States Throughout The USA With Quirky And Horrible Traits
As much as people love to think their state is the best, each has a little quirk they are dreadful at compared to the rest of the United States.
From the low walking rate in Alabama to the poor air quality in California, when it comes to being the “worst,” these states excel.
Delaware: Emergency Room Wait Time
Sadly, for people in Delaware who need to go to the emergency room, the wait time is the country’s worst. According to a 2021 report from AutoInsurance.org, the median wait time for a person to go from check-in to a room is around two and a half hours.
On top of that, 4% of patients opt to leave before even being admitted to a room solely because of the wait time.
Alaska: Healthy Dose Of Vitamin D
Locals will tell visitors that the winters in Alaska are not for the faint of heart. During the winter months, the days are very short, leaving little sunlight for people to get a healthy dose of Vitamin D.
In 2018, the Alaskan Vitamin D Workgroup recommended children, infants, and pregnant women, stock up on Vitamin D supplements.
Oregon: Owning A Car
Oregon is full of back-country roads that people need a car to explore. Sadly, the state is one of the worst to own a car.
According to WalletHub‘s 2020 report, Oregon ranks as the 46th highest when it comes to car thefts and average gas prices, as well as 50th when it comes to the cost of auto repairs and maintenance costs.
Rhode Island: Safe Road Conditions
Ironically, Rhode Island’s worst quality is all in the state’s name. According to World Population Review, Rhode Island is one of the worst states for safe roads.
Their report stated, “About 53% of Rhode Islands’s roads are in poor condition, and 23% of its bridges are structurally deficient. About 2% of the state’s spending is on road repairs.”
Kansas: Beautiful Scenery
It’s no secret that the great central plains of the United States aren’t the best when it comes to scenery. Kansas just so happens to be home to a solid portion of that land, making it the worst state in the country when it comes to pretty scenery.
Of course, there are some hills and forests but nothing compared to the coastal and mountain states.
Florida: Public Libraries And High Literacy Levels
Book lovers should think twice about moving to Florida. In the entire United States, Florida is the worst when it comes to public libraries and high literacy levels. According to a 2022 report from the World Population Review, “Florida has the third-highest percentage of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills of 19.7%, equaling a literacy rate of 80.3%.”
“Florida has the lowest number of public libraries per 100,000 residents of 2.6.”
Kentucky: A Comfortable Retirement
People should rethink their retirement options if they plan to relocate to Kentucky. The state is the worst when it comes to a comfortable retirement.
According to WalletHub, which looks at varying factors such as quality of life and health care, Kentucky is at the bottom of the proverbial barrel.
New Jersey: Affordability
While New Jersey is one of the smaller states in the country, it is also one of the most expensive, making it the worst when it comes to affordability.
According to a 2022 report from Forbes, “New Jersey has the highest effective property tax rate at 2.13%…and has the highest median annual real estate taxes at $8,490.”
Massachusetts: Discounts During Happy Hour
Massachusetts is the worst at offering discounts during happy hour for one specific reason: the concept of happy hour has been banned since 1984; it’s illegal throughout the entire state.
The ban went into effect so many years ago as a way to curb drunk driving accidents. The law has stayed active ever since.
Georgia: Clean Tap Water
According to Multipure, Georgia is the worst state for clean, drinkable tap water. This is largely due to the intense pollution throughout the wells, rivers, and streams in the state that don’t pass national water quality standards.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 600 of Georgia’s public water systems violated the country’s legal quality standards.
Alabama: Walking To Work
When it comes to their morning commute, a vast majority of people in Alabama head straight to their cars instead of walking or even taking their bicycle.
According to Insider, when it comes to pedestrians, “The state with the smallest percentage was Alabama, where just 1.4% of residents walk or bike to work.”
North Dakota: Warm Weather
While Alaska has some of the coldest winters around, North Dakota comes in at a close second, according to a 2022 report from the World Population Review.
While the average temperature in North Dakota is a brisk 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the winters can go down to two degrees in the northern part of the state.
Vermont: In-State Tuition Costs For Public Institutions
According to Education Data Initiative, Vermont is not a cheap place to attend college, even in-state students. The annual in-state tuition and fees are actually the highest in the country, coming out to $17,083 at public institutions.
Compare that to Florida’s $4,463 in-state tuition at public institutions, and Vermont is clearly the worst.
California: Good Air Quality
While many people think of California as being a healthy state, the air says otherwise. California has the worst air quality in the country, thanks to car emissions and the annual wildfires across the large state.
According to the American Lung Association, “California is a leader in air pollution among other states.”
New York: Daily Commute
New York has one of the worst commutes in the country. Actually, it has the worst, according to a 2017 American Community Survey. This is due to over 1.6 million people coming into the Manhattan area each day from neighboring counties and states.
The average commute time is 37 minutes one way.
Pennsylvania: Seasonal Allergies And Pollen Scores
When looking at seasonal allergies per state, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America looks into pollen scores, over-the-counter medicine use, and the availability of board-certified allergists.
According to the foundations 2021 report, the worst state in the country for allergies falls on Pennsylvania, thanks to the state’s higher than average spring and fall pollen.
Oklahoma: Eating Fruits And Vegetables
Growing up, a lot of children might have learned to eat their greens, or at least some fruit during a meal. Sadly, Oklahoma didn’t hop on the bandwagon. The state is the worst in the country when it comes to fruit and vegetable consumption.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48.4% of Oklahoma residents eat less than one serving of fruit or vegetables a day.
Louisiana: Affordable Health Care
Louisiana is one of the worst states in the country for health care. According to WalletHub, not only does the state have one of the least affordable systems for its residents, but access to facilities is few and far between.
In their survey, Louisiana falls at number 50 for the overall ranking.
Tennessee: Crime Rate
Tennessee is one of the more dangerous state’s in the country, with a particularly high crime rate. According to 2020 FBI crime data used by 24/7 Wall St., “Tennessee’s violent crime rate of 673 incidents per 100,000 people is the highest of any state in the South..”
The same report said, “The state’s violent crime rate climbed by 13% in 2020, more than double the national increase.”
Washington: Dry Days
While many places in the United States get rainy days, none are as bad as the average precipitation fall in Washington. According to Best Place‘s Washington Index, the state averages a solid 184 days of precipitation, have it be snow, sleet, hail, or rain.
The state is one of the worst when it comes to warm, sunny days.
