States matter only inasmuch as the city you live in.
Living in Altoona, Pennsylvania is going to be a vastly different experience than Philadelphia.
Here’s a list of the worst 10: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/11/worst-states-to-live-in-america-2026.html
If you’re the kind of person using lemmy, then any southern state is probably in the running for “worst” to live in. They’re not without their positives or fantastic people and culture (and I mean actual culture, not the confederacy bs) but if you were picking and choosing a place to live, it probably wouldn’t be those.
By that same token, any west coast or northeast/new England state is probably “best”. They all have their negatives and shitty people, but you’d probably prefer one of them if you were choosing. Though you actually may have a better time in a city in a “worst” state than in some rural areas in a “best” state. That’ll depend on other factors.
Is cost being excluded from consideration
Washington state is the best, most beautiful place in the country.
have lived all over the US. Ended up in puget sound; it is absolutely gorgeous here, and our summer this year was cool and mild. One day in the low 90s, the rest in the 70s or 80s - slept with the windows open most of the summer! I love it here so much.
Everyone in the US thinks the state they are from is both the best and the worst at the same time. And also gets mad if you agree that their state is the worst of you’re not from there.
That being said, Ohio is aight, more interesting than people give it credit for, and everything bad people think about Ohio is way more true in Indiana.
Also no one talks about how freaking beautiful West Virginia is I swear.
I broke down in West Virginia once, when passing through for work. It was a very unusual experience. Some people were very helpful and nice, a few were creepy, and the scariest person was both.
Also, we had to wait 12 hours for a tow truck to arrive, which then towed us for several hours to the nearest repair shop.
This was like 20 years ago, so I guess I’ll never forget it.
I can confirm it was very beautiful though. The fresh snowfall on the mountains looked amazing.
The remote parts of Pennsylvania are also very beautiful.
Seriously? I left Ohio more than a decade ago, never want to even pass rhrough it again.
The whole southwest is worse then my state…
Best - Hawaii
Worst - Anywhere but HawaiiEverything is imported so, no, unless you’re rich.
I tried moving to Hawaii back in 08 about the time shit hit the fan… Hawaii is nice, but I still missed my home state. It’s just not home.
I know this isn’t what you were asking for, but the single best quality of life decision I made was leaving America. This was after living in multiple states.
Where did you move to?
is it really that bad…?
I think it is. I have a few people on YouTube I follow who left America and it’s like they realized that there is an entire world out there where you won’t feel awful every day.
People who move to Netherlands or Sweden, western and northern Europe.
I think Americans assume everyone is as miserable as them or worse. Until they go to western Europe and talk to people there.
Its a massive culture difference for one. People don’t live to work in Europe. Its a job, not a life.
can’t apreciate just how hot the fire is while your still in the pan
i mean i’m not in the US but still it seems like a decent place than many other places in the world. maybe i’m affected by propaganda lol
if your rich and able/willing to compartmentalize your conscience (and in good health, you have to be super-rich to afford getting sick in US) it’s fine enough, but then being rich is fine everywhere
If it’s not what was asked and is off topic, why comment it?
If you say anything even slightly anti-America on Lemmy, it will get upvotes. Ironically, upvotes are practically worthless, but some people seem to enjoy the validation from strangers on social media.
Best California
Worst Mississippi
This and done.
Mississippi is literally hell.
Best - California. Even the worst parts of the state are better than most other places in America, and the best parts are literally world wonders (Yosemite, Redwoods, Sequoias, Death Valley, Joshua Tree). Pricey AF, but you get what you pay for, and it’s all here - mountains, deserts, ocean, lakes, Hollywood, Silicon Valley, big cities, little towns, pretty much any kind of life you could want, you can live it here if you’ve got the means to afford it.
Worst - Texas. It’s where the worst of America decided to throw an endless rodeo and most of their trash. Yeah, other states may be stupider, or more racist, or more desolate… but nobody nowhere is louder and prouder of being a drunken pain in the ass than a Texan. Florida man comes in a close second if he’s methed up enough, but Florida actually has cool shit like the Everglades and Miami and manatees and alligators.
Texas has Buc-ees and lot lizards.
I live in Florida and I have a rebuttal. I live in a small county and it’s ALL old people. It’s fucking HELL to live around people who are so old they can hardly operate a shopping cart, and they can vote too.
The only plus is that old people have no idea what being trans is actually like, so since im 5’5 and have a feminine voice I pass to literally everyone. It always amuses me whenever someone with Trump/TPUSA merch genders me correctly which happens nearly every day since I work as a cashier
Texas is worse. If anyone finds out you’re trans there, your life is in danger - the cops will turn a blind eye to whatever JimBillyBob and his kin decide to do to you. The only place in Texas you might be able to live somewhat safely is Austin.
Plus, in Texas even the young people are fucking Boomers. Same entitlement, same attitudes, same fucking racism and hatred of anything different, same fucking Megachurch bullshit… it’s like the entire fucking state collectively decided that the 50s were the height of cultural development and has actively invested in generational stupidity ever since.
Don’t get me wrong, Florida is shit too, but it only recently turned to shit - pre-DeSantis it actually was worth visiting, and living in if you were near the beach (nothing like swimming in the east Atlantic down there).
But Texas has been working on being a shit state since before they joined the union - IMHO Florida has at least a couple of decades to go before it gets as absolutely idiotic as Texas.
that’s true. My family has lived here for 6 generations and from what I’ve been told it’s gotten a LOT worse.
We have a megachurch here too. Lost my mom to that cult, though shes always been a shitty person tbh 😪
For some reason there’s a tiny dominos right next to it which I got pizza from and it was pretty awkward lol
it also have alot of rare mycoheterotrophic plants that live in those areas you mentioned. if you ever see one its quite a treat, because they are so unusual. they are usually associated with conifer forests.
It really depends who you are and what you like and what your values are and what your income is.
That said, as a progressive software engineer who grew up in CA and now lives in Boston: Massachusetts for sure has its issues, and the cost of living in the city proper is ludicrous, but it’s probably the most European-ish city in the US. Many jokingly call it the People’s Republic of Massachusetts, but it’s one of the better states in terms of social safety nets and all that sort of stuff, and is generally pretty fun. Decent amount of shows, and the restaurant scene is honestly quite delicious and varied, once you get hooked into the scene a bit and learn a bit about which neighborhoods are good for what. And -gasp - a (usually) functioning mass transit system that has heavy and light rail as a major component, along with pretty good commuter rail that you can take all the way to the state border north or south (idk about west - western mass is considered to be a fictional location by many Bostonians). Basically, better mass transit than pretty much anywhere in the states I’ve ever been besides NYC, and maybe Chicago.
Colorado is also pretty sweet, though it’s becoming more expensive these days. Probably the only truly inland state I’d ever seriously consider moving to. Unbelievably good skiing and hiking and other mountain-y stuff to do.
You could not pay me enough money to live in Oklahoma.
And as close second for “nope”, the gulf coast is pretty goddamn awful imo, even putting aside the politics (which are predominantly pretty heinous) and racism (because we never really fully put down the confederacy) - largely economically depressed, horridly humid, no real winter (I like the cold), tons of petrochemical industry.
pretty good commuter rail that you can take all the way to the state border north or south (idk about west - western mass is considered to be a fictional location by many Bostonians)
We really ought to have regular commuter rail to Springfield, but in the meantime ….
- Fitchburg line goes pretty far west
- Amtrak long distance takes one east-west train a day, and like one or two north-south train past springfield
- Pioneer Valley Transportation (PVTA) has a pretty good bus system, fare free to all!
my guess is either Florida or Texas
You’d think so, but I’d think Alabama would be significantly worse.
Does the moon become a state when it gets renamed “Moon of America”?
Texas. It’s the best and the worst.
The best of the worst, maybe.
Subjective, but this is what it looks like for me.
I’ve lived in Maryland, liked it for education, work, proximity to DC, NY, fairly friendly people, lots to do between DC and Baltimore. Didn’t like it for weather (not a fan of snow), Baltimore has some parts that are sketchy, though not personally affected, I hated the idea that someone could, and I had my car broken into once.
Texas. Enjoyed the weather tremendously, really enjoyed the food, in urban settings people were pretty friendly, enjoyed driving down to Galveston, Jamaica Beach, Surfside beach, Kemah, Seabrook, you get the idea, I like beaches. Didn’t like it for education, dang, raw deal for kids in Texas, politics and religion in some settings, and perpetual road construction. Also, among the people I was hanging out with, there was a drinking culture I did not appreciate. Not that I’m judging, but people really drink in Texas and DUIs did not seem such a big deal. So in my mind, my generalization is drunks.
Future (currently aligning) looks like California, likely around LA or San Diego if I get this put together. Why? The beach of course, weather, education, farming and opportunities in certain fields I work in. My concern, cost (there is a certain X ratio against my current I am willing to tolerate), materialistic culture, and crime. That being said, it could also mean a split between California and New York if things go as I hope. NY would be a mostly professional, and occasional cultural thing. I weirdly enjoy big cities in the summer.
Future future, assuming I hit certain financial goals, Hawaii, more specifically Maui or Big Island. Again, beach, weather, by then education will not be a concerning factor, and farming.
Illinois is pretty bad. Super high property taxes, expensive gas, high ish sales tax most everywhere, and not much to do outside of Chicago.
Outside the city everything needs a car. Sure suburbs have trains and buses, but car is so much easier.
I’d rather live in Illinois over many other states, especially ones with worse climate like Mississippi or Texas. Chicago alone puts it in the top 5 at least for me
