Texas falls to 36th place in new ranking of most livable states in 2024

Texas is not ranked among the most livable states in the country, according to a new quality of life study by WalletHub. The Lone Star State ranked 36th out of all 50 states.

WalletHub rated each state on 51 metrics across five main categories: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Factors considered include a state’s housing affordability, the percentage of the population living in poverty, wealth disparities, the quality of the public school system, road quality, and others.

Texas’ less than stellar ranking has now branded the state the 15th most livable state in the US. For comparison, Massachusetts ranks first among the most livable states, followed by Florida (2nd), New Jersey (3rd), Utah (4th) and New Hampshire (5th).

In a confusing ranking of states with the best economies, Texas came in at number 36, even though WalletHub’s earlier report for 2024 ranked Texas as having the fourth-best economy in the country.

Here’s how the study broke down Texas’ rankings in the remaining four key dimensions:

• No. 8 – Quality of life ranking
• No. 34 – Safety Rank
• No. 34 – Affordability Rank
• 38th place – Education and health ranking

The study’s findings show that Texas has the fifth lowest homeownership rate in the nation, ranking 46th out of all 50 states. Texas ranks 49th in each state’s population ages 25 and older who have at least a high school diploma. The state also ranks last in the percentage of its population insured (50th). The average workweek for Texas workers is also the second longest, putting the state 48th nationally (tied with Wyoming) in average weekly work hours.

The only ranking where Texas (surprisingly) stood out was in restaurants. Texas tied with California, New York, and Florida for the number one spot in most restaurants per capita.

Other studies by WalletHub have reinforced the notion that Texas isn’t necessarily the best state to put down roots in. Most recently, the state landed in a mediocre ranking of 29th best public schools in the U.S. and ranked 28th in WalletHub’s annual report on the “Best and Worst States for Military Retirees.”

Additionally, Texas ranked 28th in a new report on the best states for the arts from SmileHub, a nonprofit technology company founded by the same CEO as WalletHub.

“When deciding where to move, you should first consider financial factors such as cost of living, housing prices and job opportunities,” says Cassandra Happe, an analyst at WalletHub. “However, many states have strong economies, so you should also consider a variety of other factors, such as how where you live will affect your health and safety and whether you have ample access to activities you enjoy. If you have children, a robust education system is also critical.”

At the other end of the study, Louisiana landed at the bottom of the national rankings as the most livable state for 2024. New Mexico (49th), Arkansas (48th), Alaska (47th) and Nevada (46th) round out the five worst states.

Read the full report at wallethub.com.

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.