5 Least Developed States in the USA

3. Arkansas

Human Development Index score: 0.881

Arkansas, a southern state bordering the Mississippi River, is known for its abundant park and wilderness areas, with terrain encompassing mountains, caves, rivers and hot springs. In 2022, about 14.7% of Arkansas’s population lived below the poverty line. This accounts for persons or families whose collective income in the proceeding 12 months was below the national poverty level of the United States. Overall, the state is one of the least developed in the U.S., ranking 41st in education, 43rd in infrastructure, 48th in crime, and 49th in healthcare.