California is the worst US state to move to, one study says. What makes it so bad?

California is the worst state in the country to move to, according to ConsumerAffairs.

ConsumerAffairs, a consumer news and advocacy organization, said the Golden State’s low scores in education, health, quality of life and safety make it the least desirable state to move to.

“Only two Western states make the top 10 best to move to — but they happen to be ranked first and third on the list,” the site said.

Utah was ranked the best state to move to, finishing first in affordability and third in both economy and quality of life, according to ConsumerAffairs. Idaho was also a highly ranked state, securing the position of the third-best to move to.

Why is California the worst state to move to?

ConsumerAffairs ranked all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., based on affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life and safety to determine the best states to move to in 2024.

The site said California ranked as the worst state to move to, with low scores in multiple categories.

The state ranked No. 40 for affordability, No. 48 for economy, No. 49 for education and health and No. 42 for both quality of life and safety.

What are the best states to move to?

ConsumerAffairs said these are the best states to move to:

1. Utah
2. New Hampshire
3. Idaho
4. Minnesota
5. Massachusetts
6. Maine
7. North Dakota
8. Pennsylvania
9. Iowa
10. South Dakota

What are the worst states to move to?

These are the worst states to move to, according to ConsumerAffairs:

1. California
2. New Mexico
3. Texas
4. Louisiana
5. Alaska
6. Washington
7. Oklahoma
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Oregon
10. Mississippi

How did ConsumerAffairs come up with its findings?

To determine the best and worst states to move to in 2024, ConsumerAffairs evaluated all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., across five equally weighted categories: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life and safety.

Data was sourced from various organizations, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Zillow and the FBI.

This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 8:10 AM with the headline "California is the worst US state to move to, one study says. What makes it so bad?."

Angela Rodriguez

The Modesto Bee

279-386-2738

Angela Rodriguez is a service journalism reporter for The Bee. She is a graduate of Sacramento State with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. During her time there, she worked on the State Hornet covering arts and entertainment.