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The U.S. and Texas state flags fly outside the state Capitol building on July 12, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (Sergio Flores\/Getty Images\/TNS)<\/p>\n
Sergio Flores<\/p>\n
TNS<\/p>\n
A strong economy doesn\u2019t always translate into a high quality of life.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s one takeaway from CNBC\u2019s latest ranking<\/a>, which named Texas the second-worst state to live in for 2026.<\/p>\n While the state continues to attract new residents and businesses, CNBC found challenges in several areas<\/a> many people consider when deciding where to live.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n What factors did CNBC use to rank the states?<\/p>\n CNBC compared all 50 states using 61 measures<\/a> tied to people\u2019s quality of life.<\/p>\n The network looked at things like healthcare, crime, childcare, air quality, worker protections, reproductive rights and inclusiveness, then scored each state based on how it performed in those areas.<\/p>\n CNBC said quality of life accounted for 290 possible points, making it one of the most heavily weighted categories in the rankings.<\/p>\n The rankings were based on data from government agencies, nonprofit organizations and research groups.<\/p>\n Why did Texas rank as the second-worst state to live in for 2026?<\/p>\n Texas\u2019 low score in CNBC\u2019s quality of life category pushed it towards the bottom of the list.<\/p>\n Healthcare, crime, worker protections, inclusiveness and reproductive rights were among the state\u2019s weakest areas.<\/p>\n CNBC gave the state an F grade,<\/a> awarding it 78 out of a possible 290 points. The network said childcare availability and air quality were Texas\u2019s only strengths.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile Texas continues to lead the nation in attracting workers, those workers are finding a broad array of challenges when they get there,\u201d CNBC wrote.<\/p>\n CNBC also cited data showing Texas has the nation\u2019s highest uninsured rate at 16.7%, and more than 17% of adults said they skipped needed medical care in the past year because they couldn\u2019t afford it.<\/p>\n \u201cEven those who do have health insurance can have trouble finding a doctor,\u201d CNBC added. \u201cThe state finishes dead last in primary care physicians per capita.\u201d<\/p>\n How did the other states rank?<\/p>\n Tennessee ranked as the worst state to live in for 2026, followed by Texas, Indiana, Louisiana and Georgia, according to CNBC.<\/p>\n Utah, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma and Arkansas rounded out the rest of the bottom 10.<\/p>\n At the other end of the rankings, Vermont was named the best state to live in, followed by Maine, New Jersey, Minnesota and Hawaii.<\/p>\n CNBC\u2019s 10 worst states to live in for 2026TennesseeTexasIndianaLouisianaGeorgiaUtahMissouriAlabamaOklahomaArkansas
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