Despite Its Natural Beauty, Utah Ranks Among CNBC’s Worst States to Live In

On July 11, 2026, Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) published a list of the 10 worst states in the U.S. to live in. Surprisingly to some, Utah found itself squarely on that list. The states were ranked based on CNBC’s own quality-of-life score, determined by factors such as air quality, childcare, general health, worker protections, and safety. In many of these categories, Utah fell well short of the mark, receiving an overall score of 95 out of 290 — in other words, an F.

So, why did Utah perform so poorly across many of these metrics? Perhaps unexpectedly, despite the state’s natural beauty and proximity to a wide array of outdoor activities, Utah is a relatively unhealthy place to live. The state currently faces a grave lack of primary care providers, with fewer than one such doctor for every 1,000 residents. Moreover, because areas such as Salt Lake City are surrounded by mountains, particle pollution can accumulate and become trapped in the valleys, giving Utah the worst air quality score of any U.S. state, according to the World population Review.

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Additionally, Utah struggles in categories such as childcare and worker protections. There are only 513 licensed childcare centers to serve the state’s 3.5 million residents. An estimated 77% of Utahns live in areas without adequate access to care, with four counties in the state having no licensed centers at all. The Beehive State is also lacking when it comes to worker protections — the minimum wage is just $7.25 an hour, an amount that grows increasingly insufficient as the cost of living continues to rise. Today, someone earning the state minimum wage would bring in only enough money to cover 16.5% of the cost of living for a family of four.

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Many would associate “outdoorsy” states like Utah with a higher-than-average quality of life, and in most cases, they would be right to do so. Thanks to relative success in areas such as healthcare, air quality, and minimum wage, naturally beautiful states such as Washington, Idaho, and Vermont consistently perform well in quality-of-life metrics — making it all the more puzzling why Utah found itself so low on CNBC’s list.

Theories vary as to why Utah performs so poorly on a list where many of its peers have seen relative success. Some would point to a rapidly growing population, which has caused demand for services such as healthcare and childcare to quickly outpace supply. Others would critique CNBC for omitting categories such as outdoor recreation, housing affordability, or self-reported satisfaction when determining the criteria for its rankings, arguing this leaves Utah’s score artificially deflated. Nonetheless, the deficiencies highlighted by CNBC, even if limited in scope, are real issues facing Utah — ones that, one would hope, can be remedied moving forward.