AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas tops a list of worst places to live and work, according to a CNBC analysis.
As part of its annual America’s Top States for Business study – in which Texas ranked sixth this year – CNBC staff also conducted an analysis to determine which states are the most and least welcoming to workers and their families.
In determining which states were the “worst” and “best,” CNBC examined quality of life factors such as crime rates, environmental quality, availability of childcare, discrimination in state laws and access to abortion health care.
CNBC said that the states at the top of the best places to live and work are actively trying to attract a big, happy and diverse workforce. According to their analysis, they posit Texas and nine other states are not doing that as much.
Why did Texas make the list?
CNBC calculated a 2023 life, health and inclusion score in order to rank the states. According to its analysis, Texas received only 53 points out of 350 on this measure. In comparison, the state at the top of the list for best places to work and live – Vermont – received 327 points out of 350.
Factors like Texas having the highest number of uninsured residents in the nation, higher violent crime rates, a low number of primary care physicians per capita, a strict abortion ban and laws targeting LGBTQ+ people were what made Texas’ score so low, per CNBC.