Louisiana got ranked the worst state, once again. Here's why they're right • The Tulane Hullabaloo

Louisiana ranked 50th in national state rankings for the fourth year in a row. As a New Orleans native, it's about time we start doing things differently. We are the only state that ranks in the bottom 10 in all eight categories: 50th in crime and corrections, 49th in environment and economy, 46th in education and infrastructure and 45th in healthcare and opportunity. The highest rank was 43rd in fiscal stability. 'I am not surprised,' Lily Vu, a Tulane University freshman from New Orleans, said. 'I wouldn't necessarily say I'm proud to live in Louisiana, but I do like stuff like seafood boils and Mardi Gras. I don't know if that outweighs the crime and infrastructure.' Louisiana's violent crime rate was 44.8% higher than the national average in 2024. In 2025, New Orleans was deemed the most dangerous U.S. city. Isabella Huddleston, a Tulane student from Lake Charles, says her high school experience reflects the 46th-place education ranking. 'I felt like I wasn't learning anything, and so I transferred to a boarding school my junior and senior year,' Huddleston said. Tulane political science professor Rosalind Cook argued that education in New Orleans has greatly improved since Hurricane Katrina, with the expansion of charter schools. 'It used to be that the public school system was really poor,' Cook said. 'The charter school system certainly improved education in New Orleans.' Education is the one area where a statewide ranking doesn't show New Orleans' full picture. While the rankings are low, classrooms have improved significantly. New Orleans students ranked in the 99th percentile nationally for reading growth and the 98th percentile for math growth from 2022 to 2025. Louisiana fourth-grade reading scores also rose to 16th nationally in 2024, compared with 50th in 2019. Minorities and low-income students scored worse on average, showing that many New Orleans students still lack access to the same quality of education. New Orleanians are struggling with the cost of living. With inflation, interest rates and high rent, many residents are deciding it's time to leave. The most recent census data shows 1,300 residents left New Orleans last year because they cannot afford to live there anymore. It shouldn't be a question that some things in Louisiana need to change. However, we shouldn't have had to wait until we have ranked 50th in four consecutive years to make these changes. 'I think having the priorities be focused on communities and individuals as opposed to industry is really the key,' Heather Veneziano, director of Tulane's Historic Preservation program, said. 'Roadmaps are out there; we just have to change them to fit our place and our values as a community.' Veneziano argued that infrastructure initiatives often move faster ahead of events such as Mardi Gras or the Super Bowl, due to an influx of tourists. 'It would be great if that same speed could be applied to the projects when the tourists are not coming in droves,' Veneziano said. New Orleans constantly proves it can coordinate quickly for millions of visitors; it should apply the same urgency to the infrastructure the city's own residents rely on every day. The August 2026 Sewerage and Water Board overhaul creates an opportunity to answer that question, but only if greater oversight leads to measurable improvements. Investing in our future starts by caring for our infrastructure, funding our schools, reducing crime and expanding jobs. We need to make our home a better place to live in, but it only happens if the community and residents come together to rebuild it.