The Best and Worst U.S. States for People With Disabilities

By Nic Breedlove

Choosing a place to live or move to is not an ordinary task when living with a disability. Ensuring sufficient wheelchair-accessible ramps or elevators in frequently visited locations is just one factor to investigate. Additionally, researching the healthcare coverage and employment rates for people with disabilities in the area is crucial before deciding where to settle down. Even the weather or housing options in a city could influence the decision.

Considering statistics around the quality of life, inclusion, and success of people with disabilities, AAA State of Play has ranked all 50 U.S. states to help you determine the best state to set down roots if you or a loved one has a disability.

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Around 44 million U.S. citizens identify as disabled, or around 13% of the population, according to the latest census data. While many states have taken steps to accommodate various intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, others continue to fall short. 

The 5 Best U.S. States for People With Disabilities

The most disability-friendly state, according to our analysis, is Colorado. The state has its own digital accessibility standards beyond federal law that ensure software and some hardware is easily usable and adoptable for people with disabilities. Colorado also has an over 54% employment rate for people with disabilities, the highest percentage of disabled individuals with a four-year college degree, and the fifth-lowest percentage of disabled individuals living in poverty.

The second-best state to live in if you or someone in your household has a disability is California, which scored the best for digital accessibility standards. It has the largest number of wheelchair-friendly trails and the third-most sunny days in a year on average.

Coming in close third is Massachusetts. This state has the highest median wage for disabled workers between 18 and 64 at $62,539 a year. It also has its own digital accessibility laws and one of the highest health insurance coverage rates for disabled individuals.

Fourth is Minnesota. Minnesota doesn’t rank in the top five for any category. But it still has significantly high employment and healthcare coverage rates for workers with disabilities, a low poverty rate for this community, and plenty of accessible amenities for citizens — which is why it was able to nab this top spot.

New Jersey is in fifth place. It has the third-highest median annual wage for disabled workers and a relatively low percentage of disabled individuals living in poverty. It ranks second on The National Center for Access to Justice’s Disability Access Index, which measures the accessibility, support, and accommodation of the justice system for those with disabilities.

The 5 Worst U.S. States for People With Disabilities

Based on our ranking of physical accessibility, quality of life, employment, healthcare opportunities, support, and inclusivity, the least disability-friendly states are, in order of lowest score, Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, and West Virginia.

How to Pick the Right State to Live in to Accommodate a Disability

Rankings are just one way to narrow down a list of places to live. Here are some other tips:

• Talk to community members and state-specific disability networks: Other individuals who moved to your desired area and may have similar disabilities are your best resource for understanding the pros and cons of the location and getting your most pressing questions answered.
• Test-drive public transit and sidewalks: It’s essential to confirm whether public amenities can cater to your specific needs before you start house-shopping in a neighborhood.
• Look for accessibility in kids' areas: Playgrounds, parks, and other places you may take your children should have inclusion built in. AAA State of Play specializes in accessible, ADA-compliant playground equipment that ensures kids have a fun and safe experience whenever they play outdoors.
• Consider the quality of life outside a disability: Do you like the city’s culture? Scenery? School system or extracurricular offerings? All these factors matter in addition to feeling comfortable, supported, and included.

All 50 U.S. States Ranked Based on How Disability-Friendly They Are

Methodology:

We ranked the 50 U.S. states based on 12 factors contributing to the quality of life, inclusion, and success of people with disabilities. States can earn a total of 225 points.

Colorado	149.04
California	140.07
Massachusetts	139.91
Minnesota	138.63
New Jersey	137.96
Maryland	137.54
Connecticut	137.50
Pennsylvania	136.29
Illinois	135.52
Utah	126.85
Rhode Island	126.37
Ohio	125.78
Florida	124.34
Nebraska	124.05
Michigan	123.17
Virginia	123.06
Washington	122.42
Vermont	120.62
Texas	120.42
Oregon	120.15
Wisconsin	118.53
New York	118.44
North Dakota	117.55
Iowa	114.50
Delaware	113.70
Missouri	112.36
North Carolina	112.18
New Hampshire	112.14
Hawaii	111.12
Georgia	110.93
Kansas	109.95
Idaho	108.41
Maine	107.53
Montana	106.91
Tennessee	105.84
Oklahoma	101.10
Arizona	99.19
Kentucky	97.95
South Dakota	97.15
Indiana	96.22
Nevada	96.17
Wyoming	94.77
Louisiana	93.15
New Mexico	90.59
South Carolina	90.45
West Virginia	89.19
Arkansas	87.57
Alaska	83.77
Alabama	83.48
Mississippi	71.49

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Digital Accessibility Laws

States with no specific digital accessibility standards beyond federal laws are awarded 0 points. States with additional laws are awarded between 5 and 15 points depending on the extent of their laws.

1. California: 15.00
2. Colorado: 10.00
3. Texas: 10.00
4. New York: 10.00
5. Massachusetts: 5.00

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Number of Wheelchair-Friendly Trails

The maximum number of trails that can be shown on AllTrails is 500.

1. California: 500.00
2. Florida: 500.00
3. Texas: 500.00
4. Illinois: 457.00
5. Ohio: 442.00

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Median Wage for Disabled Workers Ages 18-64

1. Massachusetts: $62,539
2. Alaska: $62,539
3. New Jersey: $60,454
4. Maryland: $60,454
5. Virginia: $57,327

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Employment Rate of Disabled Individuals Living in the Community

1. Utah: 58.40%
2. North Dakota: 56.50%
3. Vermont: 55.10%
4. Colorado: 54.50%
5. Nebraska: 54.50%

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Health Insurance Coverage Rate for Disabled Individuals Living in the Community

1. Vermont: 98.20%
2. Massachusetts: 97.60%
3. Iowa: 96.20%
4. Rhode Island: 95.80%
5. Hawaii: 95.70%

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Percentage of Disabled Individuals Living in Poverty

1. Utah: 17.40%
2. Nevada: 18.80%
3. Delaware: 19.00%
4. New Jersey: 19.00%
5. Colorado: 19.40%

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Percentage of Disabled Individuals With a 4-Year College Degree

1. Colorado: 16.50%
2. Utah: 16.50%
3. Vermont: 16.40%
4. New Hampshire: 15.90%
5. Delaware: 15.70%

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Percentage of Individuals With Ambulatory Disabilities Who Self-Care

A higher rate may imply that the state provides the means necessary for a disabled individual to live and work independently without the need for assisted living.

1. Oregon: 37.60%
2. North Dakota: 37.30%
3. Rhode Island: 36.30%
4. Hawaii: 36.10%
5. Idaho: 35.60%

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Percentage of Disabled Individuals Experiencing a Poor or Overcrowded Housing Environment

1. North Dakota: 2.30%
2. South Carolina: 3.00%
3. Vermont: 3.10%
4. Alabama: 3.30%
5. Georgia: 3.50%

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on The National Center for Access to Justice’s Disability Access Index

This index measures the accessibility, support, and accommodation of the justice system for disabled individuals in each U.S. state.

1. Hawaii: 62.50
2. Connecticut: 62.50
3. New Jersey: 60.00
4. Massachusetts: 57.50
5. Oregon: 55.00

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Forbes Advisor’s Access to Healthcare Index

This index measures healthcare accessibility in each state by evaluating several factors, including the number of primary care physicians, specialist physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants per 10,000 residents; the percentage of residents who delayed healthcare due to costs; and the number of hospital beds available per 1,000 residents. A higher score indicates lower accessibility. For this metric, rank #50 has the most accessibility, and rank #1 has the least. We divided the ranking number by two to create a new score.

1. Massachusetts: 50.00
2. Connecticut: 49.00
3. Rhode Island: 48.00
4. Michigan: 47.00
5. Pennsylvania: 46.00

The Top 5 U.S. States Based on Average Annual Sunny Days by State

1. Arizona: 193.00
2. Nevada: 158.00
3. California: 146.00
4. Oklahoma: 139.00
5. Colorado: 136.00

Sources:

Digital Accessibility Laws: https://onlineada.com/articles/which-u-s-states-have-digital-accessibility-laws-a-comprehensive-list

Number of Wheelchair-Friendly Trails on AllTrails: https://support.alltrails.com/hc/en-us/articles/360056963411-Accessibility-guide-for-wheelchair-friendly-trails

Median Wage for Disabled Workers Ages 18-64 by State: https://www.researchondisability.org/ADSC/compendium-table-contents/section-5-earnings

Employment Rate of Disabled Individuals Living in the Community: https://www.researchondisability.org/ADSC/compendium-table-contents/section-3-employment

Health Insurance Coverage Rate for Disabled Individuals Living in the Community: https://www.researchondisability.org/ADSC/compendium-table-contents/section-9-health-insurance-coverage

Percentage of Disabled Individuals Living in Poverty: https://www.researchondisability.org/ADSC/compendium-table-contents/section-6-poverty

Annual Sunny Days by State: https://www.datapandas.org/ranking/best-weather-by-state

Percentage of Disabled Individuals With a 4-Year College Degree: https://www.researchondisability.org/ADSC/compendium-table-contents/section-13-education

Percentage of Individuals With Ambulatory Disabilities Who Self-Care: https://www.researchondisability.org/ADSC/compendium-table-contents/section-2-functioning

Percentage of Disabled Individuals Experiencing a Poor or Overcrowded Housing Environment: https://www.researchondisability.org/ADSC/compendium-table-contents/section-7-home-environments

The National Center for Access to Justice’s Disability Access Index: https://ncaj.org/state-rankings/justice-index/disability-access