12 Worst States for Millennials to Live: 2021

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Related: 12 Best States for Millennials to Live

Millennials are the largest generational cohort in the U.S. and wield massive purchasing power, according to a new report from WalletHub.

But they are economically worse off than their parents, in large part as a result of fallout from the 2008-’09 financial crisis, which severely limited their job prospects and earning potential for decades to come. And the pandemic has aggravated financial difficulties for many of those born between 1981 and 1996.

But millennials have thrived in some areas of the country and struggled in others.

To determine the best and worst places for millennials, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across the key dimensions of affordability, education and health, quality of life, economic health and civic engagement, evaluating those dimensions using 34 relevant metrics. 

Researchers then determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score, and used the resulting scores to rank the sample.

See the gallery for the 12 worst places for millennials to live.

— Related on ThinkAdvisor:

• Many Millennials Are Neglecting Health Concerns: Harmony
• Millennials Want to Hear More About Social Security Planning: Nationwide
• Pandemic Lockdown Provides Silver Lining for Millennials

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