These rankings are suspect. Mississippi is #6 in quality of life, yet they are near dead last in almost everything else (health care #50, education #46, economy #48, opportunity #49, infrastructure #49). How can someone have a high quality of life if they are poor, uneducated, and unhealthy?
The answer seems to be that US News defines quality of life in an extremely narrow manner. The measurement seems to place a high emphasis on community engagement (likely tied to religiosity) and natural environment (which seems to favor areas without large cities).
The answer seems to be that US News defines quality of life in an extremely narrow manner. The measurement seems to place a high emphasis on community engagement (likely tied to religiosity) and natural environment (which seems to favor areas without large cities).