Texas named second-worst state to live in America, according to CNBC
Texas named second-worst state to live in America, according to CNBC
Natassia Paloma, El Paso TimesMon, July 13, 2026 at 3:59 PM UTC
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Texas is one of the worst places to live in America, according to a new CNBC report.
The Lone Star State landed in the No. 2 spot for the worst states to live in America in 2026 — the top spot went to Tennessee. Reasons behind Texas' ranking include health, crime, inclusiveness, worker protections, and reproductive rights, according to CNBC.
"While Texas continues to lead the nation in attracting workers, those workers are finding a broad array of challenges when they get there," the report states.
The Lone Star State has America’s highest rate of people without health insurance at 16.7%, which is more than twice the national average, reported CNBC, citing the United Health Foundation, adding that more than 17% of Texas adults said they had to forgo a doctor visit that they needed in the past year because of the cost.
Texas also finishes dead last in primary care physicians per capita, according to CNBC. The state ultimately earned an “F” for quality of life, though the report cited childcare and air quality as strengths.
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Tennessee was the state at the top of the ranking because of laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community, including a so-called “bathroom law” and a law that explicitly bars localities from adopting their own antidiscrimination ordinances.
Here is the full list of CNBC's Worst states to live in America in 2026:
Tennessee
Texas
Indiana
Louisiana
Georgia
Utah
Missouri
Alabama
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas is the second-worst state to live in for 2026, according to CNBC
Source: “AOL Breaking”
