CNBC is out with its annual ranking of the top states for business, and part of the metric includes the best and worst states in which to live and work. The outlet crunched data on a slew of factors, from crime and health care to air quality and worker protections. Here are the top and bottom 10 states in this category:
Best states to live and work:
- Vermont, 327 out of 350 points
- Maine, 288
- New Jersey, 282
- Minnesota, 269
- Hawaii, 263
- Oregon, 248
- Washington, 242
- Colorado (tie), 240
- Massachusetts (tie), 240
- Connecticut, 233
Worst states to live and work:
- Florida, 129
- Arkansas, 118
- Tennessee, 115
- Indiana, 113
- Missouri, 98
- Alabama (tie), 86
- South Carolina (tie) 86
- Louisiana, 76
- Oklahoma, 75
- Texas, 53
For the record, the best five states for business overall are North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Minnesota; the worst five are West Virginia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alaska.