Louisiana ranked worst state again by U.S. News: Here’s why

Louisiana is ranked last – again – in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 Best States report, which for the second consecutive year cited an atmosphere of violent crime, poisonous industrial pollution, poverty and a dwindling population among the state’s hardships.

Utah was ranked as the top state. Texas was No. 29 as Louisiana’s highest-ranking contiguous neighbor, while Mississippi ranked No. 48 and Arkansas No. 47.

The U.S. News report ranked Louisiana in the following categories: crime/corrections, 50; economy, 49; education, 47; fiscal stability, 41; healthcare, 46; infrastructure, 49; natural environment, 49; and opportunity, 44.

Pollution from refineries near the Mississippi River outside New Orleans, Louisiana, lofts into the air.

Among the most alarming statistics:

∎ Residents suffer 629 violent crimes per 100,000 people, 65% higher than the national average.

∎ Louisiana has a net migration of negative 0.6%, while the average state is attracting 0.3% more population.

∎ Preventable hospital admissions are 27% higher in Louisiana than the national average, while nearly half of the population – 40% – is obese.

∎ Nearly one-third of Louisiana’s roads – 29% – are in poor condition compared to 18% nationwide. The state is 49th in Internet access.

∎ Louisiana factories release 3,134 pounds of industrial toxins per square mile compared to a national average of 937.

It’s the latest in a series of studies listing Louisiana as the worst or among the worst states in key quality of life areas.

About one in five Louisianians live in poverty.

Louisiana women in particular face bleak circumstances on nearly every front, from poverty to life expectancy to education, according to a study released earlier this year.

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