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   From: bflatt3xz2@gmail.com   
      
   The Worst State To Live And Work In America Is Texas? Giddyup!   
   107 Comments / By Financial Samurai / 10/20/2025   
      
   CNBC got folks fired up when it came out with its top 10 worst states to   
   live and work in. Texas, a state with a population of almost 30 million,   
   came in as the worst state.   
      
   I've been to Austin and Houston a dozen times for work. They are fine   
   cities with some mighty fine steaks. There is no state income tax too,   
   which is sweet! But I really didn't get to see much of each city given I   
   was meeting clients at their offices or taking them out for dinners.   
      
   For those of you who live in Texas or have lived in Texas, is Texas really   
   that bad? I know the humidity is oppressive and property taxes are some of   
   the highest in the nation. Could all those people migrating to Texas during   
   the pandemic for a lower-cost lifestyle really be regretting their   
   decisions today?   
      
   On social media, Texans usually like to bash Californians for its weather,   
   politics, taxes, cost of living, and lifestyle. But here we have an   
   independent third party bashing Texas! So what gives?   
      
   For the record, I've never bashed any city or state before. I've just   
   shared my thoughts about living on the East Coast and West Coast based on   
   my experiences. And my preference is toward west coast living after   
   spending more than 10 years on each side.   
   Top 10 Worst States To Live And Work   
      
   Here are the top 10 worst states to live and work for according to CNBC:   
      
       Texas   
       Oklahoma   
       Louisiana   
       South Carolina and Alabama (tie)   
       —   
       Missouri   
       Indiana   
       Tennessee   
       Arkansas   
       Florida   
      
   Which state do you think is the worst to live and work? Let's see what some   
   of the common traits are.   
   Commonalities Of The 10 Worst States To Live And Work   
      
   Here are three commonalities amongst the 10 states that stood out   
   immediately.   
   1) The hottest temperature states   
      
   For six months a year, it's damn hot in states such as Texas, Oklahoma,   
   Louisiana, and Arkansas. However, Arizona, a state that averaged over 100   
   degrees F for 30 days this summer, is conspicuously missing. So is New   
   Mexico. Therefore, extreme heat is not the only variable for a state to be   
   considered one of the worst.   
      
   Personally, I would prefer to live in a state that doesn't get above 85   
   degrees and doesn't have a lot of humidity. My ideal temperature range is   
   between a low of 65 to a high of 81 degrees. The only cities I can think of   
   with such nice temperature are San Diego, Honolulu, and sometimes San   
   Francisco. None of these cities are in the worst states to live and work.   
   2) Worst states are all Republican (red) states   
      
   Below are the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election by state. Blue   
   voted majority Democrat, Red voted majority Republican. What are the   
   chances that all 10 of the worst states in America are majority Republican   
   states? This seems implausible since the country is split roughly 50/50.   
   3) Poorer states measured by average household income   
      
   The final commonality I notice about the worst states to live and work is   
   lower household income. According to World Population Review, below are the   
   11 states with the lowest mean (average) household income.   
      
       Mississippi – $65,156   
       West Virginia – $65,332   
       Arkansas – $69,357   
       New Mexico – $70,241 (not in the top 10 worst states)   
       Alabama – $71,964   
       Kentucky – $72,318 (not in the top 10 worst states)   
       Louisiana – $73,759   
       Oklahoma – $74,195   
       South Carolina – $76,390   
       Montana – $76,834 ( (not in the top 10 worst states)   
       Tennessee – $76,900   
      
   Here's where the other states on the top 10 worst states to live and work   
   are ranked by mean household income.   
      
   15) Missouri – $78,200   
      
   24) Florida – $83,000   
      
   33) Texas – $89,500   
      
   Given Texas is at #33, its mean household income is pretty good. In fact,   
   it ranks in the top half of all states. So perhaps money isn't the biggest   
   variable to be ranked the worst state either.   
      
   What's also interesting is that Dallas and Houston residents have high   
   expectations for how high of a net worth is needed to feel wealthy. Perhaps   
   the worse the lifestyle, the more money is required to feel happy.   
   Criteria Used For Ranking The Worst States   
      
   I think most of us will agree that experiencing 90+-degree heat for months   
   on end is suboptimal. In addition, the majority of us would probably prefer   
   to earn a higher household income. After all, according to one survey,   
   those who make over $500,000 experienced ultimate happiness!   
      
   But it's also safe to say the vast majority of people who live in Texas,   
   Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee,   
   Arkansas, and Florida disagree vehemently that they live in the worst   
   states!   
      
   Hence, it's worth understanding the criteria that went into CNBC's   
   analysis, as well as its potential bias.   
   This is what CNBC has to say about its ranking methodology.   
      
       We consider multiple quality of life factors, including crime rates,   
   environmental quality, and health care. We also look at the quality and   
   availability of childcare, which is one of the most important factors in   
   getting parents back into the workforce.   
      
       Casting the widest possible net for workers means not turning anyone   
   away. So we consider inclusiveness in state laws by measuring protections   
   against discrimination, as well as voting rights. And with surveys showing   
   a substantial percentage of women considering abortion restrictions when   
   making a choice of where to live in the wake of the Supreme Court   
   overturning Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights are part of this year’s   
   equation as well.   
      
       Some states are putting out the welcome mat to attract the biggest,   
   happiest, and most diverse workforce — America’s Best States to Live and   
   Work In. These are not those states. By the numbers, these are America’s   
   worst states to live and work in for 2023.   
      
   Finally, CNBC's global headquarters is in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. It   
   also has a big office at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Building 620 New York, New   
   York 10112. Both New York and New Jersey are Blue states. As a result, it's   
   hard to see CNBC ever insulting these two states.   
   We Can't Live In Every State, So It's Hard To Be Totally Objective   
      
   Best and worst states rankings are always interesting because they make us   
   question our very livelihoods. Given Americans are free to live in any   
   state they want, we might get offended when our state is ranked poorly.   
      
   Perception matters in terms of attracting work talent, funding, property   
   values, and demographics. Heck, I’m kind of offended that Texas is ranked   
   last because I have a number of private real estate investments in the   
   state!   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)