Tag: Gen Z

Worst Places to Live in the US — 2026

CNBC released a ranking of the ten worst states to live in within the United States.

Only Republican-led states — ‘red states’ — are on the list.

“CNBC’s bottom 10 states for quality of life, from lowest-scoring upward, were:”

  • Tennessee (64 out of 290)
  • Texas (78)
  • Indiana (82)
  • Louisiana (89)
  • Georgia (89)
  • Utah (95)
  • Missouri (98)
  • Alabama (99)
  • Oklahoma (103)
  • Arkansas (103)

Oh, my.

I’m not a fan of these lists. I don’t think that the best place or the worst is the same for all of us. Too many variables are embedded in our experiences for such a monolithic list to be presented. This list addresses a specific situation; another list previously issued by CNBC had several of these states listed as one of the best places for business.

I still read these articles, though. I read this one somewhat gleefully because ‘red states’ in the Trump era are often espousing values that are opposite of mine.

Then, even more fun, I read the reactions.

‘Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, called the ranking “nonsense” in a post on X.

‘“If Tennessee was really the worst state to live in people wouldn’t be moving there in large numbers, which they are,” DeSantis wrote.’

I researched and confirmed, Gen X and Millennials are moving to Tennessee in great numbers in 2026. The irony of it is that they’re going to Tennessee to work in the healthcare industry, but Tennessee is ranked very low for their healthcare system.

This is a fragile, short-term model for growth. Tennessee has an aging population. They need a lot of care; hence the growth in that industry.

But, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year by the Republican-controlled Congress and signed into bill by Donald Trump let ACA premium subsidies expire. That triggered an average premium increase of 32.6% for Tennessee Marketplace enrollees. That high increase is expected to drive up the number of uninsured people, placing a huge strain on Tennessee’s burgeoning healthcare industry.

Ironically, too, because Tennessee faces a shortage of healthcare workers, wages for them are being forced upward, causing more strain on the system. Additionally, Tennessee is one of the states being hardest hit by the ongoing rural hospital crises.

It’s a classic FAFO situation. As with many of these developing matters, we’ll need to wait a year or two to see what happens next in Tennessee.

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Wednesday’s Wandering Thoughts

I don’t know about other generations, but my fellow Boomers and I are frugal. At least the ones in my acquaintance are.*

We get a tube of something, we cut it open to get the last of it. I thought it was something only my wife and I do. But, oh, no. Friends and family all spoke up. Tubes, squeeze bottles, whatever, they all do their utmost to get the very last drop.

It’s odd and funny. Many will put themselves through ridiculous measures and extended time to reach that tantalizing last measure. I shouldn’t be surprise that it turns out to be so prevalent. After all, there are a remarkable spectrum of devices out there sold just to help, and tricks and tips on blogs, websites, and magazines.

We were doing this way before any economic recessions or the C-19 pandemic. My wife and I originally did this because we were in the military. Back then, in the 1970s and 1980s, they didn’t pay well. Everything had to be stretched.

Now, it’s just conditioning.

*Yes, I have read articles about the other generations and their spending habits. Gen Z is now cited as the most frugal. They’re young. We’ll see.

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