
Indiana is One of the Worst States for Quality of Life in 2024
This is not good news for Indiana, but are you surprised?
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.
All of that being said, Indiana has found itself near the top of a list that we really don't want to be on. CNBC recently found America's ten worst states for quality of life in 2024. How did they come to their conclusion? Here's what they said:
We score each state on multiple livability factors including crime rates, health care, air quality and child care. We also consider worker protections, and legal safeguards against discrimination of all kinds. And, we look at personal freedom including reproductive rights.
So, where did Indiana land on this list? Let's take a look.

Indiana is One of the Worst States for Quality of Life in 2024
According to CNBC, Indiana is the second worst state in terms of quality of life in 2024. The Hoosier State received a Quality of Life Score of 78 out of 325, 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, reproductive rights, inclusiveness, and voting rights.
Here's what CNBC said about Indiana:
<p>Indiana is the worst state for access to child care, with just 772 licensed facilities in a state of nearly seven million people. The low supply versus demand makes child care expensive in the Hoosier State. A married couple can expect to spend nearly 13% of a median income on child care.</p><p>Indiana has joined a parade of states passing laws targeting the LGBTQ+ population, including a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and barring teachers from discussing human sexuality from pre-kindergarten through third grade.</p>
Does this news surprise you at all? It's certainly not good news, especially given the fact that we were the seventh worst state in 2023. In case you were wondering what other states made this list, you can check out the rankings below:
- Texas
- Indiana
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Tennessee
- Missouri
- Louisiana
- Kansas
- Arizona
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Gallery Credit: Ryan O'Bryan
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