Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Absolute Worst States In The USA

People Break Down The Absolute Worst States In The USA
Photo by Joey Csunyo on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

It'd be nice to think all 50 states in the grand ol' U. S. of A. are on the same level, each striving for that golden tomorrow and working as hard as they can to become the best they can be for themselves and the greater tapestry of America...

After looking at this list of the worst places to live it's clear not all states were created equal. Call it an effect of circumstance, or bad leadership, but it's clear if you plan on moving you or your family at any point in the future maybe steer clear from these destinations.


Reddit user, Level-Corner-4139, wanted to know which states suck the most when they asked:

"What’s the worst state of the United States and why?"

What makes a state so miserable to live in? Surely, there's got to be redeeming traits about a place if people are residing there, right? After all, you would never live in a place you hate.

Right? Right?

OIL-kahoma

"OKLAHOMA. I don’t even know how to put it into words"

hithisismyscreenname

"Because we're under the radar(no major news coverage) eliminate all the freedoms we can because "OIL" and surprisingly for a state that was supposed to be the last stronghold of funneled native tribes, our current governor has been at constant war with the tribes in our state."

shan68ok01

It's One Or The Other

"North Dakota"

"I mean, it's not even the best Dakota"

McFeely_Smackup

"I get that this is more of a joke, but I’m pretty sure ND is usually top 10 in most metrics that they pull from."

Myvenom

"Yep. Aside from the horrible winters and endless wind it’s a safe nice state to raise a family."

SilvDeVill

"Join Us" - Uta

"Utah."

"F-cking can't go 5 minute without someone trying to sell me something or join a cult."

SiloueOfUlrin

It only gets worse from here, as it seems we see some of these states really have nothing positive to offer.

Those Mosquitos, Tho

"Louisiana, aside from being one of the most backwards, corrupt, gerrymandered states in the country we also have such sundry delights as zydeco music, the horrible “eaux” spelling on the end of English words, worse roads than a third world country, and cancer, all the cancer, mosquitos the size of a state bird, the list goes on but good food though"

pistolbob

Unable To Let Go Of The Grudge

"This thread has made me realize that the real honest answer is 'about half of them.'"

"But I am going to continue with my irrational grudge against Connecticut. F-ck Connecticut."

stayinurlanepls

"What's wrong with CT?"

arcaiyne_

"If you want an actual answer, one of the biggest problems with CT is wealth inequality. Yes, it’s an issue everywhere in the US, but in CT it’s especially pronounced. There are some ultra-mega-rich areas like Greenwich and New Canaan, and then there are cities like Bridgeport and Waterbury where you find a lot more people below the poverty line. Another aspect is that you will find stark contrasts in wealth in close proximity to each other. There is this one road that goes through Hartford and West Hartford, it goes from run-down buildings with bars on the windows to large mansions within about 2 stop lights. I don’t think it’s the worst state, but it has its problems."

"Source: Born and raised there. Everything I said is just what I’ve observed."

LinguiniAficionado

Everything's Worse Here

"No one is arguing against Texas because they have probably lost power and internet again"

blue_range

Join The Awful, Terrible, No-Good Club

"That one that allows you to marry a 14 year old child"

Alakandor

"What? That’s crazy!"

Alakandor

"Not just 1 state...and that's not the lowest it goes.. Massachusetts 12 new hampshire 13, Mississippi and California have NO lower limit when you have parental consent..."

bobbi21

This kind of talking point gets thrown around a lot online, and because of that, people had their answers ready to go. Or, in the case of one particular state, people already talked through what state they knew to be the worst because everyone else has decided it's the worst.

Hard To Spell. Hard To Live There. What's Could Be Worse?

"This question gets asked once a month and the champion is always Mississippi."

jl_theprofessor

"My families are from Mississippi."

"Mississippi is what you get when the descendants of plantation owners keep influencing the descendants of poor confederate soldiers by making them think the descendants of enslaved people are Mississippi’s biggest problem but the state shouldn’t do anything to help because it’s best if they just “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” All the while, the rich keep plundering from the poor and working class of all shades in Mississippi."

GotMoFans

"As someone who grew up in Arkansas, I’m gonna have to go with Mississippi. ‘At least we’re not Mississippi’ is practically the state slogan."

AwokenCamel

"I’m in Alabama and this is my slogan as well."

Pile_Of_Cats

"I’m in Alabama and this is my slogan as well."

GarzysBBQWings

"What’s particularly bad about Mississippi? They’re are the poorest state, but as a none American what is it that differentiates from similar poorer southern states?"

Potential_Ad3412

"Mississippi is empirically one of the worst states in the U.S. by a large number of metrics."

"Last in healthcare, highest obesity rate, second to last economically, worst infrastructure, marginal opportunities, terrible education system, aggressively bad governance, a religious stranglehold that paralyzes improvements to any of the aforementioned issues with education or the economy. Workers in Mississippi have little to no leverage to improve conditions, and are also impoverished."

"Other than that, it’s alright."

Gaijinloco

Maybe Someone Is Coming To Usurp...NOPE, Nevermind

"Empirically speaking: Louisiana"

"But, they have New Orleans, so the honor once again goes to Mississippi in my book. Almost as sh*tty in every major quality of life measure, but also without the cool cultural aspects of Louisiana."

kolaloka

"And Louisiana just keeps getting worse. Makes no difference who's in charge. Outside of Nola, it's a cultural and intellectual Chernobyl. A dystopian hell-hole fit for a mad max installment, with all the pollution to go with it."

TampaBai

We're not doing so great, are we?

Let us know what state you think is the worst to live in in the comments below!

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshot of Donald Trump
Fox News

Trump Slammed After Jokingly Lamenting That 9/11 Hero Is 'More Famous' Than He Is In Tone-Deaf Speech

After speaking during the “Steel Across America” event put on by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, President Donald Trump was criticized for lamenting that one hero of the September 11 terror attacks is "more famous" than him.

Trump was referring to Welles Crowther, an equities trader at Sandler O’Neill & Partners who was working in the South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001. Crowther, who became known for wearing a red bandana, helped evacuate people from the building and is credited with saving at least 18 lives before the tower collapsed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Pattinson (left) responds to Chris Hansen’s (right) criticism of Primetime.
Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images; Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic

Robert Pattinson Reacts To 'To Catch A Predator' Star Chris Hansen's Criticism Of His Portrayal In New Film

It’s probably not every day Robert Pattinson gets publicly critiqued by Chris Hansen, but here we are. The actor addressed the former To Catch a Predator host’s concerns about Primetime at the Venice International Film Festival, offering a gracious response to the man whose television career helped inspire the film.

At the panel, Pattinson addressed Hansen’s concerns directly:

Keep ReadingShow less
Amanda Hirsch (left) apologized after facing backlash over a Polymarket post tied to the Lindsay Clancy (right) trial.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TIME; Greg Derr / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

Podcaster Apologizes After 'Insensitive' Post About Betting On Lindsay Clancy Trial Sparks Backlash

Amanda Hirsch is walking back a promotional post that encouraged followers to wager on the verdict in the Lindsay Clancy trial. The Not Skinny But Not Fat creator and host found herself in hot water after her partnership with Polymarket drew backlash online.

Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse from Duxbury, Massachusetts, was charged with killing her three young children in January 2023. Her case has since fueled debate over maternal mental health, the healthcare system, and the legal definition of insanity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trey Parker and Matt Stone; Donald Trump
Taylor Hill/WireImage; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

'South Park' Hilariously Trolls Trump After Winning Emmy Award For Outstanding Animated Program

South Park had social media users cheering after trolling President Donald Trump for helping creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program at the Creative Arts Emmys on Sunday.

Trump has previously complained about not being accepted by the Hollywood elite and not winning major film and television awards. South Park leaned into this by sharing a graphic depicting a pantsless Trump holding an Emmy while the show's characters flank him, sharing in the victory.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Ray Luján; Donald Trump
Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

New Mexico Senator Rips Trump With Fiery Insult After Trump Threatens To Rename State 'New America'

Democratic Senator Ben Ray Luján called out President Donald Trump following Trump's threat to rename the state of New Mexico to "New America."

Luján's remark came after Trump already made headlines for claiming, amid a trade war with Canada, that the United States was considering "changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don't expect to [be] doing much business with Ontario any longer."

Keep ReadingShow less