Ah Texas:
[cnbc.com]

1. Texas

Yes, we know. People are moving to the Lone Star State in droves. Some 220,000 educated workers moved there in 2022 alone, according to the Census Bureau. So how could we possibly score Texas at the bottom for Quality of Life? The fact is that people move to a state for any number of reasons. The ones arriving in Texas are encountering some serious livability issues, based on the data.

Take something as basic as health care. Texas ranks near the bottom in primary care providers per 100,000 residents at 182, according to the United Health Foundation. According to The Commonwealth Fund, Texas leads the nation — by far — in residents without health insurance, and a staggering 19% of all people with a credit score in Texas have medical debt that has gone to collections.

Those new Texans are also finding few protections in the law. Texas is another state with no public accommodation law barring discrimination against non-disabled people; it has passed a barrage of laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community; and its abortion ban is the strictest in the nation. Also, if any of those new Texas residents lose their jobs, state unemployment benefits cover less than 10% of the average cost of living, according to Oxfam America.

Might Texas’ restrictive policies trigger a backlash? There are some anecdotal accounts of people leaving the state over its abortion ban and its anti-LGBTQ+ laws. But for now, statistically speaking, people keep pouring into the state with America’s worst quality of life.

2024 Quality of Life Score: 75 out of 325 points (Top States Grade: F)

Strength: Air Quality

Weaknesses: Reproductive Rights, Health Care, Voting Rights, Inclusiveness, Worker Protections

hat tip to @Lizard_of_Ahaz
"The 10 states with the lowest quality of life."