Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) is pushing back against a CNBC ranking that placed Tennessee last among states for quality of life, arguing that the assessment does not reflect the reality experienced by residents or the continued influx of people and businesses into the state.
Johnson’s comments came during an interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday after CNBC released its 2026 America’s Top States for Business rankings. Tennessee ranked ninth overall for business, but the report placed the state 50th in its quality-of-life category.
CNBC said its quality-of-life ranking examined factors including crime rates, air quality, healthcare, childcare availability, inclusiveness, reproductive rights, and worker protections. The report listed Tennessee’s strengths as air quality while identifying crime, inclusiveness, and worker protections as weaknesses.
Johnson rejected the ranking and defended the state’s appeal.
“I think [Tennessee is a great place]. Apparently, there are some that don’t think so. But I think it’s a very special place,” Johnson said of Tennessee on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show. “I think we’re the best managed, most conservative state in America.”
Johnson said his conversations with Tennesseans across the state have shown strong support for the direction Tennessee is taking.
“As I talk to my constituents, and I’m traveling around the state a lot, I have been for the last several weeks, and as I talk to people, whether it’s West Tennessee, Upper East Tennessee, certainly here in Middle Tennessee you have a couple of different factions,” Johnson said. “You have people who have been here for a long time. And they love Tennessee, and they love the direction Tennessee is going.”
He said many people who have recently moved to Tennessee have expressed appreciation for the state.
“And then you have, obviously, we have a lot of people moving here, one of the most moved to states in America, and it’s interesting to talk to those people, and by and large they are so grateful to be here,” Johnson said. “They’re fleeing states like California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and it could be for a variety of reasons.”
According to U-Haul’s 2025 Growth Index, Tennessee ranked fourth nationally for inbound growth based on one-way moving transactions, marking the sixth consecutive year the Volunteer State has finished among the nation’s top 10 growth states.
Johnson pointed to taxes, business conditions, and economic opportunity as reasons people are relocating.
“But generally, people, I think, that are moving here are very content with our quality of life,” he said.
Addressing CNBC’s concerns about crime, Johnson argued that statewide crime statistics are heavily influenced by conditions in Memphis.
CNBC’s methodology evaluates states as a whole and does not remove individual cities from its calculations.
“Some of the metrics in there, and I’m sure we’ll get into some of this, but it frustrates me — we do rank sometimes in terms of crime not that great,” Johnson said. “Why is that? It’s because of Memphis, and we have a DA down there that won’t prosecute crime. We have a failed judicial system down there.”
Johnson said state and federal efforts are helping address crime concerns.
“We have made significant strides in reducing crime down there with the help of President Donald Trump, Senator Marsha Blackburn, and others with the Memphis Safe Task Force,” Johnson said. “So we are addressing that. If you take Memphis out and their crime, we’re one of the safest states in America.”
Johnson also highlighted Tennessee’s economic growth, scenery, and culture as reasons he believes the state remains one of the best places to live.
“If you want to own a business, if you want to raise your family, if you believe in traditional conservative values, Tennessee is a wonderful place,” Johnson said.
He acknowledged that rapid growth has brought challenges, particularly with transportation and infrastructure.
“Some of the growth, that’s bringing its own set of challenges relative to traffic and infrastructure,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of work to be done in that regard.”
Johnson also addressed CNBC’s criticism regarding inclusiveness, suggesting that political differences may shape perceptions of Tennessee.
“I would expect that someone with a more left-wing, liberal bias probably doesn’t look too favorably on Tennessee, and that’s okay,” Johnson said. “That’s okay. You stay in California. Stay in California. Stay in New York. Stay in Illinois, stay in Chicago, wherever you want to be.”
“But if you want good traditional conservative values and to be able to own a business or raise a family in that type of environment, Tennessee is your place,” he added.
During the interview, Leahy challenged CNBC journalist Scott Cohn, who oversees the network’s state rankings, to respond to criticism of Tennessee’s placement.
Johnson said that anyone making a negative assessment of the state should engage with people who live there.
“If you’re going to make this allegation about a state like Tennessee, and there’s a lot of us here working very hard to make Tennessee the wonderful place that it is at all levels of government, all levels of the private sector, and nonprofits and we are thriving as a state,” Johnson said.
“So if you’re going to make that type of an allegation, the least you can do is be accountable to some people who live here who don’t agree with your thesis,” he added. “I don’t know how much time he has spent in Tennessee or how much he’s talked to actual people who live here, but I don’t think Tennesseans agree with his assessment.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
