CNBC got folks fired up when it came out with its top 10 worst states to live and work in. Texas, a state with a population of almost 30 million, came in as the worst state.
I've been to Austin and Houston a dozen times for work. They are fine cities with some mighty fine steaks. There is no state income tax too, which is sweet! But I really didn't get to see much of each city given I was meeting clients at their offices or taking them out for dinners.
For those of you who live in Texas or have lived in Texas, is Texas really that bad? I know the humidity is oppressive and property taxes are some of the highest in the nation. Could all those people migrating to Texas during the pandemic for a lower-cost lifestyle really be regretting their decisions today?
On social media, Texans usually like to bash Californians for its weather, politics, taxes, cost of living, and lifestyle. But here we have an independent third party bashing Texas! So what gives?
For the record, I've never bashed any city or state before. I've just shared my thoughts about living on the East Coast and West Coast based on my experiences. And my preference is toward west coast living after spending more than 10 years on each side.
Top 10 Worst States To Live And Work
Here are the top 10 worst states to live and work for according to CNBC:
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Louisiana
- South Carolina and Alabama (tie)
- —
- Missouri
- Indiana
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Florida
Commonalities Of The 10 Worst States To Live And Work
Here are three commonalities amongst the 10 states that stood out immediately.
1) The hottest temperature states
For six months a year, it's damn hot in states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. However, Arizona, a state that averaged over 100 degrees F for 30 days this summer, is conspicuously missing. So is New Mexico. Therefore, extreme heat is not the only variable for a state to be considered one of the worst.
Personally, I would prefer to live in a state that doesn't get above 85 degrees and doesn't have a lot of humidity. My ideal temperature range is between a low of 65 to a high of 81 degrees.
2) Worst states are all Republican (red) states
Below are the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election by state. Blue voted majority Democrat, Red voted majority Republican. What are the chances that all 10 of the worst states in America are majority Republican states? This seems implausible since the country is split roughly 50/50.
3) Poorer states measured by average household income
The final commonality I notice about the worst states to live and work is lower household income. According to World Population Review, below are the 11 states with the lowest mean (average) household income.
- Mississippi – $65,156
- West Virginia – $65,332
- Arkansas – $69,357
- New Mexico – $70,241 (not in the top 10 worst states)
- Alabama – $71,964
- Kentucky – $72,318 (not in the top 10 worst states)
- Louisiana – $73,759
- Oklahoma – $74,195
- South Carolina – $76,390
- Montana – $76,834 ( (not in the top 10 worst states)
- Tennessee – $76,900
Here's where the other states on the top 10 worst states to live and work are ranked by mean household income.
15) Missouri – $78,200
24) Florida – $83,000
33) Texas – $89,500
Given Texas is at #33, its mean household income is pretty good. In fact, it ranks in the top half of all states. So perhaps money isn't the biggest variable to be ranked the worst state either.
What's also interesting is that Dallas and Houston residents have high expectations for how high of a net worth is needed to feel wealthy. Perhaps the worse the lifestyle, the more money is required to feel happy.
Criteria Used For Ranking The Worst States
I think most of us will agree that experiencing 90+-degree heat for months on end is suboptimal. In addition, the majority of us would probably prefer to earn a higher household income. After all, according to one survey, those who make over $500,000 experienced ultimate happiness!
But it's also safe to say the vast majority of people who live in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida disagree vehemently that they live in the worst states!
Hence, it's worth understanding the criteria that went into CNBC's analysis, as well as its potential bias.
This is what CNBC has to say about its ranking methodology.
We consider multiple quality of life factors, including crime rates, environmental quality, and health care. We also look at the quality and availability of childcare, which is one of the most important factors in getting parents back into the workforce.
Casting the widest possible net for workers means not turning anyone away. So we consider inclusiveness in state laws by measuring protections against discrimination, as well as voting rights. And with surveys showing a substantial percentage of women considering abortion restrictions when making a choice of where to live in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights are part of this year’s equation as well.
Some states are putting out the welcome mat to attract the biggest, happiest, and most diverse workforce — America’s Best States to Live and Work In. These are not those states. By the numbers, these are America’s worst states to live and work in for 2023.
Finally, CNBC's global headquarters is in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. It also has a big office at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Building 620 New York, New York 10112. Both New York and New Jersey are Blue states. As a result, it's hard to see CNBC ever insulting these two states.
We Can't Live In Every State, So It's Hard To Be Totally Objective
Best and worst states rankings are always interesting because they make us question our very livelihoods. Given Americans are free to live in any state they want, we might get offended when our state is ranked poorly.
Perception matters in terms of attracting work talent, funding, property values, and demographics. Heck, I’m kind of offended that Texas is ranked last because I have a number of private real estate investments in the state!
Even if we were able to live in every state in America, our experiences are different because of who we are and at what stage of life we're in at the time.
At least with the worst states to live and work in, the incomes required to afford a typical home are also the lowest.
My Experience Living In Virginia, New York, California
My life in Virginia was ho-hum as a high schooler, but got better as a college student. New York was a blast in my 20s, but I was too tired from working every day to enjoy it fully.
When I finally came to San Francisco, California in 2001, I felt like I had finally found a city to call home. The job opportunities and pay were great and so was the lifestyle. I still remember my first year here snowboarding in three feet of powder in Lake Tahoe on a Saturday and playing tennis with my shirt off in 70 degree weather on a Sunday.
The annual World Happiness Report is also biased. Isn't it interesting how all the editors of the World Happiness Report are from the world's happiest countries? Yet, not one of the smartest countries in the world, as measured by IQ, ranks even in the top 30 countries in the world!
You would think, if people were so smart, they'd be able to get jobs in one of the 30 happier countries in the world to improve their lifestyles. This tells me humans will always be biased for their lived experiences, no matter how many “objective” criteria there are.
If the media organization ranking the worst states was based in Texas, you had better believe Texas would do better!
I'm Still Going With Hawaii As The Best State
As the son of a Hawaiian father, I've been visiting Hawaii since 1977. After living in Virginia, New York, and California for 32 years, I dare say the quality of life is much better in Hawaii. I've also visited about 30 other states.
However, career opportunities are much harder to come by in Hawaii. Similar jobs on the mainland US often pay 40% – 60% less so it's harder to make a lot of money in Hawaii. Meanwhile, the cost of food and shelter is much higher. Therefore, Hawaii may be in the bottom quartile for work opportunities.
For folks ages 45 and above, or who've accumulated a comfortable enough amount of wealth, Hawaii is my favorite state. I will absolutely retire in Hawaii once our kids go off to college. Before then, we plan to spend winters and summers in Hawaii during school break.
Make A Change If You Don't Like Where You Live
The best and worst states to live and work are subjective measurements with no absolute truths. It's kind of like Harvard University measuring Personal scores by race.
I'm sure there are plenty of people in Texas making good money and having great lifestyles. Just as I'm sure there are plenty of people who are struggling to get by in Vermont, CNBC's best-rated state.
If you dislike your state, find a way to move. Apply online for jobs in a new state. If money is tight, hop on a Greyhound bus and visit another state on your next vacation. The more we see of America, the more we can appreciate our great country.
Let's not get distracted by which state is better than another opinions. Instead, let's go out and explore more!
Reader Questions
Do you agree with the worst states in America to live and work? Why or why not? For those of you who live in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, etc, please share some great things about your state! Do you think CNBC is biased against Republican majority states?
Related posts:
The Unhappiest Cities In America Based On A New Wealth Realty Ratio
States With No Estate Tax Or Inheritance Tax
States That Don't Tax Social Security Benefits
Invest In Real Estate More Surgically
Although Texas may be considered the worst state to live and work according to CNBC, it's one of the best states to buy real estate. After mortgage rates rose since 2022, Texas home prices fell. As a result, there are better bargains.
Texas is home to leading companies and is attracting a tremendous amount of migration. No state income taxes and more affordable housing are big draws. Demographic trends to Texas and other Sunbelt states may last for decades due to technology and work-from-home.
To invest in Sunbelt real estate, check out Fundrise. Fundrise offers funds that mainly invest in residential and industrial properties in the Sunbelt, where valuations are lower and yields are higher. The firm manages over $3.5 billion in assets for over 500,000 investors looking to diversify and earn more passive income.
Another great private real estate investing platform is Crowdstreet. Crowdstreet offers accredited investors individual deals run by sponsors that have been pre-vetted for strong track records. Many of their deals are in 18-hour cities where there is potentially greater upside due to higher growth rates. You can build your own select real estate portfolio with CrowdStreet.
I've personally invested $954,000 in private real estate since 2016 to diversify my holdings, take advantage of demographic shifts toward lower-cost areas of the country, and earn more passive income. We're in a multi-decade trend of relocating to the Sunbelt region thanks to technology.
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I am a big fan of the climate of Hawaii but if the fires have taught us anything, it’s that nobody is free from ecological catastrophe. God bless the poor people of Maui.
True. Very sad. The FS newsletter readership participated in a signed Buy This Not That book giveaway fundraiser and raised $43,000+ for the Maui Strong Fund and UW Disaster Relief Fund.
Fight on!
I wouldn’t advise moving to Texas. It’s going downhill, fast.
Texas is a large and diverse place which has within it almost every major climate type. The people are generally considered to be friendly. You can go to a bar in Houston and meet people from the UK, Africa, Saudi, Kazakhstan, even some of the hottest Iranian women imaginable.
But, the political powers have gone full southern baptist. Even for most republicans it’s just kind of like “why do these people keep doubling down and ostracizing so many?”.
Thousands and thousands of illegal aliens walk into the state every single day; with full complicity from the federal government. The RGV is turning red. I don’t understand what democrats think they’re doing. These people don’t vote for pretending boys are girls. Not even a little bit. They are family driven catholics with conservative values.
Californians are overwhelming the real estate market. Most of them move for the right reason; which is to say that they wanted their kids to be able to attend school and do so without a mask.
School districts in major cities are turning into ultra-progressive dumpster fires.
Texas will likely come out economically strong with high earners and corporate relocations, a population boom, once the kinks work out. But, it’s becoming more unpredictable all the time. Land prices have tripled in three years. I don’t understand why NYC thinks their problem is large when the illegal population they’ve received is only equal to one month, on a light month, to what border states deal with all the every month.
And to ignore the crime that comes with cartels infiltrating your borders is totally crazy. Violence on par with ISIS is regular within miles on both sides of the southern border. Life long ranchers constantly find dead bodies now. Something which was rare in the past.
Actually, it was only one article that was the source I cited for all of the information in the post above regarding the 10 states with the overall highest crime rates, the highest rates of murder and assault and the list of the overall least healthy states in terms of mental health.
Let me try posting the source article again here. The first site I cited (LOL! I know!) was for the states with the highest rates of murder and assault, five of the top ten states are on CNBC’s list of Worst States to Live and Work. . . .
https://www.innerbody.com/how-do-states-rank-in-crimes-against-persons
Live in Gilbert AZ. I can deal with the summers as I’ve lived here for awhile. A pool definitely helps! Head north to the mountains also for cooler temps. Lots of great small mountain towns with golf, hiking, outdoor activities. Snow and skiing in winter. Housing has gotten expensive just like almost everywhere and a lot of California plates moving in. A big reason why I think AZ turned Blue. We have the biggest independent group of voters in the country I believe. A lot of natives here are telling new residents don’t Cali our AZ. Jobs everywhere also as a lot of companies are moving here.
Trust the media or trust the richest man in the world… decision decisions
What state do you live in and what do you prefer?
I saw this article yesterday. . . .
“10 States With the Highest Crime Rate Reveal the Most Dangerous Places in America”
Five of the 10 states are also on CNBC’s list of Worst States to Live and Work.
1. Nevada
2. New Mexico
3. Arkansas
4. Tennessee
5. Alaska
6. Alabama
7. South Carolina
8. North Dakota
9. Texas
10. South Dakota
The article above referenced another article with the top ten states for various types of crime. On these lists five of the top 10 states were on CNBC’s list of Worst States to Live and Work.
Two in particular I want to point out. One has 12 states.
The first, are states with the highest rates of murder and assault, five of the top ten states are on CNBC’s list of Worst States to Live and Work. . . .
Arkansas
New Mexico
Tennessee
Nevada
Alabama
South Carolina
Louisiana
Delaware
North Dakota
Michigan
The second are the top 12 states with the highest prevalence of mental illness.
That 8 of the top 12 least healthy states in terms of mental health are in the CNBC’s list of Worst States to Live and Work in isn’t a coincidence to me either. . . .
“States near the top of Mental Health America’s list of the overall least healthy states in terms of mental health include:
1. Georgia
2. South Carolina
3. Texas
4. Florida
5. Kentucky
6. Mississippi
7. Tennessee
8. Arkansas
9. Indiana
10. Alabama
11. Louisiana
12. Oklahoma ”
“The likelihood that an individual will be involved in a crime strongly correlates with the quality of parenting they received. Key factors related to this include attachment, supervision, and discipline, as well as the modeling of deviant behavior. Other factors that increase a person’s risk of criminal activity include poor school performance, delinquent peers, alcohol consumption, and illicit drug use.⁴”
[4] Weatherburn, D. (2001). What Causes Crime? NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
How Do States Rank in Crimes Against Persons?
How Do States Rank in Crimes Against Persons?
Using FBI data on violent crimes, we found the least and most dangerous U.S. states for personal safety.
These two articles I think add more context to how CNBC’s list came to be inhabited by the states in their list of the worst states to live and work in. I highly suggest you read both articles I cited to get an deeper understanding of how the statistics were gathered and a more detailed understanding of the criteria used to build the lists of states.
Sam’s article with the CNBC list of states that were rated the worst to work and live in was also built from an objective criterion applied to all 50 states. If you can’t handle that, the crime statistics objectively used to build the lists in the two articles I have posted will probably not appeal to your subjective conclusions either.
Sam, Whenever I post I always cite the articles I pull quotes or passages from yet they are all missing from this post above. What gives?
Not sure. Maybe there is a spam filter that blocks out certain links. I get hundreds of spammer commenters a day with links. What is the source you refer to.
I saw the CNBC list too, and I think it must be politically motivated. Every state on the list is politically conservative, and I’ve had very positive experiences living in or spending significant time in a few of those states.
Texas may not be the worst state to live and work in, but it is definitely in the top 20 worst states.
The U.S. cities the most people have moved out of since Jan 2023 according to USPS:
7. Dallas, TX
6. Miami
5. Austin, TX
4. New York City
3. Los Angeles
2. Chicago
1. Houston, TX
LA and NY seem obvious due to a higher population than the other cities. Interesting to see so many Texas cities on here.
CNBC may spew whatever nonsense they want, yet the reality is different according to the Census Bureau and Smart Asset. People making over $200K are moving in droves to following states (7/10 are in the south and 4/6 are on their worst list): 1. Florida, 2. Texas, 3. North Carolina, 4.Arizona, 5. South Carolina, 6. Tennessee, 7. Nevada, 8. Idaho, 9. Colorado, 10. Utah. The places most people are interested in leaving according to Redfin are 1. San Francisco, 2. New York, 3. Los Angeles, 4. Washington DC, 5. Chicago.
Smart asset? What the hell company is that? Nobody has heard of that startup.
California and New York are two of the most populous states. Of course the absolute numbers for migration are also going to be the largest.
SmartAsset is a financial technology company and publisher of personal finance articles. Every year they rank states where people move to and where they come from. Here it is for your edification.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/29/households-earning-200000-dollars-or-more-are-flocking-to-the-south.html
San Francisco is not the largest city in the US but has the largest number of people trying to flee. I will leave that up to you to figure out why.
“CNBC may spew whatever nonsense they want, . . .”
Click bait. Excerpt from an article just published:
“New York and California saw a mass exodus of people during the pandemic. That trend hasn’t cooled down as the cost-of-living stays high.
Those two states lost the most high-earning residents in 2021.
On the flip side, Florida and Texas led the list of states of people earning at least $200,000 per year (before taxes).
“There’s a correlation between cost of living and migration. High-income earners tend to have more flexibility for how and where they operate,” said an economic analyst at SmartAsset.”
So why would the wealthy, who have more discretion in where they move, migrate to the worst states?
Could be due to the fact that California and New York have a higher number of absolute residents who earn $200,000 or more a year.
Also, if you have children, it’s more difficult to raise a family and save for retirement earning $200,00+ a year. This is the household income group with the most angst.
The vast majority of people I know who left San Francisco, for example, did not feel they comfortably could afford to live in San Francisco.
What city and state do you live in? And how’s it going there? I hope more commentators can share their backgrounds. Thanks.
Related: Why families need to earn $300,000 to live a middle-class lifestyle in expensive coastal cities today
Honestly. I’m from Florida and have lived in Los Angeles the last 4 years. I live in a decent area of LA and it’s still the worst place I’ve ever lived or visited (23 year military – still active) in my entire life. Everywhere I go I see trash, tents, graffiti…bums try to intimidate me for my money at gas stations and in front of Targets. Theft is so unreal it’s unbelievable. I was recently at a neighborhood Walmart (grocery store) and a couple low lifes where taking there cart straight to bags and left without paying. A man said to the attendant, “do you see this!” and the attendant said, “I don’t care.” On top of all this, the Cali environment is going downhill. Most of the forest’s are burnt down and the lakes are getting crazy algae blooms. I recently took a drive up to Shaver Lake and the entire forest as far as I could see was reduced to nubs. I can’t see how the article is does not have some political motivation to it. It’s really a shame it’s coming down to this. Financial articles should be non-biased and produce facts versus opinion.
Sam, you censor comments just like the woke tech companies and mainstream media, just because you don’t like the opinions. Is that who you are? Thought you were different.
Which comment Vincent? You’re free to comment as you wish, so long as it is respectful. But if you include links, it will be caught in a spam filter bc I get over 500 spam comments a post.
What is it you want to share about the state you live in and the worst states according to CNBC? I always welcome thoughtful opinions where we can learn from each other.
Tell us about yourself too.
The “Places Rated Almanac” was last published in 2007. The book rated 379 places based on ambience, housing, jobs, crime, transportation, education, health care, recreation, and climate. I bought every new edition to evaluate location of practice opportunities from 1985 to 2000. My questions based on PRA information left many realtors speechless. The current articles rating a state are useless. Example try to find the Maryland maximum pension/SS exclusion $34,300 for each 65 year old resident.
We live in Easton Maryland between Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Easton is in top ten for per capita millionaires in America. The town has everything. We are retired since late 2015. Renting 3 months in Terra Vista Florida, 3 months in Vista Waikoloa Hawaii, travel to other locations 3 months and Easton for gardening season. Travel ended March 2020 with scamdemic. We returned to Waikoloa in 2022 for 2 months and booked 2 months late Fall 2023 for scuba at 70. The practice of renting in different locations is powerful, fun and freeing. Most people want to buy in a new location. During past travels average monthly rent for 1700 sqft house or 1300 sqft condo, Terra Vista 2k, Vista Waikoloa 4k now 7k and Malta 3k. Enjoy the weekend ! Steve
I grew up in Austin and went to college in Indiana. l lived in Massachusetts a couple years, tried California, and ultimately decided to settle in East Texas (Nacogdoches).
Yes, summers in Texas can get hot—but it does cool down in the evenings where I’m at. You can do a lot outside in the summer, whereas in New England and Indiana, I was more limited to outdoor activity for several months out of the year. I still spend several weeks of the year visiting the Bay Area, during the summers, but the chilly weather makes the stay a little uncomfortable and the crime has gotten worse and worse with each year.
Sometimes I think about moving out of Texas again—perhaps for a much higher-paying job—but then I remember how small my mortgage is here. Living in a small, college town makes for a much calmer pace of life, and folks in the community are friendly and thoughtful. Lots of natural beauty here, too. Overall, my quality of life is better than it’s ever been.
Come to the Bay Area in late August, September, October, and early November. It’s when the weather in SF is regularly 68-80 and not humid.
Glad you’re enjoying East Texas!
Sam, the first time I visited San Fran was in mid-August. I was shocked that my hotel room at The Rex didn’t have an air conditioner. How could such a hip hotel like The Rex have air-conditioning! I mean it was August and hot during the day. Then we got to the evening and I came to understand why. The temps went from the 80s to the low 50s. A unique experience for me. Totally consistent for San Fran.
I just came back from a hike in Glen Canyon with my wife and son and it was foggy and 62 degrees! Welcome to SF.
I’m looking forward to Fall, when our real summer begins.
I think in part a lot of it has to do with how you grew up because I have the exact opposite opinion. I grew up in Michigan and lived for 5 years in SW Georgia. In the winter I can still get out and about even in the cold with the proper use of clothing. But you can only take off so many layers. Yes I could and still did run at 6am in GA, but I couldn’t do much during what I consider the best part of the day.
I get your emails so I’m responding via email vs “in the comments section”. I’m unsure what you truly want a woman to tell you? What does lifestyle mean? A place that is desirable. Well, what is considered desirable and by whom? Is it marketed as desirable like trying to make people believe you have to have a $15,000 purse to be somebody? Or does desirable mean that people are kind, helpful and not clambering over one another to try to be the next influencer? I have lived in Austin since 1986. I grew up and travelled all over the world and I felt more at home in Austin, Texas because it was a mesh of so many different people from everywhere but with a friendly feel. We could quit talking about work after work and enjoy company and a good and inexpensive meal.
Today, I’m not sure and avoid Austin. The people I know from living here are the same but the city has a pretentious feel now and it’s probably because of the influencers and the things being built that are more in line with consumption to look wealthy vs. a feeling of belonging together and creating great memories of things that matter. Much of the trees and surroundings are replaced with high rises, traffic and congestion. Looking modern makes everything seem soulless. There seems to be a lot more to do now but it is all increasing more expensive and the gratification of getting into town, parking and paying for a meal (that you could make better at home via a YouTube video) is well….disheartening.
Where else would I live? I’m not sure. Is it hot? Very much so. So are many places around the globe now.
I am rather glad Austin is now a worst place to live because perhaps less people will move here but now the concrete has been laid and it’s a near impossible task to chip away that empty veneer to bring back the greenery and essence of beauty that was…
Articles like this aren’t worth your time Sam or the time of readers.
Anybody can come up with a list of worst states based on which states they want to rank worst. I could come up with a list based on high taxes and the worst states would all be liberal. I could come up with a list of worst states based on high crime and decaying cities and all would be liberal.
If you want to present a list, use one that has a more balanced approach to its’ evaluation methodology.
Sure, feel free to come up with your list and the reasons why based on your more balanced methodology.
Where do you live and what makes your state great? What are some of the best states and the worst days you lived in before and why?
As the end of the day, more perspectives are better. Lifestyle is very important for many readers. Seeing the views of others is great.
We moved to Texas (Houston) 10 years ago as my company was expanding to O&G, if you want to move to O&G industry Houston is it. Austin is Tech and Dallas is Industirals / Manufacturing ( Toyota, ABB, …).
Good: its good place to raise family with all the things big city life brings, Houston is super large city you are 1h from Houston in Houston. Traffic is horrible, but not LA horrible. Lots of choices for fine dining not just BBQ here. Top schools and universities in state: STEM – UT Austin , A&M, Rice Univ all top ranked schools in STEM.
Very very diverse I can speak for Houston, you will meet people from all over the world, that leads to even better food as they open restaurants. Bad with Houston is cyclical city, O&G is not an industry for the faint of heart, while rest of America has not seen a real recession since 2008 – Houston has seen 2014-17 2020-22 and they are brutal where top cop pansies: EXXO, CVX, Baker, Schllumber… lay off 30-40% of work force ( it becomes taxing even if you are not effected). So working it pays almost as good as tech but axe is always sharp in this industry. Houston has diversified but O&G is still main industry, healthcare is growing but it does not provide transferability of skills from Engineering.
Austin is a smaller town by comparison and it’s over growing itself too fast I am not sure how it will turn out in next 5 years as this shift has accelerated a lot in last 3 years.
Texas has a lot of opportunities but today cost of living is rising, all these California transplants come and buy homes cash as 1M$ home seems cheap I am not sure they know that Prop Taxes here will rise with property value so in some areas 3% tax going from 1M to 1.5M if not fearful can be (pun intended TAXING).
I believe its a good place but weather is brutal we have 100F weather since May till end of Sep, you are not able to do things outside (unless you are practicing for a DAKAR run) and no it does not cool at night.
Texas electric grid is very bad shape I expect to have lots and lots of brown outs especially if we have cold winters as in 2021.
Non Political point: Lots of guns in Texas do not honk, or put your middle finger out here in traffic (good mannered will save your life).
I lived in NY, Georgia (state not the country) and few countries France, Norway, UK they all have their own charms so does Texas.
Please keep in mind Texas is as large as Europe almost so you should not pay attention to articles about state if you think of moving look at the city as Dallas to Houston is 5H and they are very very different, San Antoni is very different from all…etc.
Great recap! Thanks! Knives do seem sharp in the O&G industry.
“Austin is a smaller town by comparison and it’s over growing itself too fast I am not sure how it will turn out in next 5 years as this shift has accelerated a lot in last 3 years.” Home prices are supposedly down 11%, the most in the nation, as supply surges. So perhaps this will slow inbound.
“Lots of guns in Texas do not honk, or put your middle finger out here in traffic (good mannered will save your life).
” Any upside I did not think about. Yes, best not to piss people off as you never know.
I personally think this list is pretty suspect. I moved to the Nashville area in TN a decade ago and I absolutely love it. Nashville is a really hot area right now with lots of growth and industries moving in. TN of course, does include some poorer areas like Memphis and Appalachia. I live in Williamson County, just south of Nashville, which is one of the 10 wealthiest counties in the nation….without the crazy high cost of living some of the other areas have. I personally like it warmer having moved here from a northern *cold* state. I’m sure that those who like things “blue” don’t like some of the “redness” of TN….I do agree that Hawaii is lovely, but I always wonder if I’d get stir crazy living on an island?!?
This morning I saw this article. Every day I’m seeing articles like this.
While the lost business is a drop in the bucket of the multi-billion-dollar travel industry in South Florida, it is the latest example of how politics touches tourism.
WLRN 91.3 FM | By Tom Hudson
Published July 29, 2023 at 5:00 AM EDT
“Broward County has lost out on about $20 million of conventions and conferences as organizers point to the political climate in Florida. It’s the latest example of how politics touches tourism.
It was supposed to bring hundreds of people to Fort Lauderdale over Labor Day weekend, totaling thousands of hotel nights. Instead, a festival celebrating rivalries among Historically Black Colleges and Universities hosted by radio personality Tom Joyner canceled.
It is one of a handful of events, conferences and conventions that had been considering coming to South Florida but have opted to stay away. Organizers blame a combination of state policies, the political climate in Florida and travel advisories issued by civil rights groups.
Broward County’s tourism marketing agency said the lost business tops $20 million and counting, spread over the next three years.
The latest group to steer clear of gathering in Florida is Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest African American intercollegiate fraternity. Its 2025 convention had been scheduled to be held in Orlando. Instead, the group announced this week it was relocating the event outside of Florida “due to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ harmful, racist, and insensitive policies against the Black community.” [This convention was worth 4.6 million]
Last week, the Florida Department of Education approved African American history standards that generated controversy. One middle school benchmark reads, “instruction includes how slaves developed skills, which, in some instances, could be applied for their personnel benefit.”
An education group decided against bringing its 2024 conference to Broward “due to concerns about what the governor is doing in education/schools.” That business was worth $1.8 million. A trade group of independent toy makers and stores won’t bring its 2026 convention to the new hotel being built at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center because of the “unfriendly political environment in Florida as it relates to many” of its members. That gathering was valued at $13.5 million.
Deidre Everdij, owns COTC Events in Cooper City, estimates she has lost about $750,000 of business thanks to five clients opting out of bringing their corporate events to the region.
Hotel demand in Broward County is up just 1% this year through early July compared to a year ago, though hotels are making more money for each room available. The industry says more places open for travel post-COVID-19 and Florida fatigue by tourists have sapped some strength from the market.
“We’re not seeing the demand or the trend that we had hoped we would be seeing. And we believe that it is in part due to things that are happening at the state level,” said Ritter [Stacy Ritter is the CEO of Visit Lauderdale].
She has pledged to continue accounting for the business leaving Florida because of politics. But what she nor anyone cannot account for is if convention planners choose to ignore Florida altogether.
“We’ve heard from a number of [event planners] that Florida is not getting a request for proposals from these people. So, we don’t even know what we don’t have the opportunity to bid on that we might have won because Florida’s off the table.”
Ricci [Peter Ricci, Director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at FAU] is looking for groups explicitly coming to Florida because of the political climate but he hasn’t come across them.
“I want to hear what we’re picking up. That’s where I’m just truly confounded,” he said. “I’m just lost because nobody comes to me and says, ‘Hey, we just booked this group because they really support Florida’s politics.’ ”
https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/economy-business/2023-07-29/florida-politics-too-hot-business-visitors
The same thing is, as I said in an earlier post, going to happen with industry when interstate and international corporations consider where to open factories and North American Headquarters. Their concerns with be in regard to whether they can attract the widest swath of workers, especially educated workers, to states that are denying rights and choices to Americans.
This is where politics affects economics.
Hi Sam. Just curious, how do you consider which media sources or study to quote in your blog posts? This one seemed biased so either you were unaware or uninformed. I have great respect for your knowledge so was surprised to see the Financial Samurai quoting a media source or study without perhaps doing further due diligence. I acknowledge we are biased to some degree but we should try to minimize to maximize our credibility and we can even learn something new in the process. Was your objective to simply spark controversy to maximize response (clicks)?
Did the analysis of the three commonalities and the section on the Criteria Used For Ranking The Worst states not suffice? I also talk about the potential bias with CNBC based in NJ/NY and the impossibility of being completely objective.
What more would you like me to say to do more due diligence? I’ve asked for reader feedback as well as part of my due diligence, and I’d love yours. Getting feedback is how we get informed.
If you did not read to the end of the post, any suggestions on how to make my posts more clear? thanks
You have incredible patience. It’s obvious Rhauer didn’t read the entire post.
People nowadays just read headlines and lack the ability to get through more than a few paragraphs. The mass media knows this and knows how to whip the uneducated public into a frenzy.
Keep up the good analysis! Texas is too hot for me. As a woman, I don’t want Texans controlling my body either. No state taxes is nice, but living free is nicer.
Rhauer, with respect, read the entire post. It addresses all your questions. And if you read the entire post and still feel this way, then the articles here may be too difficult for you to understand.
Jack. Try not to be too insulting and critical of others. It shows your lack of overall intelligence.
The fact that Mississippi is not on the list is sus.
LOL. True. It’s all clickbait for entertainment purposes only including this hahaha. All in good fun I say. However, bad cities to live in is definitely something to consider very carefully. Where I live the police are so understaffed it’s now an emergency. It’s rather alarming.
Could be #11-15 on the list.
Their methodology seems suspect.
I lived in Houston for 5 years and owned a property we developed there for 12 years. I LOVED living there and I’m a native Californian. I disliked the property tax system in TX. But I otherwise enjoyed the ability to get things done there efficiently. Weather isn’t great, but we had a pool and used it April through October. I lived there with my same sex spouse and never had any issues with people not being kind to us. Living in any state is what you make it. Your own attitude will likely dictate your experience anywhere.
That’s great to hear! What did you guys do while in Houston for work?
I am (and was at that time too) a voice over talent and have been lucky enough to make a living doing that. The reason we moved to Houston is because my brother and I wanted to build a small mobile home park. We couldn’t get it done in California as we didn’t have millions to work with. Getting a project like that going was much easier in Texas. We lived in a forested suburb called Kingwood and it had miles and miles of bike trails that connected the little sub communities of Kingwood. Yes, it’s hot there but if you accept and just make yourself be outside, you can get accustomed to it. While in Texas we created the mobile home park, got our real estate licenses, opened a donut shop, and bought another mobile home park (both of which we since sold). That period of Time was an adventure and I loved every minute of it. Texas is a ‘can-do’ kind of place.
CNBC… pfftt.
Having not just visited but lived in Red & Blue states, here’s my 2 bits.
1-Texas: East TX is humid, hot in the summer, wet, wet, wet then back to pure hellish hot n humid. West TX; dry-ish hot, wind and if you’re in the panhandle cold snow and wind in the winter. South TX is hot, humid and with the occasional hurricane. Always the risk of tornados. If you don’t live in a metro area, salary is fairly low. The metro’s are quite liberal, rural is more conservative. Prop taxes have doubled. What “used” to be considered high ie 2400 a year now is at least 4500. Friends have places that they’ve sold because its now over 10k for them. Yes Austin is weird, traffic is horrible. DFW, money money, money and traffic. Houston, the LA of Tx. Lubbock, please, armpit of the panhandle. As a side note, I was born in TX, have a Texan pride but nope, I’m done with it. Hill country is a nice area but still has its problems.
2-Louisiana: From my short experience it just sucks. I had friends that stated, they didn’t want to be anywhere else. I stayed primarily between Shreve and Bossier, an occasional trip down to Alexandria. Hot, cold, ice, tornados, poverty, high cost… Just say NO. I really can’t say anything nice about it…
3-Oklahoma: Tulsa area was a nice change for a while. At the time I hated paying state tax but I was much younger and making my way. There was $$ to be made and didn’t have to many problems. What I got tired of was the taxes, tolls, educational environment for my new family. I’ve visited again a couple of times to see friends and it seemed that lifestyle was not progressing. Yes there’s hunting and fishing, decent car scene but it just never felt like a place I’d stay long.
I have not lived in any of the others listed. Visited, yes. I did like the parts of FL I saw. Primarily on the west side. Other places actually lived, WA / CO / NM. Blue states.
I do not have a political association because I believe they’re two sides of the same coin. Its something for us “little” people to be divided on. But I do lean more conservative.
By far, the most enjoyable has been CO. The state is fairly liberal and I don’t agree with their policies but, I look at it as quality of life. 3 seasons are great. Winter is so-so. Boulder and Denver could disappear and would not be missed. Homeless/poverty is really bad. Roads are in horrible disrepair. Pueblo is a crime ridden place that really needs help. Polis the putz, please. He considers himself a libertarian.. I don’t care for him. Ready to see some new blood come into office.
WA: having lived in the NE portion I can only speak to that. High taxes but nice area. Winter’s were long.
NM: well… It has a beauty but all I ever saw was poverty-ish. Hot like AZ. I don’t miss it but I still like to go back once in a while to see the desert.
Anyways, your experiences will be different than mine. There’s no “perfect” place. So do with my comment as you will.
Native Texan here and recently moved back after living/working in the US and overseas. With a stint in Hawaii which we loved because Hawaii, plus the pace, the water, and the way people easy let you merge on the highway. Have found things to love and be annoyed by in every place we’ve lived.
We now live in the Hill Country of TX between Austin and San Antonio. We chose this area because it’s lovely, people are friendly, fun outdoor and indoor options abound, and tends to be cooler as its a hilly, treed area. Love both cities but Austin traffic is more difficult. For now. Yes, our area is hot in July/August but I’ll take that over too cold any day. I’m miserable if the weather gets below 45 on the regular.
No state tax but higher property taxes than in some states. Those roads and schools don’t pay for themselves. Rocket Mortgage puts Texas 45 out of 51 highest. But you can manage tax liability by managing size/type/location of your house.
The contrarian part of me wants to agree, yes, Texas is awful. Don’t move here :)
Sam-
For many years you’ve said you want to move out to Hawaii, and it’s your favorite state for people 45 and over (you) who have accumulated a comfortable enough amount of wealth (also you).
But last I checked you can’t move to hawaii when your kids go to college, because you’ve previously decided to live in the same time zone as your adult children.
https://www.financialsamurai.com/having-absurd-dreams-is-ok/
Given how often you’ve expressed your desire to live in Hawaii, and given you will most likely have to live in mainland U.S. when your adult children go to college, have jobs. Perhaps you should just go ahead a move now so your family can be in the same time zone?
I’ve tried, but it’s too hard now bc my son enjoys his school. This also means my daughter immediately gets in as a sibling. I missed the kindergarten application process for my son a couple years ago, but that’s partly due to Covid, and not wanting to fly.
We’re in the same time zone now, so no need to move. It’s about being in the same time zone as they go to college or graduate college. We are flexible to move then.
I still love San Francisco, and all the opportunities and friends. I’ve made here. The compromise is to start going to Hawaii for two months a year starting next year and then travel abroad for two months a year for language immersion.
I’m democrat (actually hate saying this because I’m not dogmatic and tied to 1 party or another blindly like most people but will happily vote Republican if the candidate was by far a better leader / choice at the time) and I was born in Canada, lived in chicago for 9 years, nyc for 1 year and now I live in houston. Love Texas – it’s awesome. Texas is one of the best if not the best place I’ve ever lived (best would be Calgary alberta and nyc and houston tied but houston a way better overall quality of life). The food is great, people are very friendly across the state, big bend National park is cool, no state tax, lots of high paying jobs and growth in energy and healthcare (houston industries. My apartment is huge and envy of anyone who lives in nyc or Canada for that matter and my rent is less than 3.5k per month. Texas is misunderstood – it’s ultra diverse and there’s a good mix of Indians, Vietnamese, Arabs, lots of Hispanics and white and black peoples. I didn’t know this but there are more non-whites than white in Texas. Have nothing against white peoples but on the news you just see crazy right wing Republican white males setting policy on TV – it seems at odds with the vibe and feel of what I’ve seen all around texas (except for Dallas which feels and is very conservative). Austin is incredible too. Lots of good investment opportunities… some deals I’ve done have made 50% irr with further upside if I held longer! I always felt a bit out of place in chicago being Indian – I lived in west loop and found the city very segregated – Texas is way more diverse and being a minority you feel completely normal. Love Texas … let’s go.
I think Texas has been a majority-minority state for many years. Remember, Texas was originally part of Mexico. Also, Texas is very diverse otherwise and absolutely massive in size. Like many places mentioned in this interesting comment section, each persons experience of a place is dependent on many factors – single/married/kids, job/career, recreational activities, need for urban/suburban/exurban environment, proximity to colleges/universities, airports, transportation, family, friends etc.
I live in one of the “worst” states – South Carolina – but somehow the word has not gotten out to all of the people in New York, New Jersey, & Ohio that are flocking to here. Every possible green space is being used for condos or apartments all with tons for asphalt for parking of cars with out of state license plates. Travel & Leisure magazine consistently rates Charleston as their choice for top city to visit as the people here are courteous & welcoming. We also believe in supporting our businesses by paying for purchases unlike the rampant shoplifting that is occuring in New York City, LA, San Francisco, & Portland all run by liberal Democrats who are soft on crime. This is one of those posts where the opposite is true. Does anybody believe CNBC or any of the national media is not putting out this garbage to promote their political agenda?
I like South Carolina and invested in a couple of residential multi family projects in Charleston back in 2018. Between then and 2020, Charleston was regularly one of the top places to invest in real estate. You can check out my archives where I talk about Charleston. Here’s one article about the allure of 18-hour cities.
Charleston is a beautiful place.
South Carolina yes! I am originally from Ohio and now living in California. Me and at least one other person I know are definitely considering retiring in South Carolina! But I’ll probably just go back to Ohio and rent out my property here in California. Sam says to live in utility and rent luxury. Even though my Bay area condo is small, and the Ohio property is ginormous and luxurious, the Bay area condo is actually the luxury item in terms of potential rental income hahaha.
MSNBC where facts don’t matter and all that does is distributing the liberal marxist propaganda.
https://www.outkick.com/host-for-democrat-propaganda-arm-msnbc-says-democrats-lack-a-propaganda-arm/
Funny how the worst states are experiencing the highest population growth: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/fastest-growing-states
Florida, South Carolina, and Texas. I think that speaks for itself. The article’s title was truncated from Worst States to Live in if you’re a leftwing liberal.
High population growth in a short amount of time can strain systems, make housing less affordable, and make lifestyles worse.
Where do you live?
I live in MD, spent most of my life here and don’t care for it. As I get older I hate the cold more and more and am only 50. Really hoping to retire to South Carolina in the next 9 years. During covid I got to visit during all seasons and absolutely loved it…been vacationing down there for years. I do worry the influx of people moving down there will mess it up. Housing prices jumped dramatically from before covid…but is still way more reasonable than up here. And the people down there are SOOO nice! You can walk in to a Walmart, yeah WALMART and the employees TALK to you! My son who used to work at a Chickfila was like, the stores down here are as nice as Chickfila back home!! Hahaha!!!
“California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see, but believe it or not, you won’t think it’s so hot, if you ain’t got the
do-re-mi”
-Woody Guthrie
1940
I would love to hear more from the women who live in these worst 10 states in America. What do you think about the Rulings of your reproductive rights by mostly male politicians? How is life like there’s a woman in the states in terms of being treated equally?
Because in the better states that are ranked, I feel that companies and politics go out of their way to make women feel more equal and have more opportunity.
Heat is a big lifestyle factor for me. I don’t think I could take Texas weather!
The temperature is one factor as is the frequency of day to day changes.
This isn’t a ‘poll’ it’s a group of liberals sitting in a room disparaging states that they disagree with politically.
For whatever reason, people continue leaving states where people make silly lists in exchanges for the ‘awful’ places listed.
Sam does not seem to have a blog post about why people are leaving these so called happy states. If he did, I’m sure he would tread lightly and ask his readers to help him understand why so many are leaving.
It appears based on some of the comments here that people can’t handle the truth. I live in one of the Red states that should be on this worst states to live in list. No one under 30 in my state can afford housing without working 2 or 3 extra side gigs. Also, my Red state likes to deny people health care with bogus work requirements. Homelessness and poverty have exploded in my state and there are several streets downtown that are covered with homeless camps and tents and they weren’t there a few years ago. My state is actively trying to cut the income tax to zero so the rich people in the suburbs can keep all of their money for themselves and not equalize things for the people doing real work.
We are in a new Gilded Age where people are slowly disconnecting themselves from the poverty they help to create and if this trend continues it will not end well for anyone. The birth rate is dropping across the nation and especially fast in Red States because young people see no future for themselves or their young families. I have several relatives that can’t find affordable apartments let alone houses and they have two incomes.
Growing up where I live in the 90’s people could buy brand new 2000 sq foot houses on a part time factory job salary. For a time wages were growing faster than home prices in my state. Now houses are too expensive in my state and getting worse everyday.
Republican policies create poverty and inequality. The Republican party slogan should be “Destroying the middle class since the 1880s.”
The Republican party was actually founded on socialism and ending slavery. Abe Lincoln gave half the continent away for free with the Homestead Act. Republicans used to believe in that kind of progressive liberal stuff, definitely not anymore. We need a modern Homestead Act today to create new wealth for new generations of Americans, but that definitely is not going to happen.
When did inflation start to become so high? 2020 right? Do you think government policy had anything to do with it? Birth rates are dropping in developed countries consistently everywhere globally, not just in your state.
Very true about the horrible red states in which we live. One of my friends said that her Uncle was able to buy a house on a janitor salary. That would literally be impossible now.
This is a worthless political hack poll. I have lived and worked in both Texas and California. There is no way that Texas is the worst state to work. Instead I would probably put it in the top 10 states to work and have a job and make a living. Tons of oil and gas money and healthcare jobs, no state income tax, and low cost of living, with huge amounts of space.. its pretty easy living in Texas. The weather blows, but you can’t have everything…
Which state do you live in?
The poll is trying to determine work and lifestyle.
Sam – I simply could not live in Texas (or Florida) based on the current social/political climate. I’m not far right politically nor an evangelical Christian but I am a college educated, rational, successful retired senior level hospital executive (and decorated Vietnam Veteran) who is a moderate liberal and believes in the separation of church and state and resents the idea that those of us on the left are labeled by the right as socialists and somehow aren’t patriotic. This is part of the big lie. I believe in a woman’s right to choose, I chose science over fiction when it comes to medicine and societal healthcare decisions; I read banned books and care about meeting the needs of the underserved, vulnerable and marginalized; and will fight any form of discrimination (racial or any sexual orientation). I support gay marriage. Where the typical far right Texas mindset is today tells me I’d never fit in or be accepted. So I pass on Texas and will never visit or spend a dime in this state and will work to prevent this mindset from destroying the freedoms for all people we still have in this country. And I’m not alone in my thinking. As a strong supporter of your work, Sam, I hope that my comments will not be met with mean spirited and hateful comments.
Not at all. Thank you for your service. My father also served in Vietnam as well.
CNBC as an independent third party? Ha! And, any high-schooler knows you can structure something like this to show support for whatever it is you’re selling or trashing. The CNBC
‘Top 10 Worst” article wasn’t about what it asks you to believe it was about. They state, “Some states are putting out the welcome mat to attract the biggest, happiest, and most diverse workforce.” And, their ranking criteria/methodology was clearly selected with that in mind.
Once properly boiled down, it’s a nothing more than a hit-piece on Red States…you know, those “stupid” states who they consider aren’t DEI enough.
And, as often is the case, we have some folks in the media doing their best to manipulate us.
I guess it’s really no surprise that the entire Top 10 were Republican states, given that a large portion of CNBC’s criteria related to the advancement of liberal causes–“inclusiveness” and abortion. (“Casting the widest possible net for workers means not turning anyone away. So we consider inclusiveness in state laws by measuring protections against discrimination, as well as voting rights. And with surveys showing a substantial percentage of women considering abortion restrictions when making a choice of where to live in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights are part of this year’s equation as well.”)
Ok this is going to be long so stay with me, but if you are considering moving to Texas then you need to read this. I’ve lived in North Texas my whole life (34 years old) but I’ve travelled extensively through the US and 3 other continents and I own land in Colorado. I’m going to discuss my personal opinions on the good and bad about Texas. I will leave all politics out of it because you can find bad politics and politicians in all states.
The good:
-friendly people, Texas is known for its friendly people and it shows. All my close friends and neighbors who move here from the west coast are blown away by how nice people are.
-great business climate, low tax environment, lower regulations and a booming population make Texas a great place to start a business. Tech=Austin, Finance=Dallas, Houston has a healthy mix of all types
-if you live in one of the metropolitan areas, you can have all the amenities and culture of a modern city. For the most part, if you want it, you can find it in one of the major cities of Texas. Sports, shopping, dining, entertainment is everywhere and getting better every year.
-Cost of living, while housing prices have risen dramatically, it is still much cheaper than most other places. Groceries, utilities and the other necessities of life are also cheaper than average.
-Jobs are plentiful and growing at a healthy clip. Fortune 500 companies are relocating here or expanding operations in Texas.
The bad:
-the weather, Maybe it depends on what your definition of hot is (I’ll use daily high above 85 F), but Texas is hot for 6 months, from mid April until mid October. It’s only getting worse. Whatever side of the climate change fence you are on, as someone who has been here my whole life, summers are getting hotter. Not necessarily drier, but hotter. Remember anywhere that you see an official temperature reading, that is in the shade, so if you are in direct sunlight you can add 10-15 degrees F to the temperature. In 2011 we had 73 days over 100 degrees including 69 days in a row. Lots of people say they, “love the heat.” Everyone of these people work indoors with A/C, dine inside with A/C, workout in gyms with A/C and pretty much spend 3 months straight indoors with A/C, unless they are in a pool. Anyone who works outside for a living hates summers in Texas and dread it. Humidity makes it worse but I’ve been on camping trips in the bone dry borderlands of South Texas and hot is hot no matter the humidity. As for the winters, it doesn’t usually get cold enough for snow, but we do get a lot of wind and rain. Probably a third of winter days are sunshine and 60 F. But a lot are 40 F windy and rainy. Spring and fall are absolutely perfect. They last about two weeks each.
-public land, Texas has very strong land ownership rights. As such, only 4.2% of Texas is public land, as a reference over 52% of California is public land. If you take away the two national parks in Texas that percentage falls drastically. If you can afford it you can buy your own private land, but you better hurry, since COVID prices for land have risen faster than home prices.
-size, Texans are proud of how big the state is but to me its a hinderance. Texas has mountains, only a quick 8 hour drive away from Dallas. How about a beach? The nicest beaches in Texas (which don’t compare to anything in Florida or California) are only 7-8 hours away. Either of the national parks? Again depending which one you want to go to, 8-10 hours from Dallas.
-outdoor activities, This to me is one of the biggest downfalls of Texas. I am an avid outdoor lover. I hike, backpack, kayak, bike, fish and do anything I can outdoors. If you want plentiful outdoor activities and beautiful scenery than Texas doesn’t have the traditional sense of that for you. Sure the hill country is beautiful and the national parks are great. You just have to travel there, be wealthy enough to buy land there or find one of the few other public areas. North Texas is especially bad in this area. No mountains, foothills, beaches or plentiful public land. Just one metroplex after another with privately owned land in between.
As you can see I’m a little jaded with Texas. I am still very thankful to have been born here because this is where I met my wife and we have both reaped the financial gains of the area. With that being said, God willing we will be moving to Colorado at some point. Both are jobs have us here currently but we are on track for an early 40s retirement. We go on family and couples vacations multiple times throughout the year to get our outdoor fix!
If you are young, ambitious about your career, love the city, “love” the heat, and don’t really care about the outdoors than move to Texas! The career opportunities are incredible and the livability of the cities are great. If you want a slower pace, don’t want to be chained to your A/C for 6 months out of the year or you love the outdoors, I would strongly suggest you consider other areas. If you are still unsure I would recommend visiting for a week in late July/early August for the worst of the summer to see if it is for you.
Ok this is going to be long so stay with me, but if you are considering moving to Texas then you need to read this. I’ve lived in North Texas my whole life (34 years old) but I’ve travelled extensively through the US and 3 other continents and I own land in Colorado. I’m going to discuss my personal opinions on the good and bad about Texas. I will leave all politics out of it because you can find bad politics and politicians in all states.
The good:
-friendly people, Texas is known for its friendly people and it shows. All my close friends and neighbors who move here from the west coast are blown away by how nice people are.
-great business climate, low tax environment, lower regulations and a booming population make Texas a great place to start a business. Tech=Austin, Finance=Dallas, Houston has a healthy mix of all types
-if you live in one of the metropolitan areas, you can have all the amenities and culture of a modern city. For the most part, if you want it, you can find it in one of the major cities of Texas. Sports, shopping, dining, entertainment is everywhere and getting better every year.
-Cost of living, while housing prices have risen dramatically, it is still much cheaper than most other places. Groceries, utilities and the other necessities of life are also cheaper than average.
-Jobs are plentiful and growing at a healthy clip. Fortune 500 companies are relocating here or expanding operations in Texas.
The bad:
-the weather, Maybe it depends on what your definition of hot is (I’ll use daily high above 85 F), but Texas is hot for 6 months, from mid April until mid October. It’s only getting worse. Whatever side of the climate change fence you are on, as someone who has been here my whole life, summers are getting hotter. Not necessarily drier, but hotter. Remember anywhere that you see an official temperature reading, that is in the shade, so if you are in direct sunlight you can add 10-15 degrees F to the temperature. In 2011 we had 73 days over 100 degrees including 69 days in a row. Lots of people say they, “love the heat.” Everyone of these people work indoors with A/C, dine inside with A/C, workout in gyms with A/C and pretty much spend 3 months straight indoors with A/C, unless they are in a pool. Anyone who works outside for a living hates summers in Texas and dread it. Humidity makes it worse but I’ve been on camping trips in the bone dry borderlands of South Texas and hot is hot no matter the humidity. As for the winters, it doesn’t usually get cold enough for snow, but we do get a lot of wind and rain. Probably a third of winter days are sunshine and 60 F. But a lot are 40 F windy and rainy. Spring and fall are absolutely perfect. They last about two weeks each.
-public land, Texas has very strong land ownership rights. As such, only 4.2% of Texas is public land, as a reference over 52% of California is public land. If you take away the two national parks in Texas that percentage falls drastically. If you can afford it you can buy your own private land, but you better hurry, since COVID prices for land have risen faster than home prices.
-size, Texans are proud of how big the state is but to me its a hinderance. Texas has mountains, only a quick 8 hour drive away from Dallas. How about a beach? The nicest beaches in Texas (which don’t compare to anything in Florida or California) are only 7-8 hours away. Either of the national parks? Again depending which one you want to go to, 8-10 hours from Dallas.
-outdoor activities, This to me is one of the biggest downfalls of Texas. I am an avid outdoor lover. I hike, backpack, kayak, bike, fish and do anything I can outdoors. If you want plentiful outdoor activities and beautiful scenery than Texas doesn’t have the traditional sense of that for you. Sure the hill country is beautiful and the national parks are great. You just have to travel there, be wealthy enough to buy land there or find one of the few other public areas. North Texas is especially bad in this area. No mountains, foothills, beaches or plentiful public land. Just one metroplex after another with privately owned land in between.
As you can see I’m a little jaded with Texas. I am still very thankful to have been born here because this is where I met my wife and we have both reaped the financial gains of the area. With that being said, God willing we will be moving to Colorado at some point. Both are jobs have us here currently but we are on track for an early 40s retirement. We go on family and couples vacations multiple times throughout the year to get our outdoor fix!
If you are young, ambitious about your career, love the city, “love” the heat, and don’t really care about the outdoors than move to Texas! The career opportunities are incredible and the livability of the cities are great. If you want a slower pace, don’t want to be chained to your A/C for 6 months out of the year or you love the outdoors, I would strongly suggest you consider other areas. If you are still unsure I would recommend visiting for a week in late July/early August for the worst of the summer to see if it is for you.
Thanks for including the rational behind their own rankings. I find the rational troubling but not surprising. As much as the effects of the culture bother me, I’m so encouraged to see conservatives loudly pushing back on the left, including on this thread. I’m mean, once half the country labels you as “a racist” what do you really have to lose in speaking your mind
Half of the least educated states are in the top 10 of the worst states to live and work in America.
Coincidence? I think not.
Top 10 least educated states.
1. West Virginia
2. Mississippi
3. Louisiana
4. Arkansas
5. Alabama
6. Oklahoma
7. Kentucky
8. Nevada
9. New Mexico
10.Texas
https://wallethub.com/edu/e/most-educated-states/31075
FS, you definitely charged this one politically. I am a member of the worst state group (Tennessee). Don’t watch CNBC much anymore but it was always pretty conservative as a business format (1st home of some Fox faces) and seems to remain so. That said, I agree that it’s unlikely they would rank NY/NJ low on list. But one factor unstated in article is the small town desolation I’ve seen in some of these sates (KY, MS, LA, AR, SC, AL and TN) as a frequent traveler for work. The people seem as hollowed out as the towns and drug use and suicides have skyrocketed (why isn’t OH on list). And it seems like govt. is doing nothing to try to help.
Traveled to Indy recently and loved the vibe. Sidewalks, urban transportation, diverse. Roads sucked, but not much better in Volunteer land. And our politicians preach no taxes – result is no services. Education is poor and public universities underfunded (except for football). And sales tax is 9.25%. Regressive taxation remains norm – which explains a lot of tin can housing. And the state isn’t just red, it’s 70%+ red, single minded is a nice way to put it.
It’s all in what you want, I guess. Doesn’t snow much, (had ice storms lately), we have wonderful mtns in east, but crime is also much higher than publicized and humidity can be atrocious as one moves west.
For my part, I will leave the state and travel for a while prior to settling down but visiting multiple cities in NC, make me think it’s a better state to live in, work, grow old – hell do almost anything, as one alternative.
Agree Maryland second for educated residents and number one for per capita income.
I have homes in both California and Texas. And my Cali home is beachfront property. My wife and I still choose Texas over California. My son thrives more in Texas and regarding the weather – we have a pool in Texas and love our Texas evenings/nights. We pour ourselves a glass of wine and love sitting in the pool while our 5 year old frolics in the water.
Will leave the political component out of this argument as that’s more personal…
PROS OF TEXAS
The people, the people, the people. It’s not that the people are more friendly. It’s the cutthroat nature of LA/San Fran. People are always looking ahead in Cali and don’t seem to have the time for one another anymore. Customer service is heads and tails above Cali as well. It’s really enjoyable to go out.
The playgrounds…in restaurants! Texas is built around the family. So many restaurants have playgrounds in the restaurant itself. Game changer! In our area we have 20 restaurants and 9 of them have playgrounds.
Community – Master planned communities. We cannot go a day without some sort of community activity planned by the HOA or social event. It’s almost too much. Cali always seems to require extra effort on our part to be a part of some community. And masterplanned neighborhoods are super clean. No people sleeping or camping around you. And no cars allowed to park on the street. Street parking is just ugly. We made more friends in Texas in the first month than we did living in LA for 3 years!
Schools, generally speaking, are pretty good and cheaper if you go private.
CONS OF TEXAS
Spicy food! Everything seems to be spicey. Not a big deal if you like spicy food but it’s sometimes hard to find non spicy food. Supposedly there is research behind spicy food helping with the heat.
Driving from place to place is often annoying. Everything seems to be 25 minutes away. And Texas drivers, mainly trucks, are aggressive.
Lastly, just to summarize, we left California mainly because life seemed harder. Life in Texas is simpler and done for the family.
I grew up in Texas and now live in AZ. Texas is a great place for people that aren’t into the outdoors. Each city has great food, a unique culture, and everyone is fairly friendly. The reason that I moved away is because the Texas geography isn’t friendly to those that love the outdoors. The camping, backpacking, and hiking activities are lacking due to lack of mountains, canyons, etc. There are some beautiful rivers for kayaking, but they’re typically surrounded by private land so access is limited.
Also, property taxes are BRUTAL in Texas. AZ has a state income tax which I prefer over huge state income taxes, because state income taxes are (theoretically) tied to your ability to pay the tax whereas property taxes are not tied to your ability to pay. Seniors & retirees are getting killed by property taxes in Texas.
Hawaii for the win. Moved to Maui 30 years ago, just started working as much as I could, managed to buy a house 22 years ago, had couple kids, get divorced, bought my ex out of the house. Started small accounting business that built up a dedicated client base. Weather is perfect, free recreation year round, property taxes super low if you owner occupied, we’ve got Target, Costco, Walmart now. Plenty of farmers markets to buy local products. Gas prices cheaper then California. Airfares have remained fairly reasonable to travel inter island and the mainland. No heating bills or winter clothing. Auto insurance cheap. Never need to dress up for anywhere. Safe place to raise a family, still don’t lock my doors. Best move I ever made.
Texas is the worst state for Liberals because they require people take responsibility for their own lives and learn common sense and learn how to think critically as an individual living within a free society.
I think any of the states where the “culture wars” policies of DeSantis, Abbott and their ilk are not going to just chase educated people who are not WASP or straight out of the state, they are going to degrade the public universities educationally and reputationally to the point where people will not want to go to them. Those educators who are now there are going to leave the states as well. People, especially educated people who are not WASP and not straight will not want to move to Florida. Corporations, especially international corporations will not move to Florida because it will be more difficult to find educated, trained people there or who want to move there, especially those who are not WASP and straight. It won’t happen all at once but, it will happen. It’s already happening in Florida.
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2023/05/31/families-leave-florida-desantis-laws-lgbtq-transgender-rights-immigration/70215225007/
They have a Senator Scott who is actually outright telling Americans whose political beliefs are not his not to move to Florida.
“Let me give you a travel warning: if you’re a Socialist, Communist, somebody that believes in big government, I would think twice – think twice – if you’re thinking about taking a vacation or moving to Florida,”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/rick-scott-left-wing-political-views-florida-travel-b2365380.html
The main economic engine of Florida is tourism.
They are killing the economy of Florida discouraging big business that hires a lot of non-college educated people as well-educated people from considering Florida as a place to expand their businesses. A big loss of employment and taxes will result from that.
DeSantis and his legislature are in the vanguard but, Abbott and his legislature are coming up as well as other states whose executive and legislative branches of government are in pursuit of this type of American society are going to get the same results.
I wholeheartedly agree with you Sam regarding Hawaii. As far as Hawaii goes, its location does make it very expensive to live there and its location and size is an impediment to employment opportunities. Its natural beauty and weather along with its welcoming attitude towards those who live there and those visiting make it the ideal state to live in.
Moved from Oregon to Tennessee two years ago. Outside of 1-2 weeks, the temp hardly gets above 85. We live in the “mountains” so the humidity is lower. These have been the longest and best summers of my life. No smoke from fires. We are out in the lake swimming and wakeboarding for 5-6 months. Fishing and hiking all year. No state income tax gave us a nice raise and our property taxes are the same but our house is 2x the size and we have a huge yard on a lake. Our life is better in Tennessee.
Including abortion restrictions as a deciding factor obviously throws a bias one direction. For those that are against abortion I suspect the rank ordering would likely be completely reversed.
It would be more interesting to see a list based on quality of life rather than political viewpoints.
Abortion should not be a factor in determining where to live. Road trip is the answer to abortion or perhaps a visit to GYN and listen.
List seems hard to believe. Wall Street journal has the top three emerging housing markets in the country this summer in Indiana. Texas and Florida population growth is booming.
Perhaps emerging housing markets versus lifestyle and work are different measurements. Emerging housing markets sounds like the best areas to buy real estate (I’m not sure about Florida now given how much prices have already surged).
Work opportunities and lifestyles are related to housing, but very different too.
Hi Sam, Just want to point out that as a Texas transplant – from NY/NJ after 9/11 – I do agree with some of the quality of life factors such as crime rates, environmental quality, access to health care, quality and availability of childcare in ranking Texas, those factors are indeed a concern here in Texas.
Some of your statements such as ‘For six months a year, it’s damn hot in states such as Texas…’ is not accurate (if damn hot = 90 degrees or higher) and data does not support, also Texas is too big a state to generalize weather patterns since it’s not as homogenous as one might think. North Texas has a different feel when it comes to humidity compared to South Texas.
Not sure if any positive factors were taken into consideration such as economy, employment, housing, great schools, outdoors and not to forget BBQ, wonder what’s driving this massive migration from other states?
True on Texas being a big state with different weather. I guess I’m focused on Austin, Houston, Texas. I’m used to 55 – 68-degree whether here in San Francisco. So anything above 82 is kinda too hot for my liking.
Wonderful BBQ indeed!
Thoughts on property taxes, work opportunity, and lifestyle now that you’ve been there for over 20 years? How does it compare to NY/NJ?
Property taxes are comparatively high (close to 2%), we may get some relief through the recent tax relief bill and as you know, we have no tax on income.
Work opportunity is one of the big plus points why people are moving in droves, I can speak for DFW area which has a diversified industrial base with Energy, Telecom, Airlines, IT etc. and it has been an ideal location for road warriors (working at big 5) as well due to 2 to 3 hour flight to any location on the east and west coasts.
As far as lifestyle is concerned – I was working in lower Manhattan for about 5 years, commuting from NJ (not a great quality lifestyle) until 9/11 happened. As an outdoor enthusiast, it was a challenge with a short summer window. North Texas worked out well for us in terms of cost of living as well as standard of living. Everything is bigger – and I must say better – in Texas.
I can’t believe this isn’t biased…..Florida has people moving there in droves……I would say the same for Texas….I have friends and real estate professionals who live in both….
Josh, Florida is a big state and the panhandle area is world’s apart from, say. Miami. Florida has perfect weather Dec-April, best for seniors and outside activities, beaches etc. Demographics count – look at the stats for non-working Floridians (e.g. retirees). Florida trends older the further south you go. SW Fl has everything people with leisure time want – beaches, golfing, good parks, great restaurants, concerts, etc. Also, maybe additional population growth is based on work – from – home pandemic trends. Maybe people are living longer, working less, playing more. Traffic on major highways can be hellacious and Florida doesn’t require anyone with a Fl drivers license to get re-tested until age 85!!!
Total BS, as someone who grew born in S. CA moved to Mo, ( HS,College) then Texas and now SC Blue states are shit holes and Democrats can go to hell!
This is just virtue signaling from CNBC.
I guess you can ask the question about whether the article is biased in two different ways:
a) is the methodology biased?
b) is the scoring biased?
Looking at the methodology, disproving b) is not too hard. Disproving a) will be in the eye of the beholder.
Some notes from looking at the methodology (https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/15/how-we-are-choosing-americas-top-states-for-business-in-2023.html), points are assigned in 10 categories:
– Life Heath and Inclusion (includes Voting Rights, Reproductive Rights, Worker Protections, health insurance coverage and Air Quality),
– Education,
– Infrastructure (includes length of commutes, water availability, renewable energy availability, broadband availability and climate change vulnerability),
– Workforce
– Access to Capital,
– Cost of Living,
– Cost of doing business (includes incentives for development in disadvantaged communities),
– Technology and Innovation (includes Research grants and Patents),
– Business Friendliness,
– Economy (includes number of big businesses headquartered).
As “red states” explicitly legislate against Life Health and Inclusion, you’d expect to see them get less points. Not expanding medicare hurts health insurance coverage, abortion restrictions hurt reproductive rights, voting restrictions hurt voting rights, etc.
Further losses come in the Infrastructure categories – from vulnerability to climate change (including extreme weather events) and water scarcity. Florida and Missouri suffer a lot from flooding risk, Texas and Oklahoma from dust storms, and a lot of red states are in Tornado Alley. Texas also gets hurricanes.
In Education, Texas has not adopted Common Core federal education systems, so you’d expect its students to do worse on exams aligned with Common Core.
In Research and Development, the Eastern District of Texas is the preferred court of Patent Trolls. (Which incentivizes registering useful patents elsewhere).
I grew up in Houston, spent ten years studying and living in Austin, Texas, and now reside on the Southern California coast for 20 years. Having lived in both places allows me to share insights about each.
Austin was a wonderful town while I was there but has doubled in size over the past two decades. It’s transformed into a different city altogether.
The contrast between Texas and California is striking. Southern California offers the world’s best weather conditions which makes it perfect for someone like me who enjoys outdoor activities such as surfing or running on the beach. Additionally, its proximity to top-notch restaurants, fresh produce markets, public lands for hiking or skiing spots just hours away by car or plane make it an ideal place for food enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike.
However, if your lifestyle revolves around indoor activities or simple routines like going to work or attending your kid’s soccer game followed by dinner at home then you may not fully appreciate what California has to offer.
In my comparison of Austin with Dallas & Houston – cities where I have considerable experience – Austin comes out on top despite its recent surge in growth that’s made it significantly larger than before.
Each state has its own pros and cons regardless of political leanings but personally speaking; I find Southern California far superior than either Houston or Austin.
Thanks for sharing. Can you elaborate on the reasons why Austin is better than Dallas and Houston?
“However, if your lifestyle revolves around indoor activities or simple routines like going to work or attending your kid’s soccer game followed by dinner at home then you may not fully appreciate what California has to offer.”
Hmm… when you put it that way, it makes me want to live it up more!
You don’t need a PhD to figure out why those states were chosen as worst. Once I saw it was CNBC, I knew they would be Red states. FOX would probably come out with a much different list.
Fox should do it! I’d love to see their list. What do you think are the worst or best states to live and work? How’s your state?
Moved to Arizona from Indiana. I liked Indiana except for December, January, and February. Arizona is nice, but this year, July has been a HOT one! I live in an area with a lot of Hispanic people. They are wonderful! Hard workers!
Great and sober comment Sam
I have been living in Colorado (Boulder) California (San Jose) and Texas (Austin where I live now) and I am definitely puzzled about this rank (I guess you are right on your suspect on CNBC)
Texas is a great place to live in terms of job opportunities , safety, people, food, culture and much more.
Truth to say the weather got pretty hot during summer (like in many other part of USA) but we have very mild and short winter.
Interestingly, these are also the states that have seen unprecedented population growth, and by extension an unprecedented increase in overall COL.
Could it be these states are the way they are now because of the “City Money” moving into the more rural areas for cheaper housing and living, which ultimately displaces and destroys the livelihoods of the native inhabitants?
I’d hardly call CNBC unbiased, but I feel, at least in terms of COL and how far your dollar goes, COVID and the great migration was the biggest factor in these placements. Hell, look at Idaho after Californians invaded. COL has gone up substantially, likely moreso than anywhere else. No wonder natives dislike them, it sounds like a nightmare.