When it involves the fortunes of their skilled sports activities groups, Tennesseans have come to count on disappointment. When it involves climate, livability and the qualities that make this state a vacation spot for newcomers, we’re used to rating close to the prime.
CNBC burst that bubble when it not too long ago ranked Tennessee as the worst state to reside in for 2026.
Why CNBC ranked Tennessee final in 2026
Its record of causes is a intestine punch for champions of the Volunteer State.
Among the community’s chief grievances was a collection of controversial conservative insurance policies backed by Tennessee’s Republican management.
“Tennessee Republicans, led by Gov. Bill Lee, make no apologies for a rash of state laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community,” the report said. CNBC particularly cited Tennessee’s “bathroom law,” which requires transgender individuals to make use of amenities that correspond with their intercourse at beginning. The report additionally pointed to a state regulation barring native governments from adopting their very own anti-discrimination protections.
CNBC additional famous that Lee signed a decision designating June as “Nuclear Family Month,” a symbolic conservative counterpoint to LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
The community additionally cited Tennessee’s excessive violent crime fee, primarily based on FBI knowledge, and the nation’s third-highest fee of drug-related deaths, based on the United Health Foundation.
Lakie Derrick and state Rep. Bud Hulsey, R-Kingsport. Derrick co-authored a Nuclear Family Month decision that Hulsey sponsored and Gov. Bill Lee signed.
The knowledge behind the low rating
Overall, CNBC awarded Tennessee 64 out of 290 attainable factors in its 2026 Quality of Life rankings. The state’s strongest class was air high quality, whereas its weakest areas have been crime, inclusiveness and employee protections.
It’s virtually as if CNBC regarded previous a lot of the issues that make dwelling right here fulfilling, overlooking the full image of what Tennessee represents.
We have firm.
Where Tennessee ranks amongst its friends
Here are CNBC’s 10 lowest-ranked states for high quality of life in 2026:
50. Tennessee49. Texas 48. Indiana47. Louisiana46. Georgia45. Utah44. Missouri43. Alabama42. Oklahoma41. Arkansas
Who tops the high quality of life record
Of course, some Tennesseans might argue we’re nonetheless higher off than a lot of the states CNBC positioned forward of us, together with these in the prime 10.
At the different finish of the record, CNBC’s top-ranked states have been:
1. Vermont2. Maine3. New Jersey4. Minnesota5. Connecticut6. Hawaii7. New Hampshire (tie)8. Washington (tie)9. North Dakota10. Massachusetts
Despite rating Tennessee final for high quality of life, CNBC additionally ranked the state No. 9 general for its sturdy enterprise local weather and economic system.
Now it is your flip: Was CNBC proper?
Now we need to hear from you. Was CNBC proper, mistaken or someplace in the center when it ranked Tennessee as the worst state to reside in? Take our poll and inform us what you suppose.
Tacuma R. Roeback is The Tennessean’s neighborhood engagement and opinion editor. Reach him at [email protected] or observe him on X, Bluesky or LinkedIn.
This article initially appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CNBC calls Tennessee the worst state. You decide in our poll | Opinion