CNBC Ranked Utah 6th Worst State to Live in and Here’s Why That Might Not be a Terrible Thing

The list of the 10 Worst States to Live in for 2026 put out by CNBC is getting mocked online because most of the states listed are where people are currently moving to most. This includes Utah that was at number 6 for worst places to live.

A Silver Lining: Population Growth in Critiqued States

It may stink a little to have our wonderful state listed as a rotten place to live, but we should take comfort that Tennessee is number one on the list and Texas is number two. These are two states that are busting at the seams with all the people moving in.

This is also why this survey may not be a bad thing. I think most of us who live in Utah don't want to see the growth stop, but it would be nice if it slowed down to a more manageable pace.

Frantic growth comes with its own problems. photovs

Criteria Under Scrutiny: Understanding Utah's Ranking

It might be one of those things where we shake are head at the criteria they chose for what made a state one of the worst to live in while we quietly high-five each other when no one is looking.

The reason Utah made the worst places to live list was summed up as air quality, sighting the inversions along the Wasatch Front specifically, childcare, and worker protections. The score was 95 out of 290 with crime being a positive.

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Before we get too worked up about the unfairness of the article, it might not be a bad thing if the truth about our state stays somewhat hidden. Maybe we could even put our state's advertising dollars into promoting California for the time being.