CNBC’s ranking of the 10 worst states to live in 2026—all of them Republican-led—has drawn criticism from conservatives.
The broadcaster gave each state a Quality of Life score based on factors including crime rates, air quality, healthcare access, worker protections and civil rights laws. The Quality of Life category was one of 10 in the outlet’s annual America’s Top States for Business study.
Tennessee was ranked the worst state to live in after receiving a score of just 64 out of 290.
CNBC noted that Tennessee had one of the highest violent-crime rates in the nation, citing FBI statistics, as well as the third-highest drug-death rate.
The broadcaster also cited state laws restricting transgender people’s bathroom access, limits on local anti-discrimination ordinances and Governor Bill Lee’s designation of June 2026 as “Nuclear Family Month.” June is widely recognized as Pride Month across the United States.
CNBC’s bottom 10 states for quality of life, from lowest-scoring upward, were:
- Tennessee (64 out of 290)
- Texas (78)
- Indiana (82)
- Louisiana (89)
- Georgia (89)
- Utah (95)
- Missouri (98)
- Alabama (99)
- Oklahoma (103)
- Arkansas (103)
Reaction to the Ranking
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, called the ranking “nonsense” in a post on X.
“If Tennessee was really the worst state to live in people wouldn’t be moving there in large numbers, which they are,” DeSantis wrote.
Tennessee’s population grew to more than 7.3 million last year, an uptick of 63,785, according to U.S. Census estimates. The 0.9 percent population growth in the state outpaced the national population, which grew by just 0.5 percent.
A recent study found cities in Tennessee, including Nashville and Knoxville, were among the top destinations that Americans are moving to.
Affordability has increasingly been driving migration decisions and fueling population growth to states in the Southeast and Southwest, with experts noting that factors driving more people to move to Tennessee include the lower living costs and the lack of a state income tax.
Other conservatives also criticized the list.
Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, a conservative group, referred to CNBC’s inclusion of reproductive rights and anti-discrimination protections in its scoring, writing on X that the broadcaster “says the ability to kill unborn babies and engage in woke racism makes states better to live in.”
The press office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, pointed out on X that all 10 states on the list are led by Republicans.
“Notice something in common? All led by Republicans—many suffering from California Derangement Syndrome,” the post said.
Newsweek has contacted the governors of all 10 states for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours.
How CNBC Ranked Worst States to Live
The Quality of Life category was one of 10 in CNBC’s study to determine the best states for business.
To determine a state’s Quality of Life score, CNBC rated each on “livability” factors such as per capita crime rates, environmental quality and healthcare.
The outlet also looked at the availability and affordability of qualified childcare facilities and worker protections, including wage policies, paid leave, and rights to organize.
Another factor was the inclusiveness of state laws, including protections against discrimination, voting rights and secure election systems. CNBC also factored reproductive rights into the category, noting that surveys show a sizable percentage of younger workers would not live in states that ban abortion.
CNBC included quality of life because states use living conditions to attract businesses and workers.
Quality of Life was one of 10 categories in the broader business study and was not intended as a comprehensive assessment of every aspect of living in each state. Several of its measures, including reproductive rights, worker protections and anti-discrimination laws, are also politically contested.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Toby Meyjes and Mike Hirst.
