Top 10 Worst States in the United States

The Top Ten
1 Mississippi Mississippi is a southern U.S. state with the Mississippi River to its west, the state of Alabama to its east, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south.

It's very backwards, rural, and poor. It has a bad economy and no major cities. The beaches are nasty, and it has gross casino towns. On the bright side, it's cheap, people are nice, it usually has good weather, and there's delicious soul food.

Mississippi is weird. I'm not counting the racism, no. It's the state where a young Ray Stevens released a squirrel in a church and it ended with everyone being amazed by the squirrel being a holy figure. Yep, like I said, Mississippi is weird.

Mississippi... where do I begin. Oh gosh, I hate it here. Don't put yourself through the immense torture of living here. Rednecks, gangs, poverty, horrible education system, humidity, trash, etc.

2 Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west.

Like Mississippi, but it's more prosperous. It has a lot of boring cities, and people are very backwards and redneck. Also, super redneck and obese. On the bright side, it's cheap, sunny, with beautiful forests, nice southern people with good food, and beautiful beaches.

I understand how Alabama might seem horrible to those who were not born here or have only lived or visited for a short time. As someone from a large family in rural Alabama, I can attest to the true nature of the state. There is significant racial tension. That is no lie, and we can seem dreadfully intolerant from an outside perspective. However, I believe there is a fundamental lifestyle here. People are polite, but you truly have to earn someone's trust to receive the acceptance and inclusivity northerners claim we lack. My immediate family is Catholic, while my relatives are mostly Baptist, but we get along fine. I am an openly gay woman, and because my community knows me and understands the kind of person I am, they treat me with the same dignity they would anyone else. This might be different if I were a stranger, as they would naturally be more suspicious of a different lifestyle. However, if people here come to see who you really are and what values you hold, they will treat you like family, which is very refreshing in a world of fake friends.

Furthermore, although cities like Birmingham and Mobile have high crime rates, we do have significant cities and accomplishments. Take Huntsville, for example, an attractive, innovative city filled with engineering and missile defense opportunities, proudly known as the birthplace of U.S. space exploration. In conclusion, Alabama gets a bad rap, but it is truly a great place to grow up, and I'm grateful for the experience.

3 Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Its name is of Siouan derivation, denoting the Quapaw Indians.

Arkansas is a boring, backwards hick state. Home of Walmart and the Duggars. Little Rock is boring and ratchet. Fayetteville is an okay college town. On the bright side, it's cheap, sunny, has beautiful nature, and nice southern people.

"In my opinion," Arkansas comes with more cons than pros. I've been to every southern state, and for me, Arkansas had the worst people in that part of the country.

These folks have no consideration for others whatsoever and are terribly closed-minded and trapped in their bubble.

Higher taxes than other surrounding states like Texas and Tennessee.

Narrow points of view, low appreciation for things not from Arkansas. Very difficult people to get through.

4 New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania, and on the southwest by Delaware.

NJ is a boring, ratchet suburb of New York and Philly. The people are mean and can't drive. It's crowded and gross. On the bright side, rural Jersey is really beautiful, with nice beaches, swamps, and forests. Beautiful in fall.

JDL too, with 40 hate groups, most in Bergen County, and many neo-Nazi and reverse hate groups, ISIS and al-Qaeda arrests, FBI targeting Hackensack schools to stop ISIS infiltration and videos (search the web), and regular bomb threats to schools and Bergen County Courthouse against the worst judges in the US (leave schools out of it!). There's also corruption with 40 arrested, including 3 mayors, several assistant mayors, 5 Rabbis, and selling body parts. Bergen County police almost killed a State Police officer who came to help people from them on State Highway, as seen on YouTube. To be caught in the middle of all that hate is not a good place to be, and it starts young in NJ schools. All those office posts saying 'it's such a nice place with nice schools' are getting old. Christie is disliked even more than the last NJ Governors, even though they set historic lows in the polls. 80% think Christie doesn't care about them because the other 20% KNOW Christie doesn't care about them.

5 Louisiana

It's very poor and rural outside of New Orleans. It's like outside of New Orleans they gave up. The economy is really bad, it's super hot and full of hurricanes, bugs, and alligators. On the bright side, it's sunny, with nice people, cheap, New Orleans is fun, great food.

Name me one state worse than Louisiana in terms of living there. You can't. This state is a complete nightmare, crime and corruption are rampant, the climate represents something out of Saudi Arabia, and the education system is a joke. The only reason why I would say to go there is the food and New Orleans, but that's it. Really, anything else is pointless to travel in Louisiana. So yeah, I'm pretty sure living here is pretty much like living in Venezuela.

6 California California is a state in the Southwestern United States. With 39.6 million residents across a total area of about 163,696 square miles (423,970 square kilometers), California is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. The state capital is Sacramento, and the largest city is Los Angeles... read more

I see California license plates nearly everywhere I go. They're running my state down like they're flies. Go home if you're from California.

Everything that is wrong with America is symbolized best by what happened to California. If you're a normal American, stay out or move out, because you're considered a second-class citizen there. Illegal aliens (and other criminals) are coddled and given tens of thousands in welfare, taken from those who actually contribute to society. Political correctness is rampant. The cost of living is extreme, and taxes are so high you might as well be living in a socialist dictatorship. California was once a great state, but today it is anything but great.

7 West Virginia West Virginia is a state located in the Appalachian region of the Southern United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. West Virginia is the 41st largest state by area,... read more

WV is a beautiful state, but very poor. It has no major cities or industry, just small sad towns. On the bright side, it's cheap, has beautiful seasons and scenery. WV people are sweethearts.

A beautiful state. However, jobs are scarce, and a lot of those working have to deal with uneducated people in management positions. There is also a 'You will do it or your replacement will' mentality. The pay scale is also low in West Virginia, creating more poverty and working poor. Education is hampered due to cost, and the taxes on small business are horrible.

8 Oklahoma

Boring state full of tornadoes and just empty dirt fields. It's conservative and backwards. But at least it's cheap, has beautiful outdoor wilderness, and good food. Okies also are nice and home to a lot of country music stars.

It's a terrible place to live. The laws are screwed up. The people are screwed up. The two largest cities are violent, crime-filled hellholes. I recommend going somewhere else if at all possible. I've been here for all 31 years, unfortunately, and I can state that this place is in a sad state of affairs. Fat, stupid, dumb, and entirely too crazy. It reminds you of that family member people whisper about but dare not utter their name around them for fear of what might come out of them.

9 Florida Florida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Florida is the southeasternmost U.S. state, with the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other.

Florida is criminal, corrupt, and terrifying, 100 times worse than fascist Nazis, 100 times worse than a Stalinist police state, 100 times worse than 1984, and 100 times worse than the Hunger Games, whenever they can get away with it - and that is just your boss! This is not pre-Civil War! New Jersey sends people to kill Floridians in both North and South Florida. Actually, those killers are already in Florida, including the half from New Jersey that are so bad they cannot stay there. New York's worst goes to New Jersey's worst, which then goes to Florida. They do not like that in North Florida. It is not just corrupt NJ Senator Menendez or the NJ Menendez brothers who moved to Beverly Hills. A few other snowbirds just want warmer weather, and now Florida is just South New Jersey, since North and Central New Jersey did not have room for them and terrorized them out.

10 Kansas Kansas is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area.

I live here, and anymore, I really just don't like it here. I can't move because I don't make enough money to save for moving expenses or a new place. I can't even afford healthcare in this state, and I have insurance. On top of that, they raised income taxes on everyone! My family is going to lose around $870 this year, PLUS another 4.9% for all earnings over $30,000 on top of that, because our state government doesn't know how to budget!

I want out of this state the first chance I get.

This should be at #3 or something. First, this state is absolutely boring. Driving through this state, I would've rather played a game on my phone than look at the flat, boring scenery that is the landscape. Besides that, the infrastructure is underdeveloped, Wichita cannot even be called a city, and the politics are overtly conservative. It can't be worse than Alabama, but it needs to be in the top ten.

The Contenders
11 Kentucky Kentucky, officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States.

I'd like to say New Jersey or Ohio. I have some personal reasons (and historical excuses) to low-grade Michigan, but Kentucky isn't just another southern state. It's the rotten heart of America. I do not hate it the way I don't disrespect any state. I've been through the South and New England, and some of it needs much work. Kentucky seems impoverished, isolated, economically stuck in the 50s/60s, and isolated from growth and "capitalism". We need something like a new deal or a massive market boom to improve and build up this place. It's a state of decay. California is pretty bad too, but for entirely separate reasons.

12 Illinois Illinois is a state in the midwestern region of the United States. It is the 5th most populous state and 25th largest state in terms of land area, and is often noted as a microcosm of the entire country.

I agree that Illinois is the worst state in US history. Did you know that more people are leaving Illinois than any other state? It has lost residents to almost every other state in the nation. My son, who recently turned 16, says he will never live in Illinois or step on Illinois soil, and I don't blame him. High taxes, crime, and unionism are why Illinois is losing more residents than it is gaining. I don't mean to make anyone angry, but I think Illinois needs help so it can be a better state than it already is today. It keeps getting Democrat leaders, and people need to stop voting for Democrats to run the state and the nation. Illinois residents are number one in desire to flee the state. It is the second most hated state in the nation, and more people say it absolutely sucks living there than in any other state in the nation. Hey, I'm sure glad I don't live in Illinois. We live in Texas, but we will be moving back to Colorado, our old home state, on July 1st, 2017. So, Illinois is getting more goodbyes than hellos, and everybody hates the state. I think people who live in the other 49 states in our country are much happier than the residents in Illinois. Period. End of story. No room for discussion. No room for arguments.

13 Texas Texas is a state in the Southern USA. It is the second largest by area and population. Its largest city is Houston.

My parents worked themselves to death in this place for as long as I can remember. I also worked at a job and got harassed by Latinos who think they own the state because they came illegally or don't have to speak English. Expect overly proud Texan natives, rednecks, drug addicts, and BLM protesters who play the race card. Everyone loves road rage, living in bad neighborhoods, owning debt, and car accidents.

All in the name of "diversity," I guess. I don't know how one can love being poor in the state that my parents are in.

14 Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The state is the tenth largest by area, but the least populous and the second least densely populated of the 50 United States.

It's conservative, empty, and boring. The nature is beautiful, but it's not for everyone. Be careful in Wyoming if you are LGBT, from California, a minority, not a conservative, not a cowboy backwards redneck.

Wyoming means in Jibberish: No state here. I have cousins who live here and they are the only people within 7 miles! My mom had me here and moved to Colorado (a GOOD state to live in) because she thought it would be horrendous to be in a classroom of 4 people.

The absolutely most miserable place in America. I have lived in 7 states, and Wyoming has the least to offer. Pretty vistas get old after a while, especially in freezing temps and with mean-spirited people.

15 Tennessee Tennessee is a state located in the southeastern United States. Tennessee is the 36th largest and the 17th most populous of the 50 United States.

Stalking me and others with the graphic and disgusting advertisement for "St. Jude Children Abusers" that try to make me feel guilty that I don't donate. That does not motivate me to donate to the city of Memphis, where criminals hide at night. Nashville is easily the most dangerous capital, maybe even in the world. Never visit this state. Don't risk it.

Man, this state just keeps getting worse and worse. A lot of the cities are what you would probably expect from various deep south cities, with extremely high crime rates, very similar to various upstate NY cities, not offering much opportunity or work. Shootings happen almost every day in the rough parts of cities like Memphis. I literally saw some people urinating on buildings when I was driving through the city, the land that law forgot. The cities, as well as the rural small towns, aren't that great in general. However, if you go to the far eastern side of the state, east of Knoxville, it's incredible. The Great Smoky Mountains are just stunning and provide a ton of outdoor activities, plus the people are just lovely. Like most US national parks, the best time to visit is most definitely autumn because that's when all the trees pop with colors in the sunset. In summary, it's a terrible state town and city-wise, but I found the far eastern side great.

16 New Mexico

New Mexico is ranked as the 47th worst state for business and has a 20% poverty rate, making it one of the most dangerous states in the country. It has consistently ranked 49th or 50th for child welfare over the years and has the second-highest heroin overdose rate in the country. Additionally, it's in the bottom five states for education. The Albuquerque "International" Airport only offers direct flights to 23 cities. Police departments at the city, county, and state levels struggle to fill their ranks. The unemployment rate increased from 6.2% in October 2014 to 6.8% in October 2015, while the rest of the country was recovering. In 2014, the state lost 11,500 in population.

There's also political dissatisfaction, as evidenced by the criticism of Governor Susana Martinez, who was re-elected twice. Mother Jones published a story a few years ago titled "Is Governor Susana Martinez the Next Sarah Palin?" highlighting concerns about her governance. The state is noted for its high level of corruption, which often doesn't make national news due to its small population of only 2 million, a number that is declining. It's considered the second-worst managed state in the country. Adding to the list of issues, the secretary of state resigned after being accused of spending campaign money at various casinos.

17 New York New York is a state located in the Mid-Atlantic Region. New York was one of the original thirteen colonies that formed the United States. With an estimated 19.54 million residents in 2018, it is the fourth most populous state. In order to distinguish the state from the city with the same name, it is... read more

I was born and raised in New York City myself, and it's pretty sad to see what this once tourist-friendly city has become. Don't get me wrong, Rockefeller Center and Nintendo NY are places that I visit occasionally. But on the other hand, there's a lot of crime and rude people. Bronx County is a good example of urban poverty in the US. When I drove through there, I heard plenty of gunshots and saw lots of run-down houses.

I actually considered living upstate in the Hudson Valley area (Columbia and Rensselaer counties, near western Massachusetts). That was actually a better decision since I'm now a former urbanite that earns extra money by working at cideries and farms (it does get noisy – you hear hound dogs, roosters, and frogs at night). If you look past NYC, there's much more opportunity and hospitality, though that sadly isn't the case for the rest of the state...

18 Missouri Missouri is a state located in the Midwestern United States. It is the 21st most extensive, and the 18th most populous of the fifty states.

I lived in Joplin for over 30 years. The economy was terrible. The pay rates in the medical field are some of the lowest in the nation, and there is nothing to do except drive to Kansas City or St. Louis. We moved to NW Arkansas, where the economy is booming, and immediately increased our income by 20% while maintaining the same cost of living. I go mountain biking 2-3 times a week, as there are hundreds of miles of maintained trails. There is plenty to do and a great sense of community. The landscape is gorgeous compared to SW Missouri's mountains of chat left over from the mining days. I miss the people, but will never move back to Missouri.

19 Alaska Alaska is a U.S. state situated in the northwest extremity of the Americas. The Canadian administrative divisions of British Columbia and Yukon border the state to the east; it has a maritime border with Russia to the west across the Bering Strait.

It's full of people who drive their sleds to school.

Honestly, it should just be owned by the Canadians.

We should just give this back to Canada.

20 South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. The state is bordered to the north by North Carolina, to the south and west by Georgia across the Savannah River, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

Most of the state is dirty, run-down, and poor. There may be a couple of places worth visiting, but nowhere worth living here. All we have here are swamps, huge cockroaches, and white supremacists.

The state that launched the Civil War. Poor and rich. No jobs. Still troublemakers... look at their politicians. People think of Charleston, Savannah, and beach towns but look behind the cover.

I've lived here throughout my entire life, and it's really nice here, with the events and things. Even though we may be the poorest state in the U.S. and have many teachers leaving, there's always room for improvement, at least I hope so.

I recommend moving here to the northwestern parts of SC. I'm not so sure about the eastern parts.

21 Indiana

I've been to all 50 states, and Indiana is definitely the worst. They have a really strict police state with rules and regulations on everything. Hardly any scenery exists, as all the land is turned to agriculture, and it doesn't even have any big or fun cities either, considering how overpopulated it is. With cold, cloudy winters and hot, humid summers, the people are jaded and lost in their little bubbles, not trusting anyone because they are all so unkind to each other. It has the worst combination of East Coast attitude and totalitarianism, and Midwest/Great Plains intolerance, with none of the friendly people you could expect in Midwest/Great Plains/Southern states.

22 Nebraska Nebraska is a state that lies in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States. Its state capital is Lincoln.

I live here, and it is definitely boring. It's just a bunch of farming, football, and bad weather.

Nebraska is not bad enough to make the top ten. It's top 20 for sure, though.

Nebraska is so bad! How is it not in the Top 5? This state is terrible!

23 Georgia Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Georgia is a scum pit, at least in the Augusta, GA area. It has the worst drivers I have ever dealt with. I would rather drive in L.A. or San Antonio during rush hour, and that is saying something. Most of the people I have encountered are selfish and rude. I am sorry, but when the two biggest food recommendations I received before moving to this slum were Cracker Barrel and Waffle House, it made me lose respect for this "state." "Good" food in this state seems to be anything that is cheap and plentiful. This description seems to fit my two years living here: cheap and plentiful. This should be listed as the worst state in the USA to live in. I do have a feeling that Alabama and other states like MO are just as bad, but I am not going to test those waters. Screw the South and the backwards way of life they enjoy.

24 Maine Maine is located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Known for its rugged coastline, it is the easternmost state in the contiguous U.S. Its capital is Augusta, while its largest city is Portland. Maine is famous for its maritime history, as well as its seafood cuisine, particularly... read more

It's filled with more moose than people.

25 Colorado Colorado is a state in the United States encompassing most of the Southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains.

Not at all a bad state, the people that say it is because it legalized weed are crazy. that's like the only bad thing about the state. Little crime, Decent schools (except for douglas county), Mountains, skiing, culture, and it's the 9th healthiest state. How is Colorado bad?

It has desert, plains, mountains, forests and the weather is not really too hot or too cold. It has no beaches but instead you have nice lakes and not have to worry about shark attacks.

BY far the most overrated state in the country that I have been to (been to around 20 states). It is NOT always sunny, Schools are not as good as people say it is, pot is everywhere,people are rude,etc. It is beautiful though!

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