Tennessee Ranked As The Worst Quality Of Life State

According to a survey by financial network CNBC, Tennessee has the worst quality of life in the country.

The study weighed factors like crime rates, air quality and healthcare in addition to cost and availability of childcare, inclusiveness of state laws and reproductive rights.

Tennessee earned the bottom ranking for laws critics believe are aimed at Tennessee’s LGBTQ+ community as well as high crime rates, poor access to healthcare and inadequate worker protections, according to the study.

Inclusiveness is one of the areas where the Volunteer State falls short. Tennessee also has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation, according to FBI statistics. And it has the third-highest rate of drug deaths, according to the United Health Foundation.

Overall, Tennessee scored a total of 64 points out of a possible 290. The lone positive strength for the Volunteer State was air quality.

Georgia, Louisiana, Indiana and Texas make up the rest of the bottom five states. Vermont was ranked the best state for quality of life by CNBC for the sixth year in a row.