Where you live affects everything — your paycheck, your health, your safety, even how long you sit in traffic. While some states shine for affordability, job growth, and quality schools, others struggle across multiple measures that make day-to-day life harder.
To identify the states facing the steepest uphill climb in 2026, we analyzed WalletHub’s latest “Best States to Live In” study, which compares all 50 states across 51 metrics spanning affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety.
States at the bottom of the ranking tend to face overlapping challenges: weaker economies, lower education and health outcomes, higher crime, or a combination of all three.
Here are the 10 lowest-ranked states in 2026 — starting with the least difficult of the bottom tier and ending with the state facing the greatest overall challenges.
#10. Alabama
Overall Rank: 41
Total Score: 47.01
- Affordability: 1
- Economy: 42
- Education & Health: 46
- Quality of Life: 39
- Safety: 25
Alabama tops the group of lowest-ranked states largely because its affordability metrics remain among the strongest in the nation — housing costs and overall living expenses are comparatively low. Yet the state performs poorly in education and health, where indicators like test scores, graduation rates, access to health care, and chronic health conditions factor into broader outcomes. Southern states, including Alabama, have repeatedly been identified among the least healthy in the nation due to higher obesity, smoking, diabetes, and premature death rates.
9. West Virginia
Overall Rank: 42
Total Score: 47.00
- Affordability: 2
- Economy: 38
- Education & Health: 47
- Quality of Life: 43
- Safety: 17
West Virginia’s low cost of living doesn’t fully offset widespread challenges in education, health, and economic opportunity. The state has some of the lowest educational attainment levels in the U.S., with just about a quarter of adults holding a bachelor’s degree, well below the national average. Its health outcomes also lag; avoidable mortality and chronic health burdens in the state are significantly worse than in healthier states.
8. Oklahoma
Overall rank: 43
Total score: 46.34
- Affordability: 16
- Economy: 32
- Education & Health: 44
- Quality of Life: 32
- Safety: 39
Oklahoma’s performance sits near the middle of many categories, but it doesn’t excel in any. Its education and health ranking reflects below-average outcomes on measures like insurance coverage and general well-being, and its safety rank sits toward the lower end nationally. According to FBI data, many Southern and rural states — including Oklahoma — record some of the highest violent crime rates on a per-capita basis, underscoring why safety weighs heavily in rankings.
7. South Carolina
Overall rank: 44
Total score: 45.65
- Affordability: 9
- Economy: 39
- Education & Health: 42
- Quality of Life: 34
- Safety: 46
South Carolina’s strong affordability ranking reflects relatively affordable living costs, but that benefit is overshadowed by weak safety scores. The state’s violent crime rate is above the national rate, and both violent and property crime factor into WalletHub’s safety category. Broader education and health metrics also trend below the national average. Combined with middling economic performance, these trends place the state among the lowest tier overall.
6. Nevada
Overall rank: 45
Total score: 44.61
- Affordability: 39
- Economy: 44
- Education & Health: 39
- Quality of Life: 22
- Safety: 41
Nevada’s relatively better showing in quality of life reflects amenities such as access to recreation, entertainment, and climate-related lifestyle factors. However, those strengths don’t outweigh weaknesses in affordability and economy, both of which rank in the lower third nationally. Nevada’s heavy reliance on tourism and hospitality can amplify economic volatility and contribute to lagging job growth and household stability compared with other states.
5. Alaska
Overall rank: 46
Total score: 44.17
- Affordability: 43
- Economy: 4
- Education & Health: 36
- Quality of Life: 50
- Safety: 44
Alaska presents one of the sharpest contrasts in this group. Its economy ranks among the strongest nationally, buoyed by employment and income indicators. Yet it scores last in quality of life, a category shaped by infrastructure access, transportation challenges, and limited services due to the state’s unique geography. These structural dynamics can affect everything from commute times to access to quality health care and education.
4. Mississippi
Overall rank: 47
Total score: 43.53
- Affordability: 8
- Economy: 43
- Education & Health: 50
- Quality of Life: 49
- Safety: 14
Mississippi ranks last in the education and health category. That placement reflects outcomes like health coverage, hospital quality, and overall well-being — areas where the state consistently underperforms. Multiple quality-of-life rankings have identified Mississippi among the bottom states nationwide due to limited healthcare access, high obesity rates, and low educational attainment. Those systemic factors more than offset its relatively strong affordability.
3. Arkansas
Overall rank: 48
Total score: 42.07
- Affordability: 5
- Economy: 41
- Education & Health: 45
- Quality of Life: 48
- Safety: 45
Arkansas’s affordability rank places it among the cheapest states to live in. But broader outcome measures weigh down its overall position. Per-capita income in the state is well below the national average, and educational and health indicators are part of what keeps Arkansas near the bottom tier. Recent reporting also highlights that Arkansas recorded one of the nation’s highest violent crime rates in 2024, showing that safety challenges aren’t confined to large urban areas.
2. Louisiana
Overall rank: 49
Total score: 40.57
- Affordability: 20
- Economy: 50
- Education & Health: 49
- Quality of Life: 40
- Safety: 40
Louisiana ranks last in economic performance — a measure that includes income growth, employment trends, and overall fiscal stability. The state also scores near the bottom in education and health outcomes. Louisiana has a long history of ranking poorly on public safety as well, with some of the highest murder and violent crime rates in the U.S. over decades. These systemic trends position it as one of the most challenging states in which to live, according to livability metrics.
1. New Mexico
Overall rank: 50
Total score: 39.68
- Affordability: 25
- Economy: 33
- Education & Health: 48
- Quality of Life: 30
- Safety: 49
New Mexico’s placement reflects a combination of below-average education and health outcomes and a very low safety rank. While it scores closer to the national midpoint for economy and quality of life, measures such as crime rates and indicators tied to health and schooling weigh heavily. Broader quality-of-life analyses also show New Mexico consistently at or near the bottom of various national rankings over recent years, underscoring persistent structural challenges.
