The 15 worst US states for millennials, ranked

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The 15 worst US states for millennials, ranked
washington dc
  • Information company Zippia released its ranking of the worst states for millennials in November.
  • To determine which states were the worst, Zippia considered millennial unemployment rates, average student loan debt, millennial homeownership rates, and the percentage of millennials who were living in poverty in each area.
  • It found that the District of Columbia was the worst place to be a millennial, with a millennials unemployment rate of 6% and average student loan debt of $60,039.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

By now, everyone knows that millennials have it hard - or at least, harder than other generations.

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As Hillary Hoffower for Business Insider previously reported, millennials hold only 3% of the total wealth in the United States, while baby boomers account for nearly 60% of the country's wealth.

"Gen X and millennials haven't even reached these wealth levels. Thus far, Gen X only comprises about 16% of US wealth," Hoffower wrote. "And perhaps most strikingly, the line for millennials is almost completely flat: They've barely seen any increase in net worth, coming in at less than 5% of total US wealth in 2019."

But there are some places where it's better to be a millennial than others, and information firm Zippia has the data to prove it.

Zippia determined the best and worst states by taking each state and the District of Columbia, then ranking them based on factors including millennial unemployment, average student loan debt, millennial homeownership rates, and the percentage of millenials who were living in poverty in that state. These factors were then averaged together to determine ac

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As result, the study found that the District of Columbia was the worst place to be a millennial, with an unemployment rate of 6% for that age range - significantly steeper than the current national employment rate of 3.7%. On top of that, Zippia's researchers found that DC millennials have an average student loan debt of just over $60,000.

Keep reading to see which states rounded out the top 15, listed in order from least bad to worst.

Generation Z from Business Insider Intelligence

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15. New Jersey

15. New Jersey

Millennial unemployment rate: 7.3%

Average student loan debt: $35,011

According to a 2018 study, 12.5% of millennials in New Jersey still live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

14. Oregon

14. Oregon

Millennial unemployment rate: 7.1%

Average student loan debt: $33,419

According to a 2018 study, 7.3% of millennials in Oregon live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

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13. Rhode Island

13. Rhode Island

Millennial unemployment rate: 7.5%

Average student loan debt: $32,341

According to a 2018 study, 10.4% of millennials in Rhode Island live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

12. Illinois

12. Illinois

Millennial unemployment rate: 7.3%

Average student loan debt: $37,470

According to a 2018 study, 10.8% of millennials in Illinois live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

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11. Tennessee

11. Tennessee

Millennial unemployment rate: 7.3%

Average student loan debt: $34,283

According to a 2018 study, 8.8% of millennials in Tennessee live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

10. Mississippi

10. Mississippi

Millennial unemployment rate: 10%

Average student loan debt: $33,261

According to a 2018 study, 10.8% of millennials in Mississippi live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

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9. Louisiana

9. Louisiana

Millennial unemployment rate: 8%

Average student loan debt: $33,860

According to a 2018 study, 10.6% of millennials in Louisiana live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

8. Alabama

8. Alabama

Millennial unemployment rate: 8%

Average student loan debt: $34,861

According to a 2018 study, 9.9% of millennials in Alabama live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

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7. South Carolina

7. South Carolina

Millennial unemployment rate: 7%

Average student loan debt: $37,249

According to a 2018 study, 9.2% of millennials in South Carolina live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

6. California

6. California

Millennial unemployment rate: 7%

Average student loan debt: $34,449

According to a 2018 study, 12.2% of millennials in California live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

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5. North Carolina

5. North Carolina

Millennial unemployment rate: 7%

Average student loan debt: $36,246

According to a 2018 study, 8.7% of millennials in North Carolina live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

4. Florida

4. Florida

Millennial unemployment rate: 7%

Average student loan debt: $35,709

According to a 2018 study, 10.2% of millennials in Florida live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

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3. New York

3. New York

Millennial unemployment rate: 7%

Average student loan debt: $38,734

According to a 2018 study, 12.2% of millennials in New York live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

2. Georgia

2. Georgia

Millennial unemployment rate: 8%

Average student loan debt: $37,284

According to a 2018 study, 10.3% of millennials in Georgia live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.

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1. District of Columbia

1. District of Columbia

Millennial unemployment rate: 6%

Average student loan debt: $60,039

According to a 2018 study, 6.9% of millennials in Washington D.C. live at home with their parents, Business Insider previously reported.