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The Texas Nationalist Movement has ramped up efforts to get the question of Texas independence on the general election ballot.
Supporters of Texas’ independence movement might want to rethink their plans after a new research report ranked the Lone Star State among the 10 least self-sufficient U.S. states.
Indeed, the study published by online personal finance blog WalletHub placed Texas at No. 41 in its ability to go it alone.
WalletHub determined how independent all 50 states are by ranking them in six categories, including residents’ individual financial independence and their reliance on government assistance, not to mention each state’s job market strength and dependence on foreign trade. WalletHub also took into account what percentage of each state’s population is dependent on drugs and alcohol.
Texan ranked in the top 25 when it comes to the number of its residents dependent on federally funded government assistance such as food stamps. It also was among the 10 states most reliant on international trade as a part of its gross domestic product.
Despite lawmakers such as Gov. Greg Abbott repeatedly touting Texas’ rapid job growth, WalletHub ranked the Lone Star State ranked in the bottom half when it comes to the strength of its economy. The relatively poor showing came down to residents’ low credit scores and lack of savings.
On the other end of the spectrum, Utah ranked as the most self-sufficient state, followed by Colorado and Florida in respective order.
Meanwhile, Louisiana, Kentucky and Mississippi respectively ranked as the nation’s least independent states.
Texas’ lackluster ranking in WalletHub’s study comes as the Texas Nationalist Movement has ramped up efforts to get a referendum on Texas independence on the general election ballot.
Although the Texas GOP’s newly adopted party platform includes an outline for the state’s possible secession, WalletHub’s number crunching suggests a standalone Texas may not be the utopia its advocates claim.
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