in fitness emphasizes that 70% of your physical results (like weight loss or body composition changes) come from nutrition (diet), while only 30% comes from exercise, according to sources like Sensible Edibles, Fitness 19, and NY Post. It highlights that while gym workouts (the 30%) break down muscles, proper nutrition (the 70%) provides the essential fuel and building blocks (like protein, carbs, fats) for repair, growth, and fat loss, making diet the dominant factor for transformation, notes Instagram and Scitron.
 

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.
 

Which state is worth moving to?

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.

Which states have no state income tax?

As of 2025, there are nine states that don't collect any state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.