15 Saddest States in the U.S.

15 Saddest States in the U.S. No, that doesn’t mean everybody in these states just walks around whining and crying. These states just have the lowest ratings for things that nobody really wants to be rated low in. There’s more crime in these states than normal. People in these sad states generally have worse physical health than their neighboring happy states. Their communities, work environments, and personal relationships are more likely to be in disrepair. These things all culminate to provide a less-than-stellar quality of life across the state.

For example, West Virginia doesn’t have enough people working full-time jobs but has some of the highest rates of depression in the nation. Arkansas has plenty of inactive people who smoke and drink more than most states. Louisiana has the worst working environments in the nation. In the far north, you’ll find that Alaska has low high school graduation rates and high crime rates.

In general, you’ll find that the people in these states often struggle to maintain their physical health. This affects their quality of sleep, their performance at work, and their general mental health. Some states have poor education systems or high rates of substance abuse. All of this comes together to affect the overall well-being of the people in these states. The states on this list are full of normal people who’ve gotten stuck in a rough spot.

To figure out exactly what is going wrong in these states, we looked at studies published by WalletHub and America’s Health Rankings. These studies allow us to see judge what the happiest and saddest states are by looking at their quality of life.

Is your state on this list? Is it better or worse than the studies have shown? Let us know in the comments! 

Lowest Ranking: Emotional & Physical Well-Being 50

While West Virginia ranks lowest in the emotional and physical well-being category, it also ranks lowest for nearly every sub-category. The state ranks last in healthy behavior, life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, and basic access to necessities.

The number of adults with poor mental health is extremely high, which may be a factor contributing to the state's rising credit card debt—they rank 37 out of 50. West Virginia ranks one of the highest when it comes to poverty levels and substance abuse. Get it together West Virginia!

Lowest Ranking: Emotional & Physical Well-Being 50

Out of the 50 U.S. states, Arkansas fares the worst when it comes to physical and emotional health. The residents aren’t very active, leading to higher-than-average rates of obesity. Depression rates rank as some of the nation’s worst.

To cope with it all, many Arkansans have turned to drinking and smoking, leading to some of the worst rates there as well. Although it's the "Natural State", there's nothing natural about how poorly it is ranked. 

Lowest Ranking: Work Environment 50

If you’re visiting New Orleans or looking to participate in Mardi Gras, you’ll probably have a great time. If you live in Louisiana, though, you won’t. They have the worst working environment in the nation.

The working environment is not helped by their excessive work hours. They also rank among the worst states when it comes to having an encouraging community and general well-being. Doesn't sound like a state I would like to live in. 

Lowest Ranking: Community and Environment 50

For some people, the remote wilderness of Alaska seems like a dream come true. For most of its residents, it’s a heavy burden. In Alaska, kids struggle to get through high school.

Their crime rates are higher than average. The unemployment rates resemble those of America struggling after the 2008 recession. It’s not quite the dream come true so many people wish it were.

Lowest Ranking: Emotional & Physical Well-Being 47

Poor physical health often leads to poor mental health, and in Oklahoma, health problems are everywhere. Children struggle to get the help they need. Adults struggle with high obesity rates and cardiovascular issues.

The state doesn’t just have health issues, though. Its high levels of crime make it a less-than-fun place to live. Oklahomans tend to work more hours than in other states and the state has an incredibly low sports participation rate. 

Lowest Ranking: Emotional & Physical Well-Being 46

In the lovely state of Alabama, a quarter of children live in poverty.  The state’s healthcare is sub-par, to say the least, smokers are everywhere, and violent crime is found in every corner of the state. It’s not the type of state you’re likely to call a sweet home.

Alabama ranked highest in the percentage of residents with diabetes and nearly last in exercise. It's also among the lowest ranked for job creation and is near the top for businesses firing employees. Are you packing your bags to move here any time soon?

Lowest Ranking: Emotional & Physical Well-Being 48

Kentucky’s low ranking on the list of happiest states is interesting. They sit in the 48th spot for healthy people, but they rank extremely well when it comes to work environments and community health. If you take care of yourself, it’s the type of place people can thrive in. Sadly, most Kentuckians don’t take care of themselves.

Some studies argue that Kentucky should be ranked as the saddest state in America. It is ranked number 49 for depression, 48 for adequate sleep, and 47 for the lowest sports participation rate. It sounds like bad news for anyone choosing to live there.

Lowest Ranking: Work Environment 46

Mississippi’s list of problems is about as long as its name. They have extremely high divorce rates. People don’t get out and volunteer, which is a good measure for community engagement. They have the worst crime rates in the nation, and their education is terrible.

Along with all those qualifiers, Mississippi is also known as the fattest state, with over a third of the population considered obese. It is third in the least number of insured people and has the seventh high rate of underemployment. Every time Mississippi comes up to bat, it strikes out.

Lowest Ranking: Emotional & Physical Well-Being 45

It makes sense that the state that sounds like the word “Misery” is on the list of saddest states. If you drive through the state, you’ll be baffled by its beauty. If you look at its residents, you’ll find that they are unhealthy.

If you step into an office, you’ll see it’s a very middle-of-the-road place to work. The state is currently at a 2.5% unemployment rate. We’re hoping Missouri can step away from its depressing name sometime soon.

Lowest Ranking: Work Environment 47

The acclaimed TV show Breaking Bad picked a great state to film its bleak, drug-filled episodes in. New Mexico has horribly high rates of violence and drug-related deaths, divorce is frequent, and income growth is lower than the national average. It’s a state as rough as its terrain.

The unemployment rate in New Mexico is currently 4.5% with a total of 43,000 unemployed residents. Along with these numbers, the poverty rate is nearly 20%—the third highest in the nation. When asked, not even 60% of residents in the state are proud of where they live. 

Lowest Ranking: Emotional & Physical Well-Being 41

In Tennesse, drug-related death rates aren’t the worst around, but they’re still pretty bad. And that’s a depressing sentence if we ever saw one. On the plus side, the volunteer state is a great place to work in!

While Tennessee may have one of the country's friendliest cities, the state is not a happy one. One interesting study showed that when asked to report happiness, Tennesseans were among the top seven—however, when asked to self-report personal satisfaction with life, they ranked 46th. There's definitely some disconnect there. 

Lowest Ranking: Emotional & Physical Well-Being 43

In Oregon, the rainy weather catches up with its residents. The state has the highest number of adult residents struggling with depression—as high as one in four people. High school graduation rates are also poor.

Homelessness, lack of health insurance, and poverty likely add to the high amounts of depression. In all that dreariness, however, if you get a job here, you might still consider taking it! It’s ranked as the 4th best state to work in.

Lowest Ranking: Community and Environment 48

In Vermont, there’s a lot of excessive drinking, but otherwise, it’s really, really healthy state. One of the healthiest in fact! But it’s hard to discredit the whole drinking problem…

While it may be one of the healthiest states, you may still be surprised to learn that nearly 60% of Vermont adults do not exercise regularly, the 6th largest share of any state. It seems they stay healthy based on their diet and maintaining strong social relationships. 

Lowest Ranking: Work Environment 36

Ohio is a fairly middle-of-the-road state, both in terms of geography and the health of its residents. Well, they’re middle of the road until you consider their extremely serious drug problem, which is actually one of our nation’s worst.

Ohio ranked fifth lowest for residents who actually like what they do every day. Residents also lack strong social relationships, which has a strong effect on happiness. A large share of the people of Ohio lacks a sense of purpose. That's enough to put them on the list of saddest states. 

Lowest Ranking: Emotional & Physical Well-Being 38

South Carolina is not the best state to move to if you’re trying to be a healthy person. The state ranks horribly when it comes to residents getting their immunizations. Sure, you might get your flu shot, but if everybody doesn’t get their shots, you’re still at risk. So few South Carolinians get their shots that everybody’s at risk.

Besides low immunization, South Carolina also has a high violent crime rate—the tenth highest in the nation. The typical household also earns nearly $10,000 less than the national median household income. That's sure to lead to some stress and unhappiness.