Tennessee ranks last in CNBC's 2026 quality-of-life state score

CNBC ranked Tennessee at the bottom of its 2026 quality-of-life scorecard, a category that now carries more weight in its annual America’s Top States for Business study. For investors tracking where companies expand, the ranking points to a basic hiring issue: businesses want locations where workers are willing to live, especially as more employers push staff back into offices.

CNBC said quality of life accounts for 11.6% of a state’s overall score this year, up from about 10% last year. The network’s category uses data on crime, air quality, health care, child care, worker protections, inclusiveness of state laws and reproductive rights.

Larry Gigerich, managing executive director of site-selection firm Ginovus and chairman of the Site Selectors Guild, told CNBC that “quality of place” is the top factor companies can invest in to attract and keep talent.

How the bottom 10 ranked

Tennessee finished last, with 64 out of 290 points and an F grade. CNBC cited state laws affecting LGBTQ+ residents, including a measure requiring transgender people to use facilities tied to their sex at birth, and a law blocking local governments from adopting their own antidiscrimination rules. CNBC also pointed to FBI data showing one of the country’s highest violent crime rates and United Health Foundation data showing the third-highest drug death rate.

Texas placed second from the bottom, scoring 78 points and an F. CNBC said the state has the nation’s highest uninsured rate, at 16.7%, according to the United Health Foundation. More than 17% of Texas adults said they skipped needed medical care in the past year because of cost, and CNBC said Texas ranks last for primary care physicians per capita. Gov. Greg Abbott announced $56 million in federal grants for rural hospitals in May, saying the state would deliver “state-of-the-art treatment for everyone who calls Texas home.”

Indiana scored 82 points and an F, with CNBC flagging child care as the biggest problem. The state has 779 licensed child care facilities for nearly 7 million residents, according to the ranking, and available care costs 15% of median income for a two-working-parent household. Indiana’s child care agency proposed rule changes in June aimed at expanding access, including looser licensing requirements, though critics said quality could suffer.

Louisiana and Georgia each scored 89 points, both receiving F grades. CNBC cited Louisiana’s fifth-highest violent crime rate, 495 homicides in 2024, the second-highest firearm death rate and strict abortion rules written into the state constitution. In Georgia, CNBC pointed to limited LGBTQ+ protections, no public accommodation law protecting non-disabled people from discrimination, and weak worker protections, especially around organizing rights.

Utah scored 95 points and an F. CNBC said the state ranks No. 47 for primary care providers, has high ozone levels according to the American Lung Association, and offers limited child care availability. Oxfam America found Utah’s $7.25 minimum wage covers 16.5% of the cost of living for a family of four.

Missouri scored 98 points and a D-minus. FBI data showed 462 violent offenses per 100,000 residents in 2024, and CNBC said the state ranked in the top 10 for firearm deaths last year. Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a crime bill in June with tougher sentencing rules, broader authority to charge juveniles as adults and new offenses tied to cyberstalking and drones.

Alabama scored 99 points and a D-minus. CNBC said it ranks last for mental health providers per capita while nearly one-quarter of residents report having been diagnosed with a depressive disorder. Oxfam America said Alabama has only two of 16 worker protections it tracks.

Oklahoma and Arkansas each scored 103 points and D-minus grades. CNBC cited Oklahoma’s strict abortion ban and Oxfam’s finding that its $7.25 minimum wage covers about 19% of a family-of-four cost of living. Arkansas ranked last for food insecurity, with nearly 19% of households lacking enough resources for adequate food, according to the United Health Foundation, and also scored poorly on crime and inclusiveness.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.