Fox News suggests California is a 'failed state'

A woman walking her dog outside San Francisco.

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

last updated 1 March 2018

California has the worst quality of life in the country, according to a new U.S. News and World Report ranking that put North Dakota in first. "Californians scored poorly in part because they're simply insufferable," a gleeful Fox News wrote under the headline "Failed State?"

"We're looking at how states themselves are serving their citizens," Tim Smart, the executive editor of U.S. News & World Report, told Fox News. "We're not saying, you know, how many days of sunshine a year."

The rankings were determined by "natural environment, comprising drinking-water quality, air quality, and pollution and industrial toxins," and "social environment, comprising community engagement, social support, and voter participation," Business Insider writes. Other top quality of life states include Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and South Dakota while Texas, Illinois, Indiana, and New Jersey round out the rest of the bottom.

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For the best state overall, Iowa got top honors while California was a mediocre 32nd. Watch Fox News' full report below. Jeva Lange

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.