Louisiana, Texas Among Worst States to Live in 2026 Ranking
KNGT-FM - Another day, another ranking. A new report from CNBC that looks at quality of life across the United States has placed Louisiana and Texas among the lowest-rated states for 2026.
One thing about the big news companies is they LOVE to make lists. For some reason, they like to make lists and also put Louisiana among the worst states to live in in the United States.
READ MORE: U.S. News Ranks Louisiana Worst Place To Live in 2026
Louisiana Ranked Among Worst States To Live In 2026 (Again)
The report from CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business looked at several factors, including crime, healthcare access, air quality, childcare, worker protections, and state laws. The rankings were designed to measure how easy it is for people to live, work, and build a life in each state.
Alright, first let's take a look at what they said about Louisiana... According to the report, Louisiana received a failing grade for quality of life, scoring 89 out of 290 possible points. The state ranked near the bottom due to concerns about crime, healthcare, and other quality-of-life issues.
Healthcare and access to services were also listed as challenges for Louisiana residents. The state did receive higher marks in areas such as childcare availability and air quality than some other states.
Texas Also Ranked Among Worst States To Live in 2026
Our border brother, Texas, also landed near the bottom of the list, receiving a failing grade with a score of 78 out of 290 points. While Texas continues to attract new residents and businesses, the report highlighted healthcare as one of the biggest challenges. Texas has the highest percentage of people without health insurance in the country, according to the report.
The state also ranked last in the nation for the number of primary care doctors available per person. Per the report, other concerns listed for Texas included crime, worker protections, and access to healthcare.
It also noted that quality of life has become a bigger factor for businesses deciding where to expand. Companies are not only looking at taxes and economic opportunities but also whether employees will want to live in those areas.
It seems to be a trend with States in the South. Several other states also ranked near the bottom, including Tennessee, Indiana, Georgia, Utah, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
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Gallery Credit: Gina Cook