California Is The Worst State To Move To In 2024: Report

CALIFORNIA — Although California attracts vacationers from around the world, the Golden State is not an attractive state to call home, according to a new report.

ConsumerAffairs recently published a study that ranked the best and worst states to move to in 2024. California ranked as the worst state.

To compile the rankings, the research team at the customer review and consumer news platform compared all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., across five categories: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. California had poor scores across the board.

"Our latest research paints a challenging picture for California," ConsumerAffairs spokesperson Brooklyn Bannister told Patch. "The state ranks in the bottom 10 nationally across key livability metrics, from affordability to safety. Simultaneously, our recent migration study reveals an ongoing exodus. These findings suggest California is at a crossroads, facing both significant hurdles and opportunities for meaningful change."

Utah ranked as the best state to move to this year. Utah's affordability score was the highest of any state and was attributed to its low property taxes, the report said. The state also ranked third overall for economy and quality of life.

These are the five best and five worst states to move to in 2024, according to ConsumerAffairs:

Best States To Move To

1. Utah
2. New Hampshire
3. Idaho
4. Minnesota
5. Massachusetts

Worst States To Move To

1. California
2. New Mexico
3. Texas
4. Louisiana
5. Alaska

The study used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ConsumerAffairs, Tax Foundation, Wisevoter and Zillow.

Read the full report on ConsumerAffairs.