American enterprise is within the grips of a critical labor scarcity, although hiring has slowed and synthetic intelligence is selecting up extra of the slack.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says that for each 100 job openings, solely 92 employees can be found to fill them. Meaning the nation is brief about 1 million employees. To try to meet the demand, firms are in search of places which can be enticing to potential staff. That makes high quality of life a enterprise crucial.
Annually, CNBC’s annual rankings of state enterprise climates — America’s Top States for Business —considers High quality of Life amongst ten classes of competitiveness. Underneath this year’s methodology, the class makes up 10.6% of a state’s total rating. We think about elements like crime, well being care, air high quality, and the worth and availability of kid care. We additionally think about inclusiveness of state legal guidelines, comparable to authorized protections towards discrimination. And with data exhibiting youthful employees contemplating reproductive rights of their alternative of the place they’re prepared to dwell, we issue these state legal guidelines in our rankings as nicely.
Some states are particularly welcoming to workers. These should not these states. They’re the states with America’s worst high quality of life in 2025.
Oklahoma
File: A Tulsa Police officer takes cowl behind a automobile with a weapon on the scene of a deadly taking pictures.
Mike Simons | Tulsa World | AP
Identical to in the remainder of the nation, violent crime in Oklahoma has been trending steadily decrease in recent times. However at roughly 418 offenses per 100,000 individuals in 2023, the Sooner State’s violent crime price is the 14th highest within the nation, in accordance with FBI statistics. Of specific concern is a pointy rise in home violence homicides, which State Legal professional Basic Gentner Drummond just lately referred to as an “epidemic.”
“We should proceed strengthening our statewide efforts to carry abusers accountable and to supply safety and help for victims,” Drummond mentioned in a statement in February.
Oklahoma affords restricted protections towards discrimination, in accordance with the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures, and it has one of many nation’s strictest abortion bans.
2025 High quality of Life Rating: 97 out of 265 factors (High States Grade: D-)
Strengths: Youngster Care, Air High quality
Weaknesses: Crime, Well being, Reproductive Rights
Arkansas
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks earlier than U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins indicators three new SNAP meals alternative waivers for the states of Idaho, Utah, and Arkansas in her workplace at the USA Division of Agriculture Whitten Constructing on June 10, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Photographs Information | Getty Photographs
Life will be tough within the Pure State, which has the sixth-highest proportion of adults in frequent psychological misery, in accordance with the United Health Foundation. Almost 19% of Arkansas households are meals insecure. That is the best price within the nation. One in 5 Arkansans, and one in six Arkansas kids, face starvation.
“It is clear that our state is in vital want of complete options to deal with these sobering statistics and be sure that all Arkansans have entry to enough and nutritious meals,” mentioned Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who issued an executive order final fall directing state businesses to deal with the issue.
She has additionally signed laws offering free breakfast for public faculty college students no matter their household’s earnings.
The violent crime price in Arkansas is the fourth highest within the nation, and the state has amongst America’s most restrictive voting legal guidelines.
2025 High quality of Life Rating: 95 out of 265 Factors (High States Grade: D-)
Strengths: Youngster Care, Air High quality
Weaknesses: Well being, Crime, Inclusiveness
Alabama
Christa White (L) and her daughter attend a rally on the Alabama State Home to attract consideration to the anti-transgender laws launched in Alabama on March 30, 2021 in Montgomery, Alabama.
Julie Bennett | Getty Photographs Information | Getty Photographs
The Coronary heart of Dixie may satisfaction itself on Southern hospitality, however its state legal guidelines recommend that the hospitality doesn’t prolong to everybody.
Alabama is one in all simply 5 states with no legislation defending non-disabled individuals towards discrimination in public lodging, in accordance with the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures.
And in February, Gov. Kay Ivey signed the “What is a Woman Act,” defining an individual’s gender based mostly on the intercourse organs they had been born with.
“If the Good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy,” mentioned Ivey. “And if he made you a lady, you are a lady.”
Opponents mentioned the legislation will likely be used to justify widespread discrimination towards transgender individuals.
The state eschews most employee protections, in accordance with Oxfam America, which ranks Alabama forty ninth on its annual Best States to Work scorecard.
2025 High quality of Life Rating: 92 out of 265 Factors (High States Grade: F)
Strengths: Air High quality, Youngster Care
Weaknesses: Inclusiveness, Employee Protections
Georgia
Cops work the scene of a taking pictures at a Northside Hospital medical facility on Could 3, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Megan Varner | Getty Photographs Information | Getty Photographs
Whereas the general violent crime price in Georgia is roughly in step with the nationwide common, it has one of many highest murder charges within the nation.
That’s however one consider an total unhealthy setting in The Peach State. Greater than 11% of the inhabitants lacks medical insurance, the third-highest price within the nation. The state ranks fortieth for main care medical doctors per capita, and forty eighth for psychological well being suppliers, in accordance with the United Well being Basis.
The Commonwealth Fund ranks Georgia forty fifth in its digital currency Scorecard on State Well being System Efficiency, which grades the states on well being care entry, prevention and therapy, effectivity, wholesome lives, and well being disparities.
Georgia is one other one of many 5 states with no anti-discrimination protections for non-disabled individuals, and it affords few protections for employees past a assure of equal pay based mostly on race and gender.
2025 High quality of Life Rating: 89 out of 265 Factors (High States Grade: F)
Energy: Youngster Care
Weaknesses: Employee Protections, Well being, Inclusiveness
Louisiana
A New Orleans police car parked on the road forward of Tremendous Bowl LIX on February 05, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Aaron M. Sprecher | Getty Photographs Sport | Getty Photographs
At round 521 violent crimes per 100,000 individuals in 2023, the Pelican State has America’s fifth-highest crime price. And people statistics predate this yr’s New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Road in New Orleans, the place a person drove a pickup truck right into a crowd of revelers, killing 14.
Louisiana additionally has among the many nation’s strictest abortion bans, in accordance with the Guttmacher Institute, banning the process in all besides very restricted circumstances.
The state handed eight new voting legal guidelines final yr that the Brennan Heart for Justice deems “restrictive,” together with a number of crackdowns on absentee voting.
2025 High quality of Life Rating: 87 out of 265 Factors (High States Grade: F)
Strengths: Youngster Care, Air High quality
Weaknesses: Crime, Inclusiveness, Reproductive Rights
Utah
Patricia Marroquin | Second | Getty Photographs
The Beehive State derives its nickname from the industriousness of its workforce. However these employees get few protections in alternate for his or her laborious labor.
Whilst the price of residing rises in fast-growing elements of the state like Silicon Slopes outdoors Salt Lake Metropolis, the state has stored the minimal wage on the federal price of $7.25 an hour. And in contrast to in lots of states, Utah prohibits native governments setting their minimal wages any larger.
With a mean family measurement roughly 17% larger than the nationwide common, in accordance with Census knowledge, Utah households have lots of kids to look after. And the state is doing poorly in assembly their wants. Utah ranks forty eighth in licensed baby care facilities per capita, in accordance with Child Care Aware of America, which additionally says {that a} married Utah couple with a median earnings can count on to spend about 12% of it on baby care.
2025 High quality of Life Rating: 87 out of 265 Factors (High States Grade: F)
Energy: Crime Fee
Weaknesses: Youngster Care, Employee Protections, Air High quality
Indiana
Daniela Guerrero addresses the IDEM representatives throughout a public assembly to debate air allowing for BP Merchandise of North America.
Chicago Tribune | Tribune Information Service | Getty Photographs
The U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers defines reasonably priced baby care as costing not more than 7% of a family’s earnings. In Indiana, it prices twice that for a two-parent family. For a single mum or dad, it might value a surprising 46%.
Enterprise teams just like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have recognized baby care as one of many main elements in getting individuals again into the workforce. It is usually a significant high quality of life consideration for younger households, and it is without doubt one of the areas the place Indiana falls quick. However it isn’t the one one.
Air high quality is poor, in accordance with knowledge from the American Lung Affiliation and First Road Basis, with excessive ranges of ozone and particulate matter. Indiana additionally has a strict abortion ban and restricted anti-discrimination protections.
2025 High quality of Life Rating: 73 out of 265 Factors (High States Grade: F)
Energy: Crime Fee
Weaknesses: Youngster Care, Reproductive Rights, Inclusiveness, Air High quality
Texas
Anti-abortion rights supporters participate in a “Rally for Life” march and celebration outdoors the Texas State Capitol on January 27, 2024, in Austin, Texas.
Suzanne Cordeiro | Afp | Getty Photographs
The Lone Star State is persistently a prime vacation spot for expert employees — they flock to Texas for its sturdy economic system and top-of-the-line job markets within the nation. However that doesn’t imply that the standard of life there is not missing.
Regardless of world-class establishments just like the Texas Medical Heart and the MD Anderson Most cancers Heart, entry to look after the typical Texan is poor. Based on the United Well being Basis, Texas has the nation’s lowest variety of main care medical doctors per capita, the second-lowest variety of psychological well being suppliers, and it persistently has the best price of individuals with out medical insurance.
The state has amongst America’s strictest abortion bans, and crime is on the excessive aspect.
2025 High quality of Life Rating: 72 out of 265 Factors (High States Grade: F)
Strengths: Youngster Care, Air High quality
Weaknesses: Well being Care, Reproductive Rights, Employee Protections, Crime
2025’s worst state for high quality of life: Tennessee
Transgender rights supporters rally outdoors of the U.S. Supreme Courtroom because the excessive courtroom hears arguments in a case on transgender well being rights on December 04, 2024 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Courtroom is listening to arguments in US v. Skrmetti, a case about Tennessee’s legislation banning gender-affirming look after minors and if it violates the Structure’s equal safety assure.
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Photographs Information | Getty Photographs
Governor Invoice Lee’s 2025-26 budget, signed into legislation this spring, contains $175 million in grants to native communities to assist them battle crime. By the numbers, that cash is badly wanted within the Volunteer State. Tennessee has America’s third-highest violent crime price, in accordance with FBI statistics, making it a very harmful place to dwell, and CNBC’s backside state for High quality of Life in 2025.
Tennessee has additionally been on the forefront of laws limiting the rights of its LGBTQ+ inhabitants, starting way back to 2015. The state was among the many earliest to codify an individual’s gender based mostly on their anatomy, passing its legislation in 2023.
State legal guidelines assure equal pay and bar sexual harassment. However past that, there are few protections for employees in Tennessee.
2025 High quality of Life Rating: 61 out of 265 Factors (High States Grade: F)
Energy: Air High quality
Weaknesses: Crime Fee, Inclusiveness, Employee Protections