Indiana Called One of the Worst States—Here’s Why

One publication has released a study of the worst states in America, and believe it or not, Indiana made it on the list.

I am proud to be a native of Indiana. I've lived here my whole life, and while I wish we were closer to places like the beach, we still have a lot of great things to offer for a "flyover state". Indiana is full of many small towns with a great deal of charm. We also are home to a few big cities that have a lot to offer residents. That being said, there are a lot of things that can stress you out about living in Indiana. These things include all of the constant road construction, unpredictable weather, crime, cost of living, and the list goes on.

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These are all things that I feel like residents of most states complain about. Well, there's a new worst states to live in ranking just shared a few days ago by CNBC. Essentially, CNBC was ranking the states based on quality of life factors. The article says:

To score the states for quality of life, we use hard data on factors like crime rates, air quality and healthcare. We also consider the cost and availability of childcare, inclusiveness of state laws, and reproductive rights.

Well, it may or may not come as much of a surprise to some that Indiana made the list. However, the main reason why might surprise you.

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Indiana is One of the Worst States for Quality of Life in 2026

According to CNBC, Indiana is the third-worst state in terms of quality of life in 2026. The Hoosier State received a Quality of Life Score of 82 out of 290 points, which gives us a grade of F. They say that our biggest strength is crime, which maybe means that we are pretty good at combating crime. The article wasn't really clear on that. However, our biggest weaknesses include child care, air quality, and health. The biggest factor which lead to Indiana being on this list seems to be child care, according to what CNBC said about Indiana:

With just 779 licensed childcare facilities in a state with nearly 7 million people, Indiana finishes at the bottom for childcare availability on a per capita basis. And what is available is expensive, eating up 15% of the median income for a household with two working parents in the Hoosier State. In June, Indiana’s childcare agency unveiled a sweeping new policy proposal aimed at expanding access by, among other things, easing licensing requirements. Critics allege the proposal sacrifices quality.

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Does this news surprise you at all? It's certainly not good news. However, I can say that child care costs were the main reason why my wife stayed home after giving birth to our daughter. If she returned to work, she'd essentially just be working to cover childcare expenses. Have child care costs been an issue for you?

In case you were wondering what other states made this list, you can check out the rankings below:

1. Tennessee

2. Texas

3. Indiana

4. Louisiana

5. Georgia

6. Utah

7. Missouri

8. Alabama

9. Oklahoma

10. Arkansas