Fresh data has highlighted which US states are viewed the most negatively, factoring in where residents are leaving in the biggest numbers and how people around the country rate their neighbors.
World Population Review looked at population change to see which states are losing residents fastest, then lined that up with survey results about which places Americans consider the “worst.” Using both how residents judged their own state and how other states judged it, the site produced a ranking of the most disliked states.
The combined approach turned up some unexpected patterns, including a heavy East Coast presence in the top 10.
For some states, the low rankings were tied to local frustration over affordability and limited opportunities. For others, long-running rivalries, stereotypes, and regional grudges appeared to play a bigger role in how they were perceived.
According to World Population Review’s ranking, Illinois took the top spot as the most disliked state.
The state’s population has been slipping, with a decline of 0.54 percent per year, and the survey data showed that one in four Illinois residents described it as the worst place to live in the US—enough to push it to the top overall.
Even though only one neighboring state named Illinois as its least favorite, the negative view appeared to be amplified internally, linked to political and cultural divisions between more liberal areas and the state’s conservative rural regions.
New Jersey, a frequent target of jokes both inside and outside the state, landed in second place. Despite its cultural exports and its mix of shore towns and cities, it scored poorly in the combined ranking.
A major factor was external dislike: five surrounding states reportedly labeled New Jersey their least favorite. Around one in 10 residents also rated their own state at the bottom.
Those sentiments match recent population movement as well, with New Jersey’s population down by about 0.3 percent in recent years as some residents leave for other parts of the country.
New York placed third, despite being home to a city widely regarded as one of the world’s great cultural and economic capitals.
In the survey results, 12 percent of New Yorkers still said their state was the worst place to live in America. Population figures also suggest an outward drift, with about 0.45 percent of residents leaving recently.
The state also faced negativity from beyond its borders, including from Massachusetts respondents, who reportedly ranked New York as their least favorite.
West Virginia was fourth on the list, driven in part by a steep population decline—down 0.76 percent—with many movers reportedly heading to nearby Ohio and Virginia.
Among those who stayed, six percent described West Virginia as the worst state, which the analysis linked to persistent economic challenges and elevated unemployment.
California rounded out fifth place. Even as the largest and one of the wealthiest states, it drew strong negative reactions in the survey portion of the analysis.
Nine other states reportedly selected California as their most disliked, a response often tied to political polarization and criticism of the state’s perceived left-leaning approach.
In the same dataset, six percent of Californians rated their own state as the worst, and population data showed a recent decline of around 0.11 percent.
You can find the other states that made it into the ten most hated below.