Study shows which state is 'America's unluckiest'
AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you're planning a trip to West Virginia anytime soon, we have some tips for you. Don't break any mirrors, avoid black cats, and definitely don't travel today, Friday the 13th.
Why? West Virginia was named the unluckiest state in the nation, according to a report by TopUSCasinos.com.
The casino news and review site ranked each state based on a number of factors to determine which was America's unluckiest.
West Virginia ranked last, with an unlucky score of 75.08 out of a possible 100. New York is the nation's luckiest state, with a score of 28.26.
Texas ranked as the country's 11th unluckiest state.
How did the report come up with the scores? Ten factors were considered, including deaths from lightning strikes, accidental deaths, Powerball and Mega Millions winners and divorce rates among couples younger than 30.
West Virginia ranked dead last in three of the metrics: lowest happiness among residents, highest accident mortality rate and lowest life expectancy.
Several other Southern states — Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Alabama — round out the rest of the top five unluckiest states.
Meanwhile, New York ranks as the luckiest state, thanks to its low divorce rates under 30, low accident mortality rate and high life expectancy.
Minnesota, Maryland, California and New Jersey are the other lucky states that get a spot in the top five.
Here's a look at some of the metrics used in the report:
- Happiness of residents: West Virginia ranks lowest, while Utah ranks highest
- Lightning fatalities since 1952: Florida has the most (515), while Alaska and Hawaii have the fewest (0)
- Disaster declarations since 1953: Texas has the most (365), while Delaware has the fewest (25)
- Accidental deaths per 100,000 since 2014: West Virginia has the most (92.1), while New York has the fewest (34.0)
- Life expectancy: West Virginia has the lowest (74.8), while Hawaii has the highest (81.4)
- Divorce rate at 30 years old: Arkansas has the highest (19.5%), while New York has the lowest (5%)