This article is actually pretty misleading and a good example of how statistics can be misrepresented by the media. It takes the full report here:
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings and doesn't list the actual full results. It only describes one of the numerous metrics involved (there are over 75 of them) and leaves the rest out. If you look at the actual full report California does not come last, it's actually number 32. The 10 worst states are Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Kentucky. I live in West Virginia so I'm not really pleased by this result but it's not that surprising. It's also not surprising that the media represented this report since California coming in last makes a better news story than Louisiana coming in last.