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

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

Melissa Calhoun
WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando/YouTube

Community Outraged After Florida Teacher Loses Job For Calling Student By Preferred Name

A Florida community is outraged after a veteran high school teacher was fired for calling a student by their preferred name rather than their legal name.

Melissa Calhoun had worked at Brevard County arts magnet school Satellite High School since 2019 and in the district for 12 years, but has been told her contract will not be renewed after the student's parent complained.

Keep ReadingShow less
Todd Lyons
Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston/Getty Images

ICE Director Says He Wants To Run Deportations Like Amazon Prime, 'But With Human Beings'

While his boss at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Kristi Noem, came hot off the heels of cosplaying again and demonstrating how not to hold a gun, the acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was modeling their human rights violations after online shopping.

Republican President Donald Trump's unconfirmed—nor congressionally vetted—acting Director of ICE, Todd Lyons, shared his dreams for the agency during the 2025 Border Security Expo, where private companies explored opportunities to profit from Trump’s mass deportations and rub elbows with Noem and Lyons.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Vanessa Horabuena painting her Donald Trump portrait

Resurfaced Video Of MAGA Christian 'Worship Artist' Painting Portrait Of Trump Is Giving Major Cult Vibes

People are cringing after a video of MAGA artist Vanessa Horabuena speed-painting a portrait of President Donald Trump at the post-inauguration Liberty Ball resurfaced, highlighting the unsettling nature of what political scientists and casual observers have long described as Trump's cult of personality.

Horabuena raised more than $20,000 "to help cover the expenses of my team to attend this once in a lifetime event, the Liberty Ball just after the Inauguration where I will be painting live, 'Prayers For Our President,' to the song, 'The Blessing,' by Kari Jobe."

Keep ReadingShow less
Linda McMahon; A1 Steak Sauce
Win McNamee/Getty Images; Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Trump's Education Secretary Just Referred To 'AI' As 'A1'—And The Steak Sauce Seized The Moment

Education Secretary Linda McMahon was undoubtedly mistaken when she referred to artificial intelligence as "A1"—as in A1 Steak Sauce—while answering a question about the use of AI in schools, prompting the company to seize the moment with a trolling post.

McMahon slipped up during her appearance at the ASU+GSV Summit on Tuesday. While discussing the state of modern education, she brought up the role of AI in today's classrooms.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man holding a finger against his lips in a 'Shh!' gesture
Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash

People Anonymously Divulge The Secrets They Plan To Take To The Grave

As much as we might not want to, most of us have some secrets that we'd rather not tell.

But there are two kinds of people when it comes to long-term secrets: those who intend to take those secrets to the grave, no exceptions, and those who'd rather say, "Well, cat's outta the bag!"

Keep ReadingShow less