The Best Things About US States (embiggen)
What is the best and worst things about your state? In these two maps of the United States by redditor bigafricanhat, each of the states in the nation are labeled with its best and worst characteristics (yes, it's biased but still fun :)
The Worst Things About US States (embiggen)
Here they are in text form:
| State | Best Thing About It | Worst Thing About It |
| Alabama | Lowest Sales Tax | Highest diabetes rates |
| Alaska | Lowest diabetes rate | Highest firearm death rate |
| Arizona | Best service for the disabled | Highest rate of home foreclosures |
| Arkansas | Most affordable children's healthcare | Lowest median family income |
| California | Highest gross State product | Worst state for business |
| Colorado | Lowest obesity rate | Highest cocaine use |
| Connecticut | Highest personal income | Worst State to retire |
| Delaware | Highest standard of living | Most prisoners per capita |
| Florida | Highest percentage of high school students who pass AP exams | Worst pedestrian safety |
| Georgia | Best urban interstate conditions | Worst government corruption laws |
| Hawaii | Lowest unemployment rate | Highest tax burden |
| Idaho | Lowest overall crime rate | Highest animal abuse rates |
| Illinois | Best animal protection laws | Worst State for nonprofit agencies |
| Indiana | Best parental involvement in children's education | Most toxic chemicals in waterways |
| Iowa | Best access to affordable healthcare | Most racial disparity in criminal arrests |
| Kansas | Best drivers | Worst emergency preparedness |
| Kentucky | Best high school teacher productivity | Most daily cigarette smokers |
| Louisiana | Best State for digital media business | Highest murder rates |
| Maine | Best State for cat owners | Worst standard of living |
| Maryland | Best public schools | Most cursing |
| Massachusetts | Highest bachelor degree completion | Most cases of child abuse and neglect |
| Michigan | Most fabulous State reptile (painted turtle) | Most high school students injured with a weapon |
| Minnesota | Highest high school diploma completion | Worst State for small business |
| Mississippi | Best State for oil and gas investment | Highest poverty rate |
| Missouri | Highest rate of technology job growth | Worst waste water treatment |
| Montana | Lowest HIV/AIDS rate | Highest motor vehicle death rate |
| Nebraska | Fewest prisoners per capita | Worst capital markets |
| Nevada | Best State for mining investment | Highest divorce rate |
| New Hampshire | Lowest murder and poverty rates | Highest murder rate of seniors 65+ |
| New Jersey | Highest median family income | Highest property taxes |
| New Mexico | Best prevention programs for prescription drug abuse | Worst State for child wellbeing |
| New York | Lowest suicide rate | Most religious hate crimes |
| North Carolina | Lowest alcohol abuse/dependency | Most teen driving deaths |
| North Dakota | Best road conditions | Most workplace fatalities |
| Ohio | Home of the best theme park in the world (Cedar Point) | Most air pollution |
| Oklahoma | Most alternative fuel vehicles | Lowest percentage of adults who visit a dentist |
| Oregon | Best housing market | Highest childcare cost |
| Pennsylvania | Best State for pedestrian and bicycles | Most arson deaths |
| Rhode Island | Lowest coal consumption per capita | Highest teacher absenteeism |
| South Carolina | Lowest gas prices | Most domestic violence against women |
| South Dakota | Most badass State fossil (Triceratops) | Worst sex trafficking laws |
| Tennessee | Best State for retirement | Most bankruptcy filings |
| Texas | Best State to do business, according to CEOs | Lowest high school graduation rate |
| Utah | Lowest cancer death rate | Highest prevalence of poor mental health |
| Vermont | Lowest CO2 emissions | Most Iraq war casulaties |
| Virginia | Best State to earn a living | Most hate crimes against the disabled |
| Washington | Best workforce talent | Highest rate of food stamp fraud |
| West Virginia | Lowest incidence of infectious disease | Highest depression rates |
| Wisconsin | Best rural development programs | Highest alcohol abuse and dependency rates |
| Wyoming | Lowest tax burden | Highest suicide rate |
See also previously on Neatorama: The United States of Shame
[That could be because of natural monopolies, in theory. In practice I think it's that innovative tech companies seem to be ok with the business environment in CA.]