Illinois has been identified as the most disliked state in the United States, according to recent analyses conducted by the World Population Review and Zippia, a job-search platform. The studies, which evaluated states based on a composite ranking system, placed Illinois at the top due to a confluence of factors including significant resident dissatisfaction, measurable population flight, and widespread negative sentiment from people in other states.
The methodology employed by researchers drew from three distinct sources to quantify how states are perceived and experienced: self-reported resident sentiment, net population movement, and the opinions of individuals living in other states. Each factor was scored independently before being combined into a single composite ranking, providing a comprehensive view of state desirability.
The foundation of the resident-satisfaction component was a Gallup survey, which asked respondents to identify the "worst possible state to live in." Researchers considered this data as "ground truth," representing direct admissions from those with the most firsthand experience of life within each state. For Illinois, a notable 25 percent of its own residents indicated it was the single worst place to live in America, a statistic that heavily weighed on its overall score.
Beyond sentiment, analysts examined what they termed "foot votes," observing actual behaviors rather than stated opinions. Population figures from the American Community Survey were compared across consecutive years to identify states experiencing the fastest resident departures. A steeper population decline contributed negatively to a state's composite score, reflecting individuals choosing to leave. Illinois recorded a population decline of approximately 0.54 percent, a figure representing hundreds of thousands of people who have opted to relocate.
The third pillar of the study focused on reputational aspects, asking people across all 50 states to name the state they disliked most. This revealed a map of cross-state grievances, stemming from various origins such as economic frustrations and long-standing sports rivalries. "Public opinion from outside a state can play a major role in shaping its reputation," the researchers noted, highlighting the impact of external perceptions. Illinois absorbed punishment from all three categories simultaneously, solidifying its first-place position.
New Jersey secured the second spot, a finding that surprised few familiar with its national reputation. Five neighboring states independently identified the Garden State as their most disliked neighbor, indicating a significant level of cross-state animosity, more than any other runner-up in the study.
New York followed in third place, with 12 percent of its residents expressing a view that their state ranked among the worst in the country. This figure is particularly striking given New York’s global profile, but researchers pointed out that it reflects genuine frustration among locals even in areas widely celebrated by outsiders. Massachusetts residents, for instance, specifically singled out New York as their least favorite neighbor.
West Virginia placed fourth, a position primarily driven not by external hostility but by a steady outmigration of residents seeking job opportunities elsewhere. Researchers found that population data, more than any opinion poll, most clearly articulated West Virginia's story.
California's fifth-place finish emerged as one of the study's most striking results. Nine states identified California as their most disliked neighbor, the highest number directed at any single state in the entire analysis. No other state in the study drew sustained hostility from that many others simultaneously.
Massachusetts ranked sixth, caught between internal dissatisfaction from its own residents and the resentment of neighboring states, which pushed its composite score higher. Michigan came in seventh, with close to one in ten residents expressing negative views of their home state. Researchers suggested that shifting economic conditions and the restructuring of key industries might be fueling Michigan’s internal pessimism, with its score reflecting a combination of resident disillusionment and population pressures consistent with regions undergoing significant economic transition.
Connecticut presented the study’s most counterintuitive finding, placing eighth. Not a single other state nominated Connecticut as its most hated neighbor, yet 17 percent of its own residents reported disliking living there. Researchers concluded that "the harshest verdict on Connecticut... came entirely from within its own borders."
Kentucky rounded out the top ten, named by both Tennessee and Indiana as their least favored neighbor. Researchers observed that geographic proximity and shared cultural traditions do not guarantee goodwill when long-standing state-level rivalries are at play.
Conversely, Colorado stood out as one of the few states to entirely escape external hostility. No state identified Colorado as its most disliked neighbor, an outcome researchers described as rare in a country characterized by fierce regional identities, competitive pride, and accumulated historical grudges.
Researchers attached a caveat to their findings, emphasizing that appearing on the list does not diminish a state's value or livability. Instead, they noted, "The rankings instead reflect a convergence of economic pressure, cultural friction, population movement, and the kind of deep-rooted regional rivalry that has always run beneath the surface of American civic life." These rankings offer insights into the complex dynamics shaping perceptions and experiences of states across the nation.
