.JPG "The U.S. and Texas state flags fly outside the state Capitol building on July 12, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (Sergio Flores/Getty Images/TNS)")
The U.S. and Texas state flags fly outdoors the state Capitol constructing on July 12, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (Sergio Flores/Getty Images/TNS)
TNS
A strong economy doesn’t always translate into a high quality of life.
That’s one takeaway from CNBC’s latest ranking, which named Texas the second-worst state to live in for 2026.
While the state continues to attract new residents and businesses, CNBC found challenges in several areas many people consider when deciding where to live.
Here’s what to know.
What factors did CNBC use to rank the states?
CNBC compared all 50 states using 61 measures tied to people’s quality of life.
The network looked at things like healthcare, crime, childcare, air quality, worker protections, reproductive rights and inclusiveness, then scored each state based on how it performed in those areas.
CNBC said quality of life accounted for 290 possible points, making it one of the most heavily weighted categories in the rankings.
The rankings were based on data from government agencies, nonprofit organizations and research groups.
Why did Texas rank as the second-worst state to live in for 2026?
Texas’ low score in CNBC’s quality of life category pushed it towards the bottom of the list.
Healthcare, crime, worker protections, inclusiveness and reproductive rights were among the state’s weakest areas.
CNBC gave the state an F grade, awarding it 78 out of a possible 290 points. The network said childcare availability and air quality were Texas’s only strengths.
“While Texas continues to lead the nation in attracting workers, those workers are finding a broad array of challenges when they get there,” CNBC wrote.
CNBC also cited data showing Texas has the nation’s highest uninsured rate at 16.7%, and more than 17% of adults said they skipped needed medical care in the past year because they couldn’t afford it.
“Even those who do have health insurance can have trouble finding a doctor,” CNBC added. “The state finishes dead last in primary care physicians per capita.”
How did the other states rank?
Tennessee ranked as the worst state to live in for 2026, followed by Texas, Indiana, Louisiana and Georgia, according to CNBC.
Utah, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma and Arkansas rounded out the rest of the bottom 10.
At the other end of the rankings, Vermont was named the best state to live in, followed by Maine, New Jersey, Minnesota and Hawaii.
CNBC’s 10 worst states to live in for 2026
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Georgia
- Utah
- Missouri
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
Tiffani is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is a part of a staff of native journalists who reply reader questions on life in North Texas. Tiffani primarily writes about Texas legal guidelines and well being information.