New Mexico ranked second lowest on WalletHub’s safety rankings.
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The Land of Enchantment, known for its prehistoric art and hi-tech industries, ranked 48th on the percentage of people living in poverty index, making it the third worst, WalletHub reported.
Home-security expert Derek Prall of Safetyhome.org reported that Gallup, once a famous filming destination, has one of the highest violent crime rates in New Mexico. Overall, the state ranks highest in violent crime rates in the nation, with more than 700 violent crimes per 100,000 residents taking place in 2022, as per the FBI’s annual report on crimes.
1. Louisiana
A bad economy and poor health, safety, and education statistics have put Louisiana in the lowest spot.
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Earlier this year, US News & World Report also ranked Louisiana as the worst state to live in — it reported about one in five people in Louisiana lives in poverty; 28.7% of its roads were in poor condition; and 629 violent crimes per 100,000 people — 65% higher than the national average — took place.
The state also faces challenges on the health front, especially in areas along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, where many communities live next to petrochemical and fuel industries, Human Rights Watch reported. The impact of this 85-mile stretch has been so devastating that it’s been dubbed the “cancer alley.”
