Top 10 U.S. States with the Worst Standard of Living
10 Georgia
Georgians have among of the lowest living standards in the world, since the nation does very badly on the OECD’s job measure, with only 9% of working-age individuals employed in 2013, the lowest in the country. This might be due to the country’s low educational attainment rate, with fewer than 85% of its workers having completed high school last year. A whopping 19% of the population lives in poverty.
9 New Mexico
Many parts of the state are dry, and so, while being larger than many European nations, it cannot support more than 2 million people, adding to the state’s inadequate infrastructure. It is ranked second from the bottom, with only 54 percent of households having access to the internet. The poverty rate is 21%, second only to Mississippi, while the typical New Mexican’s disposable income is $25,000.
8 Louisiana
The average life expectancy of Louisiana is less than 76 years, making it the fourth lowest in the country. It has a number of hazardous localities, 11 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, and is in the worst 10% of all OECD areas. The state’s economy has been susceptible to energy price changes due to its highly productive natural gas sector. It has the third-highest poverty rate in the country, with 20% of the people living in poverty, trailing just two other states. It has the greatest homicide rate, as well as the third lowest employment rate and the 24th lowest per capita family disposable income, but it also has the 14th highest voter turnout.
7 South Carolina
South Carolina inhabitants have a per capita disposable income of about $25,000, which is among the lowest in the US. In reality, this salary is far lower than that of the ordinary American. It has a greater than 9% unemployment rate, indicating how tough it is to get work here in compared to other regions of the country. It has one of the lowest poverty rates in the country, with 18.6% of its inhabitants living in poverty. Its voter participation is the 18th highest in the country.
6 Oklahoma
The state has one of the lowest rates of high-speed broadband internet connectivity in the country, with less than 60% of homes having access. Residents here, unlike in many other states with terrible living conditions, are not involved in politics. In 2013, just around 53% of eligible individuals cast ballots. In terms of civic participation, the state is in the bottom 16 percent of OECD areas. It has the third-lowest voter turnout and, predictably, the 14th-highest murder rate.
5 Tennessee
As of 2013, just around 85% of Tennessee’s human resource had completed high school. The state has made considerable investments in education. Officials in the state have officially approved a plan to make community colleges tuition-free, making it the first and only state in the United States to do so. However, political involvement is minimal here, and it, like other similar areas, has limited access to amenities such as internet, which is only available to around 60% of the population.
4 West Virginia
West Virginia has an unusually high mortality rate, with 10.5 fatalities per 1,000 inhabitants, which is greater than all but two states. Nearly one-fifth of the population lives in poverty. Less than 48% of voters cast votes, indicating a lack of political involvement. One of the few bright spots in this state is that there are only 3.9 murders per 100,000 people. However, due of the lowest voter participation and employment, as well as the eighth lowest household disposable income per capita, it ranks in the poorest 20% of OECD areas.
3 Arkansas
It is among the poorest in the United States, with a per capita income of less than $25,000 and financial situations that are far worse than those of other Americans. One out of every five of its people is poor, making it the fourth most impoverished city in the country. It had one of the lowest voter participation rates in the country in 2013, at 53.3 percent, but that may change now that the state’s long-serving Democratic governor is ready to leave down.
2 Alabama
It is ranked third lowest in terms of broadband internet availability, with only 56 percent of the population having access. Access to services is nearly non-existent in this state, as it is in many others with low levels of political involvement among citizens. Last year, only 62 percent of Alabama voters cast ballots, which is still an improvement. The state is beset by poverty, with over 19 percent of the population living in poverty. It has the fifth lowest employment rate, the tenth lowest per capita family disposable income, the 22nd lowest voter turnout, and the eighth highest murder rate in the country.
1 Mississippi
Mississippi has the lowest level of life in the United States. The sole bright spot in the state is the high level of political participation, with three-quarters of the people participating in the general election. As of 2013, less than 82 percent of the workforce had completed high school, which was the second lowest in the country, and about 9.5 percent of the population was jobless. The poverty rate is 24 percent, which is the highest in the country. It has a murder rate of 7.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.