Study: Texas ranks as the state with nation's lowest quality of life

During a stop in San Antonio to tout his school-voucher plan, Gov. Greg Abbott told the crowd that "in Texas, if you seek to be anything other than No. 1, then you are not a Texan."

Someone needs to break it to the Republican governor that under his watch CNBC ranked Texas as having the worst quality of life of any U.S. state. The cable news network conducts the ranking annually in conjunction with its America’s Top States for Business study, during which Texas slipped to No. 6 — its first time not to finish in the top five since 2007.

"There are enormous economic opportunities in Texas, and it is attracting people from far and wide," CNBC wrote its quality-of-life report. "But this state also has some Texas-sized issues when it comes to life, health and inclusion."

CNBC ranked states on their quality of life by assigning scores in 10 categories, including crime rate, environmental quality and healthcare. The study also considered civil rights, including those of the LGBTQ+ community. Despite its rapid economic growth and low cost of living, the proud state of Texas failed to score in the top 25 of any of those metrics.

Oklahoma ranked just above at No. 49, and Louisiana slid in at No. 48. Even Florida, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis — who's made intolerance a tentpole of his presidential run — ranked higher. That state landed at No. 41.

"With the nation's highest percentage of people without health insurance and the second lowest number of primary care physicians per capita, all those new Texans are arriving to find a dismal health care system," the study said. "Texas has the nation's thirteenth-highest violent crime rate, and it ranks thirty-seventh for licensed childcare facilities per capita."

Texas also earned demerits for its abortion ban, its targeted attacks against the LGBTQ+ community and its restrictive voting rules.

On the other hand, Vermont took the top spot as this year's best state to live and work in. Maine and New Jersey taking the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively.

Of the 10 worst states to live in, nine had GOP governors. Of the 10 best states, only one — Vermont — had a Republican in charge.

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