California has the worst quality of life in the 50 US states, and some conservatives are celebrating
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Your support makes all the difference.- California came in 50th place in a ranking of the US states by quality of life.
- The rankings considered metrics such as air quality, pollution, community engagement, and voter participation.
- Some conservatives celebrated the news on social media.
California has the worst quality of life of the 50 US states, according to a recent ranking by U.S. News & World Report.
The Golden State came in dead last in the rankings, released earlier this week in partnership with McKinsey & Co.
The rankings considered two sets of metrics for each state:
1. Natural environment, comprising drinking-water quality, air quality, and pollution and industrial toxins.
2. Social environment, comprising community engagement, social support, and voter participation.
North Dakota was crowned with the best quality of life, with two other Midwestern states — Minnesota and Wisconsin — rounding out the podium.
In other metrics, California didn't fare nearly as poorly. U.S. News & World Report deemed its economy the fourth best in the nation, and its business environment claimed the No. 1 spot. The state also ranked 11th in healthcare.
Still, the low mark on quality of life provided fodder for some conservative news sites and politicians.
"Californians scored poorly in part because they're simply insufferable," wrote Fox News in an article about the ranking. The article appeared on Fox News' front page under the headline "Failed State?"
Meanwhile, far-right-wing site Breitbart focused on California's high cost of living and immigration rates — two metrics that did not factor into the quality-of-life rankings.
Conservative radio host Wayne Allyn Root celebrated the news:
Actor James Woods, who said he was blacklisted from Hollywood because of his conservative politics, took it out on California's lieutenant governor.
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Read the original article on Business Insider UK. © 2018. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
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