Tennessee has been ranked among the 10 worst states to live in, according to a recent study by personal finance website WalletHub.
WalletHub compared all 50 states across 51 indicators of livability, including housing costs, income growth, education and health care systems. The Volunteer State ranked No. 40 overall, earning a score of 47.62 out of 100.
Tennessee's low ranking is the latest in a string of poor showings for the state.
In July, CNBC namedTennessee the worst state to live in for 2026 in its annual America’s Top States for Business analysis. In its 2026 report, CNBC gave greater weight to "Quality of Life," one of the study's 10 competitiveness categories. Other national rankings, including U.S. News & World Report's Best States study,
have also given Tennessee low marks in categories such as health care and public safety.
Here's a look at the issues driving Tennessee's recent low rankings.
LGBTQ+ inclusion
CNBC ranked Tennessee as the worst state to live in because of its low quality of life and controversial legislation. In 2026, Tennessee ranked No. 50 for quality of life with a score of 64 out of 290 points.
According to CNBC's analysis, Tennessee Republicans, led by Gov. Bill Lee, have enacted several laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community, including a “bathroom law” mandating that transgender individuals use facilities corresponding to their sex at birth. The state prohibits localities from enacting their own anti-discrimination laws.
Lee also designated June as“Nuclear Family Month,” emphasizing a traditional family structure consisting of a husband, wife and children, coinciding with Pride Month for Tennessee’s 300,000-plus LGBTQ+ residents.
Tennessee ranks among the worst states for LGBTQ+ people, according to the Out Leadership’s Business Climate Index, which evaluates all 50 states on LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Tennessee's affordability concerns
Earlier this year, astudy by MoneyLion found that three East Tennessee cities, Kingsport, Knoxville and Chattanooga, ranked among the nation's most overpriced housing markets, with listing prices significantly exceeding estimated home values.
In Kingsport alone, the median listing price was more than $71,000 higher than the average home value.
Those housing pressures come as residents continue to face high costs for everyday living.
A recent SmartAsset analysis found that a single adult in Tennessee needs nearly $90,000 a year, about $89,898, to live comfortably under the commonly used 50/30/20 budgeting framework. For a family of four, the required household income rises to more than $197,000 annually, highlighting how quickly expenses can add up even in a state often considered relatively affordable.
While Tennessee ranked among the more affordable states nationally in the SmartAsset study, the analysis suggests affordability remains a challenge for many residents. The comfortable-living benchmark assumes households can cover necessities such as housing and utilities while still setting aside money for savings and discretionary spending.
Crime and safety
A SmartAsset analysis ranked both Nashville and Memphis among the 10 least-safe large cities in the nation, with Nashville placing 76th out of 83 cities and Memphis finishing last.
The study evaluated cities based on violent crime, property crime, traffic fatalities and disaster risk, finding that Memphis posted particularly high rates of both violent and property crime.
Statewide rankings tell a similar story.
In U.S. News & World Report's 2026 Best States rankings, Tennessee ranked 40th in Crime & Corrections and 46th in Public Safety. The report also cited a violent crime rate of 592 incidents per 100,000 residents, well above the national average of 359 per 100,000.
Contributing: Jordan Green
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Tennessee keeps ranking among the worst states to live in
