DALLAS — Despite the Lone Star State exploding in population, ConsumerAffairs recently ranked Texas nearly last on a list of best states to move to.
ConsumerAffairs, an Oklahoma-based company that hosts reviews and produces consumer guides, ranked all 50 states and Washington D.C based on five factors: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life and safety.
Texas was ranked above just California, which came in last, and New Mexico at the bottom of the list. Topping the list were Utah, New Hampshire, Idaho, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
Texas especially suffered in the education and health category, where ConsumerAffairs ranked Texas dead last. Affordability also brought down Texas' overall ranking to 41st out of 51.
ConsumerAffairs determined its recommendations by ranking each state 1-51 in each of the five categories and then adding up the scores. The outlet used data from the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Tax Foundation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Zillow, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Wisevoter, The Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the CDC and the FBI.
To determine a state's ranking within the five categories, ConsumerAffairs awarded points based on several factors within the five categories. You can read more about their ranking system here.
In education, where Texas ranked 51st out of 51 states, ConsumerAffairs considered what percentage of people are uninsured, overall quality of care according to the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report and high school graduation rates.
Texas also had weak scores in economy and safety rankings.
The top state, Utah, ranked very highly in affordability, economy and quality of life (first, third and third). ConsumerAffairs attributes Utah's high affordability ranking to its very low property tax rate and a relatively high median income.