The Overall U.S. Infrastructure Earns a Mediocre C Grade, By Stephen Heins, The Word Merchant

“…which scores states on infrastructure based on factors like road and bridge conditions, power grid reliability, broadband access, airport facilities, and resilience to climate risks…”

According to CNBC’s 2025 America’s Top States for Business study, which scores states on infrastructure based on factors like road and bridge conditions, power grid reliability, broadband access, airport facilities, and resilience to climate risks, the overall U.S. infrastructure earns a mediocre C grade despite recent federal investments. The following are the 10 states ranked as having the worst infrastructure, ordered from worst (No. 1) to least worst (No. 10) among them. Each state’s score is out of a possible 405 points, with a corresponding letter grade. I’ve included key reasons for their low rankings, highlighting persistent challenges like aging systems, geographic vulnerabilities, and underinvestment.

1. Maine (Score: 119/405, Grade: F)
Maine has the nation’s least reliable power grid, where customers experience frequent outages due to its harsh climate and severe weather events. Efforts to improve, such as a rejected voter proposal for public power ownership and recent legislation creating a Department of Energy Resources, have yet to yield results, leaving the state vulnerable to disruptions.

2. Alaska (Score: 120/405, Grade: F)
As the largest state by area, Alaska suffers from extreme isolation and poor connectivity, with fewer than 2% of residents having access to affordable broadband (defined as $60/month or less). It also has only six vacant commercial or industrial sites of 15 acres or larger, limiting economic development opportunities.

3. Hawaii (Score: 126/405, Grade: F)
Hawaii’s geographic isolation means no freight rail service and a very limited population within 500 miles (essentially just the state itself). It has some of the nation’s worst roads, with high maintenance costs, and a power grid that ranks poorly for reliability amid volcanic and storm risks.

4. New Hampshire (Score: 138/405, Grade: F)
Air travel is severely limited, with the state’s two commercial airports offering direct flights only to East Coast destinations and Florida. The power grid ranks 41st nationally for reliability, contributing to frequent outages and hindering business attraction.

5. Louisiana (Score: 152/405, Grade: D-)
Situated in “hurricane alley,” Louisiana faces constant storm damage, with its power grid ranking 40th for reliability. Recent projects like Meta’s massive AI data center raise concerns about straining the grid further, though utilities are seeking approvals for new power plants to mitigate this. This aligns with broader trends, as Louisiana also has high percentages of roads in unacceptable condition (26.4%).

6. Montana (Score: 153/405, Grade: D-)
Montana has limited development potential, with only 22 vacant commercial or industrial sites of 15 acres or larger. It’s the second-worst state for broadband access, where speeds are slow and fewer than half of residents have affordable plans, isolating rural communities.

7. Mississippi (Score: 155/405, Grade: D-)
The state is highly susceptible to severe weather like hurricanes and tornadoes, earning poor marks for resilience. It lacks a statewide plan to withstand these risks, exacerbating damage to roads, bridges, and utilities.

8. West Virginia (Score: 164/405, Grade: D)
With the second-highest flood risk in the U.S., West Virginia has endured multiple flash floods in 2025 alone. It ranks 47th for resilience, having done little to protect against these threats, which damage infrastructure and disrupt daily life. This is consistent with U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best States rankings, where West Virginia has the worst infrastructure overall.

9. Wyoming (Score: 166/405, Grade: D)
As one of the most remote states, Wyoming has a small population within a 500-mile radius, limiting market access. Broadband is the third-worst nationally, with over a third of residents lacking affordable plans, hampering remote work and business growth.

10. Arkansas (Score: 170/405, Grade: D)
Arkansas is prone to severe weather like tornadoes, leading to spotty grid reliability where average customers face over 15 hours of outages annually—the third-worst record in the nation. This vulnerability affects everything from homes to industries.

These rankings highlight common themes across the worst-performing states: vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather, inadequate broadband in rural or remote areas, and unreliable power systems that haven’t fully benefited from federal funding like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

For comparison, specialized reports show overlaps; for instance, Rhode Island tops lists for worst roads (37.2% in poor condition), but broader infrastructure issues push states like Maine and Alaska lower overall. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 national report card gives U.S. infrastructure a C, emphasizing the need for sustained investment to close a $3.7 trillion gap, but state-specific grades vary and often align with these findings. Improving these areas could boost economic competitiveness, reduce household costs, and enhance resilience.