Do You Live in One of the Worst States in America? Find Out

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It may be a rude awakening for New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana just the day after Mardi Gras, but according to a new report, their state is the worst. Seriously. The worst.

U.S. News & World Report has come out with its inaugural ranking of the best (and worst) states, factoring in the quality of health care, education, infrastructure, crime, affordability, economy, and government in each of the 50 states. Massachusetts was crowned the best.

“The Deep South states don’t do as well in education and health care. That really trips them up,” says Tim Smart, executive editor of U.S. News & World Report. Those categories were weighted slightly higher than the others. “Massachusetts was the No. 1 state, because it did very well in health care quality and health care access and higher education plus K-12.”

The worst states in the nation

The Southern states dominated the bottom of the list. Louisiana got the worst score for crime (which included public safety and measured the effectiveness of the state’s corrections system). Mississippi, the second worst on the list, received the lowest scores for state infrastructure (like energy, internet access, and transportation) and opportunity (which includes poverty rates, discrimination, and affordability). Arkansas, which came in third, had the worst health care in the country.

The rest of the low performers were Alabama, New Mexico, South Carolina (which got the lowest marks in the U.S. for education), Oklahoma, Alaska, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

But Louisiana shouldn’t be dismissed solely because of its low ranking, says New Orleans Realtor® Dorian Bennett. Nor is crime “rampant,” he says—it’s contained in certain neighborhoods. So it shouldn’t discourage folks from moving or visiting “one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” he adds.

The state is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the region more than a decade ago, Bennett points out. But Louisiana’s largest city, New Orleans, is back, he says, noting the opening of a medical facility along with the anticipated launch of a culinary and hospitality institute next year along with a slew of new businesses cropping up.

New Orleans is “the birthplace of jazz. … We’ve got magnificent universities here,” he says, ticking off Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, and Louisiana State University. And “we have incredible food.”

The best states in the nation

U.S. News & World Report also ranked the best states in the nation, and three Northeastern states made the top 10.

Massachusetts, which led the pack, got the highest score for education. That wasn’t exactly a surprise for Boston Realtor P.T. Vineburgh of the Charlesgate Realty Group.

“You’ve got great vacation destinations and a lot of history,” he says. “You have Boston, but you also have the Berkshires, you have Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard.”

He also bragged about the state’s leading colleges and universities, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as the variety of housing options. They include Colonial homes built around the time of the American Revolution to newer subdivisions going up in the suburbs.

“We’ve got a nice mix of urban, suburban, and rural living all within a two-hour radius of each other,” Vineburgh says. “You have some of the most expensive real estate in the country now in downtown Boston. But it definitely gets more affordable once you get about half an hour outside of Boston. And it gets more affordable as you go to the western and central portions of the state.”

The next highest-ranking state was New Hampshire. It earned the top marks for opportunity, which means the state was deemed very affordable and had low poverty and discrimination rates.

“We have no sales or income tax,” says Tim Sink, president and CEO of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, based in New Hampshire’s state capital. “We have among the lowest taxes in the nation.”

The state does, however, have property taxes. But it also has lower housing costs than its next-door neighbor Massachusetts. And it has a wide array of things to do for outdoors lovers.

“You’re in close proximity to the sea coast, to the mountains, the lakes region, and we’re close to Boston,” Sink says.

Rounding out the top 10 states were Minnesota, North Dakota, Washington, Iowa, Utah, Maryland, Colorado, and Vermont.

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