What is the unhealthiest state in the USA?

Asked by: Eugene Rice  |  Last update: February 12, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (53 votes)

West Virginia is frequently cited as the unhealthiest state in the U.S. due to high rates of smoking, obesity, chronic diseases (like diabetes, heart, kidney), and substance abuse, often ranking lowest in overall health metrics alongside Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky, with southern states dominating the bottom of health rankings across multiple studies.

What's the worst state in the United States?

There's no single "worst" state, as it depends on the criteria, but Louisiana frequently ranks last overall due to poor performance in crime, health, education, and economy, according to U.S. News & World Report's rankings. Other states often cited at the bottom include Mississippi, New Mexico, Arkansas, and West Virginia, struggling with issues like poverty, safety, education, or healthcare access. 

Which state has the most disease?

A 2023 report by The Commonwealth Fund, an independent research group, also found that the U.S. has the highest rate of people diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses when compared to other wealthy nations. As for the unhealthiest state in America, West Virginia claims the No. 1 spot.

What is America's healthiest state?

New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont lead the 2025 America's Health Rankings, but even the highest-scoring states are juggling chronic disease, affordability and access gaps that show up in exam rooms.

What is the hardest US state to live in?

While "hardest" is subjective, recent studies consistently rank New Mexico as one of the toughest states to live in due to high crime, poverty, and poor education/health outcomes, often appearing at or near the bottom in overall quality of life, education, and safety rankings. Other contenders for difficult living conditions include Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Arkansas, facing challenges with poverty, healthcare, and economic opportunity. 

The 10 Unhealthiest States in the USA

25 related questions found

What is the unhappiest state in the US?

According to recent analyses, West Virginia is frequently cited as the unhappiest state in the U.S., often appearing at the bottom of rankings due to factors like high depression rates, poor physical health outcomes, low income, and food insecurity, with states like Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama often ranking near the bottom as well. 

What is the kindest state in the USA?

While subjective, recent studies and surveys frequently name Minnesota the friendliest U.S. state, known for "Minnesota Nice," followed by Southern states like Tennessee, South Carolina, and Texas, with Wyoming also ranking high due to its trusting residents; however, Hawaii is also often praised for its welcoming, community-focused culture. Different studies highlight varying aspects, from general politeness to tourist experience, but Midwestern and Southern states often dominate these lists.
 

What state is #1 in quality of life?

There isn't one single answer, as different studies use different metrics, but Vermont often ranks first for quality of life due to factors like air quality, healthcare access, and low crime, while Massachusetts leads in overall "Best States to Live" lists by WalletHub, excelling in education, health, and safety, and Hawaii is noted for natural environment quality. Other top contenders include Idaho, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, depending on the specific ranking. 

What are the top 3 safest states to live in?

  • New Hampshire. #1 in Public Safety. #2 in Best States Overall. ...
  • Maine. #2 in Public Safety. #27 in Best States Overall. ...
  • Idaho. #3 in Public Safety. ...
  • Rhode Island. #4 in Public Safety. ...
  • Connecticut. #5 in Public Safety. ...
  • West Virginia. #6 in Public Safety. ...
  • Wyoming. #7 in Public Safety. ...
  • Massachusetts. #8 in Public Safety.

What are the happiest states in the US?

Hawaii is consistently ranked as the happiest U.S. state in recent reports (2024-2025), followed by states like Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Connecticut, often praised for strong emotional well-being, good health, and community. Other top contenders frequently include Utah, Delaware, Minnesota, and California, though rankings vary slightly by study. 

What race died the most from COVID?

AIAN and Hispanic people had the highest rates of death, and all groups of color had a higher death rate than White people as of January 2021. Following that surge, death rates fell across all racial and ethnic groups and disparities narrowed by early summer 2021.

Where do people get sick the least?

Wilmington, North Carolina was the least illness-prone city on the list. With 122,000 residents, the researchers said the low population density and balmy weather could help ward off germs.

What is the roughest state in America?

The "roughest" or most dangerous states in the U.S. consistently include Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, Alaska, and Texas, based on high violent crime rates (homicides, assaults), property crime, and sometimes poor road safety or economic factors. Louisiana often leads in homicide rates, while New Mexico and Alaska have high violent crime rates per capita, with other Southern and Southwestern states frequently appearing in top rankings for overall danger.
 

What states have the worst quality of life?

They are the states with America's worst quality of life in 2025.

  • Oklahoma. File: A Tulsa Police officer takes cover behind a car with a weapon at the scene of a fatal shooting. ...
  • Arkansas. Arkansas Gov. ...
  • Alabama. ...
  • Georgia. ...
  • Louisiana. ...
  • Utah. ...
  • Indiana. ...
  • Texas.

What state has the lowest cost of living?

Mississippi is consistently ranked as the cheapest state to live in due to extremely low housing costs, affordable groceries, utilities, and low property taxes, with other contenders for affordability often including Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and West Virginia, which also boast low overall expenses and affordable housing markets. 

What is the nicest state to live in?

10 Best US States to Live In, According to a New Study

  1. Massachusetts. According to WalletHub's study, Massachusetts is the best state to live in, excelling in all key factors—and earning the top spot in the ranking.
  2. Idaho. ...
  3. New Jersey. ...
  4. Wisconsin. ...
  5. Minnesota. ...
  6. Florida. ...
  7. New Hampshire. ...
  8. Utah. ...

Which state has the lowest murders?

A table showing the age-adjusted homicide death rate and total homicides by state, for 2023. Mississippi has the highest homicide rate; New Hampshire has the lowest.

What is the most peaceful state in the USA?

While rankings vary by source and year, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont consistently rank as the most peaceful states, often topping lists due to low crime rates (violent and property), strong community safety, and overall lower levels of conflict, with the Northeast generally being the most peaceful region in the U.S. New Hampshire is often cited as the safest overall by some metrics like low violent/property crime, while Maine excels in multiple peace indicators.
 

What state has the nicest people?

WCCO CBS reported, "The study found that Minnesota is the friendliest state." This edged out Texas and other notoriously friendly-seeming states in that region (depending on who you ask).

What states have no state income tax?

Nine U.S. states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, though Washington taxes high earners' capital gains and New Hampshire and Tennessee tax interest/dividends. These states often rely on other taxes, like sales or property taxes, to fund services, so "no income tax" doesn't mean "no taxes" overall.
 

What is the #1 state to raise a family?

Massachusetts is frequently ranked as the number one state to raise a family for 2026 by sources like WalletHub and Newsweek, due to its excellent education, strong economy with good job security, and high safety standards, closely followed by states like Minnesota, North Dakota, and New Hampshire, which also score high on metrics like affordability, health, and family fun.
 

What is the least welcoming state?

The most welcoming states are Vermont, Maine, and Hawaii. The least welcoming states are Missouri, Massachusetts, and Illinois. Most Americans greet strangers with a handshake (60%), smile (47%), or by making eye contact (25%). Over 1 in 5 Americans say they aren't comfortable with physical contact when greeting.

What is the most loved state in the USA?

Hawaii is consistently ranked as the most liked U.S. state, leading in favorability surveys for its beauty, pleasant climate, and perceived happiness, followed by states like Alaska, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Colorado, while some polls show Minnesota or Michigan residents have the most state pride, according to data from 2025 YouGov polls. Different surveys measure "liked" differently, with some focusing on general favorability and others on resident pride, but Hawaii appears at the top for general appeal across the nation.
 

What is the freest state in the USA?

For the 24th time, New Hampshire is the freest state among all U.S. states, having scored 8.34 out of 10 in this year's report, which measures government spending, taxation, regulations and labor market restrictions using data from 2023, the most recent year of available comparable data.