Special Report
The Best and Worst Thing About Each State
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Californians are likely proud of Hollywood, but probably not that proud of the air pollution problems some of their cities face. Idahoans no doubt are proud of their potato production, but also unhappy of their state’s history of hate groups. Residents of every state have at least one aspect of their home they can be proud of, but also at least one they would rather forget.
Not all states are created equal. Some are home to major metropolises rich with culture and commerce. Others are blessed with natural resources, beautiful natural monuments, parks, and waterways. Some states have healthy populations; in others, important historical events unfolded; while highly positive social or economic factors are the main attraction of others.
Click here to see the best and worst thing about each state.
Click here to see our methodology.
The other side of this coin is that some states are devoid of resources or culture; in some states the populations are struggling due to poor economic conditions or pollution; or the histories of some states include events residents would prefer be left out of the history books.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed many data sets and state facts to identify the best and worst feature of every state.
Alabama
Source: Rob Hainer / Shutterstock.com
Best: the best in college football
The University of Alabama has won 16 national football championships and is No. 1 again this year.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: nobody walks anywhere
Just 1.2% of commuters in Alabama walk to work, the lowest share in the country. For many with desk jobs, walking is the only form of exercise. And almost all Alabamians miss out.
Alaska
Source: Parker Everett / Shutterstock.com
Best: resource-rich
Alaska has four of the country’s 10 biggest national parks, which together are about the size of South Carolina. Alaska is also rich in natural resources such as oil, natural gas, and forestry products.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: looking for work
The nation’s biggest state by land mass has the country’s highest unemployment rate at 7.2%.
Arizona
Source: Thinkstock
Best: grand attraction
Arizona’s Grand Canyon is one of the greatest natural wonders in the world and gets 5 million visitors a year.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: hot enough for ya?
Phoenix and Tucson are the nation’s hottest cities, with normal mid-summer temperatures 100 degrees and above.
Arkansas
Source: Thinkstock
Best: the Ozarks
The Ozark Mountains in Arkansas are a wonderland of lakes, rivers, and caves.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: not feeling well
Arkansas residents report the most days of poor mental health per month of any state.
California
Source: Philip Pilosian / Shutterstock.com
Best: hooray for Hollywood
They’re not necessarily the best people, but they are the most famous. California’s legendary Hollywood is home to many of the nation’s – if not the world’s – film superstars.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: into thin air
Six of the 10 worst cities for air pollution in the United States are in California, according to the American Lung Association.
Colorado
Source: Thinkstock
Best: the fittest state
Rocky Mountain State residents are more likely to live active lives than nearly any other state. Colorado has the lowest obesity rate in the country, at just 22% of adults.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: a drug problem
The state has a substance abuse problem, and not just because weed is legal. The state ranks in the top three for alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana use.
Connecticut
Source: Senior Airman Caitlin O’Neil-McKeown / U.S. Air Force photo
Best: college basketball legends
The women’s and men’s basketball teams at the University of Connecticut have won 15 national championships between them.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: stark economic inequality
Bridgeport, Connecticut is among the nation’s poorest cities. Neighboring Fairfield is among the richest.
Delaware
Source: Thinkstock
Best: good for business
As a tax haven for businesses, more companies are incorporated in Delaware than in any other state. More than 60% of Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the small state.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: blink and you’ll miss it.
With no big cities of its own, the small state is overshadowed by the bigger metropolises of Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Florida
Source: Thinkstock
Best: the great outdoors
Florida’s Everglades National Park is a wonderland of flora and fauna, including some exotic animals like the Burmese python.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: ill winds
Florida has been hit by more hurricanes than any other state. Hurricane Irma devastated the Florida Keys early last month.
Georgia
Source: lazyllama / Shutterstock.com
Best: where a dream was born
Georgia is the birthplace of the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: bumper to bumper
Traffic is awful around Atlanta. According to the American Transport Research Institute, the 14th worst, ninth worst, and worst stretches of highway are all located in the Atlanta area.
Hawaii
Source: Thinkstock
Best: striving for equality
Black racial inequality is the least severe in Hawaii. Income and poverty gaps — of black compared to white Hawaiians — are respectively the second smallest and smallest.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: tossing and turning
About 44% of Hawaiians get insufficient sleep, according to the CDC, the largest share of any state.
Idaho
Source: Thinkstock
Best: one potato, two potato
Idaho’s soil is ideal for growing potatoes, and the state famously produces more of the crop than any other state.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: hardened hearts
There are 7.1 hate groups for every 1 million people in Idaho, nearly the greatest concentration of any state. Aryan Nations was founded in the state in the 1970s.
Illinois
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Source: Thinkstock
Best: elite education
Illinois is home to many of the country’s top ranking public schools.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: a tale of owe
Illinois is in the throes of a debt crisis so severe that the state has trouble paying off lottery winners.
Indiana
Source: Sean Benham / Wikimedia Commons
Best: hoops heaven
If you are into high school basketball, Indiana is the place to be. The state’s ball players are well represented in the NBA, and Indiana high schools are routinely ranked among the best in the country for the sport.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: not welcome
In 2015, then-Governor Mike Pence signed what some consider anti-gay legislation that sparked demands for boycotting the state.
Iowa
Source: DonkeyHotey / Flickr
Best: first to pick
Iowa has political clout that is far beyond its size. The Iowa caucuses, a somewhat byzantine process to select a candidate for both political parties, start the presidential primary season.
Source: DonkeyHotey / Flickr
Worst: good for Iowa, bad for everyone else?
While being the first state to participate in the primaries might give state residents more power, it certainly leaves residents of other states with a bad taste in their mouths.
Kansas
Source: Thinkstock
Best: easy riding
Only 2.2% of roads in Kansas are in poor condition, the lowest percentage of any state.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: a view of the horizon, and not much else
Kansas is flat and geographically homogeneous. Driving through the state can put many to sleep.
Kentucky
Source: Thinkstock
Best: riders up
Home to the Kentucky Derby, the state is famous for breeding and raising horses.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: up in smoke
In Kentucky, over 1 in 4 adults smokes cigarettes, one of the highest smoking rates in the country.
Louisiana
Source: Thinkstock
Best: unique patois
New Orleans is home to Cajun food and jazz.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: it’s a man’s world
In Louisiana, median earnings for women is over $15,000 lower than that of men. This is the worst gender earnings gap of any state.
Maine
Source: Thinkstock
Best: a nice drive
Maine has some of the most spectacular coastlines in the nation.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: a lack of diversity
With over 94% of its population white, Maine is the most racially homogeneous of U.S. states.
Maryland
Source: Thinkstock
Source: Thinkstock
Best: age of affluence
Benefiting from its geographic proximity to Washington, D.C., Maryland households earn the highest median income in the nation.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: bills to pay
Maryland has the highest debt-to-income ratio in the nation.
Massachusetts
Source: Thinkstock
Best: few trigger fingers
Massachusetts has the fewest firearm deaths per capita of any state.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: no kids allowed
Massachusetts has the lowest annual birthrate in the country.
Michigan
Source: Thinkstock
Best: Great Lakes effect
Michigan may not border an ocean, but it does border four of the five Great Lakes.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: Detroit’s downward spiral
As Detroit’s auto industry suffered numerous setbacks, the city has experienced decades-long economic decline and population loss.
Minnesota
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Source: Thinkstock
Best: healthiest state
Minnesota ranks very well in a number of a health measures. Notably, no state has a lower incidence of premature death.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: baby, it’s cold outside
With the lowest annual average temperature in the continental U.S., Minnesota’s soul-crushing winters make the state uninhabitable to many.
Mississippi
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Best: a right to sing the blues
The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of blues music.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: room for improvement
Mississippi regularly ranks at or near the bottom in measures of poverty, health, and education.
Missouri
Source: Thinkstock
Best: a real meat market
When it comes to smoked meats, Missouri is a beloved barbecue destination. Both St. Louis and Kansas City have their own world-renowned styles.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: water, water everywhere
Flooding is a part of life in Missouri. This past spring, the most extreme flooding in more than 100 years inundated the region.
Montana
Source: Thinkstock
Best: back to school
In Montana, 93.2% of adults have at least a high school education, the highest share in the country.
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Source: Jaix Chaix / Wikimedia Commons
Worst: unsafe at any speed
Montana has among the highest driving fatality rate in the country, likely in part due to long drives on dangerous, remote country roads.
Nebraska
Source: Thinkstock
Best: a singular gathering
The Nebraska Legislature is officially nonpartisan, unique among U.S. states.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Worst: no beachfront property
Nebraska is completely landlocked. In fact, the states that border Nebraska (and the states that border those!) are landlocked as well when only considering oceans.
Nevada
Source: Thinkstock
Best: coming clean
Nevada has only one EPA-designated Superfund site in need of cleanup from hazardous waste. The vast majority of states have 10 or more.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: deadly heat
More people die from excessive heat in Nevada than in any other state.
New Hampshire
Source: Thinkstock
Best: live free or…
There is just 1 murder per 100,000 residents in New Hampshire, one-quarter of the national murder rate and the lowest of any U.S. state.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: property tax hit
New Hampshire has the second highest property taxes in the nation.
New Jersey
Source: Thinkstock
Best: it’s my life
New Jersey has the lowest suicide rate in the country.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: toxic reputation
New Jersey is known for its toxic-waste dumps and their horrible smell. It has the most EPA hazardous waste Superfund sites in the country.
New Mexico
Source: Thinkstock
Best: fending off cancer
New Mexico has among the lowest incidence and death rates of many forms of cancer.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: a history of violence
New Mexico has some of the worst violent and property crimes rates in the country.
New York
Source: Thinkstock
Best: welcome to immigrants
Historically the port of choice for many immigrants, New York remains welcoming to immigrants. The state issues the most green cards per capita of any state.
Source: shu2260 / Shutterstock.com
Worst: A Tale of Two Cities
New York has the worst income inequality in the country. This is largely due to income differences in New York City, home to some of the most affluent and impoverished neighborhoods in the country.
North Carolina
Source: RickSause / Thinkstock
Best: surf’s up
The Outer Banks, which are barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, are a major tourist attraction with their beaches, state parks, and shipwreck diving sites.
Source: tomap49 / Thinkstock
Worst: a call for action
The state’s transgender bathroom bill caused divisiveness and led to boycotts by performers and sports associations.
North Dakota
Source: Thinkstock
Best: boomtowns
North Dakota has the fastest growing economy of any state in the nation, based on five year GDP growth.
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Source: Pair Srinrat / Shutterstock.com
Worst: unsafe behind the wheel
North Dakota leads the nation in the share of traffic deaths that involve drunk driving, at 47.3%.
Ohio
Source: Derek Jensen / Wikimedia Commons
Best: Cleveland rocks
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Worst: severe drug problem
Daily spending per person on drugs in Ohio is the second highest.
Oklahoma
Source: Thinkstock
Best: getting their kicks on Route 66
Oklahoma has the largest stretch of the famed Route 66 than any other state.
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Source: Skyward Kick Productions / Shutterstock.com
Worst: in the state penitentiary
Nationwide, black Americans are incarcerated at disproportionate rates. Nowhere is this social crisis more pronounced than in Oklahoma, where the black incarceration rate is 4.5 times the white incarceration rate.
Oregon
Source: kravik93 / Shutterstock.com
Best: swimmable lakes and rivers
Oregon is well known for its beautiful forests and swimmable lakes and rivers. Perhaps swimming is a popular exercise among residents as they are the most physically active of any state.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: homelessness a serious problem
Rising rents, among other factors, have led to a troubling homelessness problem in Oregon. According to federally mandated estimates, Oregon routinely has among the largest homeless population. And like in only a few states, most are unsheltered.
Pennsylvania
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Igor Dutina / Shutterstock.com
Best: who’s counting calories?
The state’s cheesesteak sandwiches are to die for.
Source: Keith Allison / Flickr
Worst: tough on visitors
Philadelphia sports fans have a terrible reputation — they once booed Santa Claus.
Rhode Island
Source: travelview / Shutterstock.com
Best: where robber barons played
Newport is home to spectacular mansions of the rich and famous, such as The Breakers, a mansion built for the Vanderbilt family.
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Source: Matt H. Wade / Wikimedia Commons
Worst: speed bumps
Nearly 40% of Rhode Island’s bridges and roads are in disrepair, by far the largest share of any state.
South Carolina
Source: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
Best: southern charm
Charleston, known for its cobblestone streets and antebellum character, is often ranked as one of the best U.S. cities to visit.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: back of the class
Both k-12 and postsecondary education in South Carolina rank as among the worst in quality.
South Dakota
Source: GeorgeRudy / Thinkstock
Best: good night
Many Americans fail to get enough sleep every night. But 72% of South Dakotans spend the recommended time sleeping every night, the highest share in the country.
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Source: kudou / Thinkstock
Worst: snow and ice
South Dakota is no stranger to devastating winters, and has been at the center of some of the worst blizzards in recorded U.S. history.
Tennessee
Source: CrackerClips Stock Media / Shutterstock.com
Best: tuning in
Known as Music City, Nashville is home to one of the most vibrant music scenes of any city. And Elvis Presley himself called Memphis, which also has a strong music community, home.
Source: ARTFULLY PHOTOGRAPHER / Shutterstock.com
Worst: killing in the streets
Music aside, Nashville also unfortunately has one of the highest violent crime rates among major cities.
Texas
Source: Thinkstock
Best: black gold
A global economy unto itself, Texas accounts for about 30% of the nation’s oil refining capacity.
Source: SOPRADIT / Shutterstock.com
Worst: bad policy
Over 13% of Texas residents lack health insurance coverage, the highest share of any state.
Utah
Source: Flotsam / Shutterstock.com
Best: vice-free zone
In Utah, vices such as consumption of alcohol and tobacco are less tolerated. The state has among the lowest rates of alcohol and drug use in the country.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: odd liquor laws
For those who aren’t teetotalers, Utah may not be the best state. Quirky laws make it difficult to imbibe liquor in Utah. For example, it is illegal to have an alcoholic drink while looking at a restaurant menu.
Vermont
Source: Thinkstock
Best: unobstructed view
By law, Vermont does not allow billboards.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: desperate times
Vermont has been among the hardest hit by the national opioid epidemic.
Virginia
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Best: hail to the chiefs
More presidents are from Virginia than any other state.
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Source: Zynatis / Shutterstock.com
Worst: outstanding mortgage debt
Average mortgage debt in Virginia is nearly $250,000, higher than all but a handful of states.
Washington
Source: scyther5 / Thinkstock
Best: digital hub
Washington, home to companies such as Microsoft, has a robust technology industry.
Source: Nastco / Thinkstock
Worst: when it rains…
Seattle has an average of 152 rainy days a year, more than most U.S. cities.
West Virginia
Source: BananaStock / Thinkstock
Best: home sweet home
Property is very inexpensive in West Virginia, likely a major contributing factor to the state’s nation-leading homeownership rate.
Source: moodboard / Thinkstock
Worst: a big problem
West Virginia is worst in the country by a number of health measures, but perhaps none are more serious than the state’s nation-worst 37.7% adult obesity rate.
Wisconsin
Source: Thinkstock
Best: cheese wizards
Wisconsin is known for its cheese. The state just sent 17,000 pounds to Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas.
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Source: Thinkstock
Worst: raise a glass
Wisconsin is home to 10 of the 20 drunkest cities in America.
Wyoming
Source: Thinkstock
Best: anybody home?
If you like wide open spaces, Wyoming is the place for you. Wyoming is the least populated state of the contiguous U.S.
Source: Thinkstock
Worst: a cry for help
Wyoming has had the highest rate of suicide by firearm of any state over the last 15 years.
24/7 Wall St. analyzed public data sets, read local stories, and reviewed state histories to highlight two aspects – one best, one worst – of each state. Economic and social characteristics, including poverty rates, incomes, college and high school attainment rates, commuting habits, health insurance coverage, and more, came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey. Other figures came from sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (obesity rates), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment), the USDA (crop production), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (drug and alcohol use and abuse), and many more.
We reviewed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 1-year American Community Survey, which included data on selected housing, social, and economic indicators. From the Bureau of Economic Analysis, we considered economic growth over a five year period. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics we considered unemployment and underemployment for the most recent month and quarter available. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention we considered various measures of health behaviors and health outcomes, including obesity, smoking, heavy drinking, incidence of cancer, diabetes, and other ailments.
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