Texas came in first place on a list of the 10 least desirable places to live and work in the United States in 2023. Texas was placed sixth on CNBC’s annual list of the best states for business, but it did poorly in one category: life, health, and inclusion. Crime rates, environmental quality, childcare quality and availability, health care, and the inclusion of state legislation regarding things like reproductive rights, anti-discrimination safeguards, and voting rights are all factors in this category.
Texas scored an F in its Top States grade for 2023 Life, Health & Inclusion, the lowest grade nationally
Texas scored an F in its Top States grade for 2023 Life, Health & Inclusion, the lowest grade nationally, and 53 out of 350 points, earning it the top slot on the list. According to CNBC, Texas’ low score for life, health, and inclusion is due to a lack of inclusiveness, taking into account things like laws aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, voting rights, and the tight abortion prohibition put in place statewide. Worker protections were another area of vulnerability found in the report.
According to CNBC, the state’s present healthcare system, which has the highest rate of uninsured citizens in the country and the second-lowest density of primary care physicians per capita, is another factor on the list. Texas also comes in at number thirteen nationwide for having high violent crime rates.
The rest of the states that landed on the top ten worst states to live and work for 2023 were:
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Louisiana
- South Carolina and Alabama (tie)
- Missouri
- Indiana
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Florida
The job market, quality of life, desirability, value, and net migration were all taken into account in the study
The Austin metropolitan area, which includes Round Rock and Georgetown, was previously awarded the finest place in the nation to launch a career after taking into account criteria including rent pricing affordability, employment prospects, and general quality of life. Although Austin was ranked as the best place to live from 2017 to 2019, the city is now ranked 40th on U.S. News and World Report’s list of the best places to live in 2023 and 2024. The job market, quality of life, desirability, value, and net migration were all taken into account in this study. Austin continues to hold the top spot in the state despite the decline.