New study puts California in bottom 15 of ‘Best States to Live in’

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: People leaving California to Arizona in record numbers

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: More Californians are flocking to the Grand Canyon State.

LOS ANGELES - Whether you love or hate living in California, there’s no denying there’s no other state quite like it. However, those who don’t love it may feel some validation after a new study was released by U.S. News & World Report ranking the best states in 2024.

Researchers looked at numerous factors including a state’s economy, health care, education, public safety, infrastructure, and opportunities for its residents.

It’s worth noting that many of the top-ranking states aren’t commonly considered the most desirable places to live.

As far as the Golden State, it did not rank among the best. In fact, California and New Mexico were the lowest-ranking states in the West.

An aerial view of Pacific Coastline at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Arizona, a state many Californians have flocked to, hardly has bragging rights and was ranked 32nd. Meanwhile, Hawaii narrowly avoided the bottom 15 in 34th place.

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Here were the top 15 best states per the study:

1. Utah

2. New Hampshire

3. Nebraska

4. Minnesota

5. Idaho

6. Iowa

7. Vermont

8. Washington

9. Florida

10. Massachusetts

11. South Dakota

12. Wyoming

13. Virginia

14. New Jersey

15. North Dakota

Meanwhile, the bottom 15 states were ranked as follows:

35. Missouri

36. Ohio

37. California

38. Illinois

39. Kentucky

40. Pennsylvania

41. South Carolina

41. Michigan

43. Oklahoma

44. Alabama

45. Alaska

46. West Virginia

47. Arkansas

48. Mississippi

49. New Mexico

50. Louisiana

Click here for the full study.

Even though California didn’t exactly shine in this study, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows its population has grown for the first time since 2019.