The Fifty States from Worst to Best: Part One

Ever wonder which states rank among the top (and bottom) in the nation? The Tiger Times has you covered with an entirely uncalled-for, unprofessional ranking of the Fifty United States, from worst to best. Location, culture, cities, diversity, climate, and numerous other factors were taken into consideration in these rankings. This installment will include states ranked 50-26.

50. New Jersey–Apologies to our neighbors to the east, but this state has some downsides. The beaches are the only redeemable thing about the state, yet they are the worst beaches you can find in the country. There are no major cities, one sub-par hockey team, and even though the Giants and the Jets play in the state, they have the New York title. We are not surprised.

49. West Virginia–This state is just a tiny bit better than New Jersey. No beaches, no cities, nothing special in the mountains or the culture in West Virginia. West Virginia University is not special, nor does the state have any significant sports teams or attractions. John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads is the only good thing about West Virginia.

48. South Dakota–The Dakotas as a whole are boring, but the southernmost Dakota is just a bit more boring than its neighbor to the north. The only real attraction here is Mt. Rushmore, which is a great monument; it’s just a shame it’s in South Dakota, of all places.

47. North Dakota–North Dakota is almost just as bad as the other Dakota, but Eagles’ star quarterback, Carson Wentz, puts N.D. one spot ahead of S.D.

46.Wyoming –Wyoming is boring, plain and simple. Not many people live there, not much happens there, but they do have nice mountains and terrain to explore. They also have a Division 1 FBS football team, which did, after all, give us Josh Allen. Wyoming just barely edges out the Dakotas.

45. Montana–Even though Montana may be one of the forgotten western states, it has its upsides. From the views of the Glacier National Park to the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, Montana is defined by its diverse terrain. Despite all the beautiful views, is there much to do in Montana besides hiking?

44. Arkansas–Out of all the southeastern states, Arkansas is just not as impressive as the rest. It isn’t a horrible state, but there’s just nothing here to impress us. Plus, it gave us Walmart: take that as you will.

43. Nebraska–The only good thing about Nebraska is the University that represents the state. There is also the Durham Museum in Omaha, which honors the state’s pioneering past, but let’s be honest, does anyone care about their part of the past?

42. New Hampshire–In terms of New England states, it does not get much less impressive than New Hampshire. Again, not a bad state, seeing as it has a unique culture; it’s just nothing special overall. Sorry, New Hampshire.

41. Iowa–Just like all other mid-western states, Iowa lands itself in the “boring” category. Des Moines earns Iowa some credit, as does Cedar Rapids. In the end, it’s just another state in the middle of the country that, unless you live there, lacks much interest.

40. New Mexico–Again, a lack of a significant city lands a state near the bottom. The ultra hot climate and its proximity to a great southwestern state in Arizona makes New Mexico just feel like a ripoff of both its western neighbor and the country to the south, Mexico.

39. Rhode Island–Rhode Island is a tiny New England state on the coast with several large cities. Newport, which is known for its Gilded Age mansions, and Providence, the home to one of the top Ivy League schools, Brown University, are the two most famous cities in the state.

38. Idaho–What puts Idaho over other states in this part of the country is its culture. Boise is a solid city, nothing special, but its college, Boise St., and its legions of fans impressed us enough to place Idaho above some of its neighbors.

37. Kansas–Sitting almost right in the middle of the U.S., Kansas comes in with a low rank, because, well, what is in Kansas? Their biggest city is Wichita, which comes with one nice college, and the rest is forgot about. To make matters worse, Kansas City, named after their own state, is barely even in Kansas. The majority of the city, and the middle of the city, is located in Missouri.

36. Indiana–Another great college atmosphere leads Indiana to be higher up in our rankings. The state loves its Hoosiers. Indianapolis is also a pretty good city and The Pacers have a very respectable fan base as well as the Colts. What’s holding this state back is how unfortunately boring it really is. What else is in Indiana?

35. Mississippi–If it was not for the mnemonic device everyone learned at a young age, most people would not even know how to spell Mississippi. This southern state is not like the rest, with not having much around besides the Gulf of Mexico to the South.

34. Alaska–There is endless sightseeing to do in Alaska. Admittedly, it is challenging to place a state as unique and isolated as Alaska, but the unique culture and amazing views as well as the wildlife that can be found in Alaska give the state a ranking above many contiguous states.

33. Connecticut–With all the history that comes with New England states, Connecticut ends up seeming a little sparse, but being home to UConn gives this state some credibility.

32. Delaware–This state may just be hurt by its size. The lack of a sales tax is nice, and the beaches are surprisingly impressive. Not having a major city hurts the state as well. Overall, Delaware just feels like a better version of New Jersey, which isn’t hard to do.

31. Nevada–Las Vegas is all that needs to be said. Without the twenty-four-hour casino and entertainment, Nevada would not be much besides deserts.

30. Utah–Home of BYU and some other solid college cultures, Utah is a beautiful state with an overall unique, but admirable, culture. Geography and the lack of a big time city are the things holding Utah back from cracking into our top 25.

29. Vermont–For outdoor lovers, Vermont is the place to be. Mountain terrain crossed by ski slopes and hiking trails runs for thousands of acres across the land.

28. Wisconsin–Wisconsin is a solid mid-west state. It has a passionate culture as well as a good city in Milwaukee. Many sports teams, a good college, and an overall good climate and culture makes Wisconsin a pretty good state; it just does not impress us as much as others.

27. Virginia–From the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian Mountains,  Virginia is filled with history. As one of the thirteen original colonies, historical landmarks include Thomas Jefferson’s Charlottesville plantation, while the Jamestown settlement and Colonial Williamsburg are living history museums reenacting Colonial and Revolutionary-era life.

26. Oklahoma–The best of the bottom half of the states in our country, Oklahoma has an amazing culture. Shaped by the two major colleges O.U. and O.K. ST., Oklahomans carry a strong, passionate culture. The state does not have a huge market, but it does have the Oklahoma City Thunder.