Map Reveals the Worst US States to Live

When it comes to the worst states to live in, there are many factors to take into account. Perhaps it’s the weather, the risk of natural disasters, public disorder, or really ugly buildings. Measuring all of these is a challenge, but one metric that’s easy to track is economic prosperity.
Now, profit-building platform ProfitDuel has ranked each state according to this metric to determine the best and worst states to live in for 2024.
The data, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, includes average income, percentage of employment, job creation and job destruction, with each state ranked for its overall performance across these key areas.
The map below shows the final rankings from this data:
Based on these rankings, the following five states are 2024’s worst places to live in the U.S.:
Across each metric, Mississippi performs poorly, with the lowest average income and the second lowest percentage of people employed. West Virginia is not far behind, with the lowest employment rate and a fairly low rate of job creation. However, its low rate of job destruction saves West Virginia from being the worst-ranking state overall.
“While this approach provides a comprehensive overview, it’s important to note that it does have some limitations,” Mauricio García, the chief growth officer at ProfitDuel, told Newsweek.
“A state that ranks extremely high in one factor but very low in another could see its total score disproportionately impacted by that poor ranking, skewing the overall result. This means that even if a state performs exceptionally well in most areas, a single low score could significantly affect its position in the final list.
“Seeing states such as California, Texas and New Jersey rank high in income and job creation, yet face challenges in sustaining those jobs due to higher rates of job destruction, shows that economic success isn’t only about income or job growth,” García said. “It’s also about economic resilience and stability.”
At the other end of the scale, the following states ranked the best overall:
So how can we level this playing field?
“At this moment, it’s challenging to predict exactly how conditions might improve in the lowest-ranking states, especially with a new president about to be elected, whether that’s Donald Trump or Kamala Harris,” García said.
“However, effective policies that support sustainable employment and economic resilience could make a real difference, but much will depend on the priorities of the next administration,” he said.