US State Quality of Life Index Map
An interactive choropleth map showing how each US state performs across 8 key quality of life metrics compared to national averages.
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How the Grading Works
Each state is evaluated on 8 metrics and compared to the national average. The color grade reflects how many metrics are better than average:
| Grade | Color | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 8/8 | Dark Green | All metrics better than national average |
| 7/8 | Green | 7 metrics better, 1 worse |
| 6/8 | Medium Green | 6 metrics better, 2 worse |
| 5/8 | Light Green | 5 metrics better, 3 worse |
| 4/8 | Yellow | 4 metrics better, 4 worse (average) |
| 3/8 | Orange | 3 metrics better, 5 worse |
| 2/8 | Deep Orange | 2 metrics better, 6 worse |
| 1/8 | Red | 1 metric better, 7 worse |
| 0/8 | Dark Red | All metrics worse than national average |
The 8 Quality of Life Metrics
Economic Metrics
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Personal Income (Cost-of-Living Adjusted)
- Per capita personal income adjusted for regional price parities
- Higher values indicate greater purchasing power
- National Average: $55,000
-
Poverty Rate (Regionally Adjusted)
- Percentage of population below poverty line
- Adjusted using Supplemental Poverty Measure for regional cost differences
- National Average: 11.5%
Education
- Education Attainment
- Percentage of adults 25+ with bachelor's degree or higher
- Higher values indicate better educational outcomes
- National Average: 33.0%
Health Metrics
-
Life Expectancy
- Average life expectancy at birth in years
- Higher values indicate better overall health outcomes
- National Average: 77.5 years
-
Infant Mortality Rate
- Deaths per 1,000 live births
- Lower values indicate better maternal and infant healthcare
- National Average: 5.5 per 1,000
Safety & Affordability
-
Violent Crime Rate
- Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 population
- Lower values indicate safer communities
- National Average: 380 per 100,000
-
Median Home Price
- Median listing price for homes in the state
- Lower values indicate more affordable housing
- National Average: $350,000
-
Food Insecurity Rate
- Percentage of households experiencing food insecurity
- Lower values indicate better food access and economic stability
- National Average: 10.5%
Interactive Features
- Hover over any state to see detailed metric values
- Click on a state to zoom in
- Legend shows the color scale from best (dark green) to worst (dark red)
- Each metric shows whether the state is better (+) or worse (-) than average
Data Sources and References
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
Data Used: Personal Income by State, Regional Price Parities
Citation:
Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2023). Personal Income by State. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved from https://www.bea.gov/data/income-saving/personal-income-by-state
Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2023). Regional Price Parities by State. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved from https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area
Methodology: Personal income figures are adjusted using Regional Price Parities (RPPs) to account for cost-of-living differences between states. RPPs measure the differences in price levels across states for a given year and are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level.
US Census Bureau
Source: United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey
Data Used: Poverty Rates, Educational Attainment
Citation:
U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/
U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2022. Current Population Reports, P60-280. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.html
U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). Educational Attainment in the United States. American Community Survey. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2023/demo/educational-attainment/cps-detailed-tables.html
Methodology: Poverty rates are adjusted using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), which accounts for geographic differences in housing costs and includes non-cash benefits and necessary expenses like taxes and medical costs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
Data Used: Life Expectancy, Infant Mortality Rates
Citation:
National Center for Health Statistics. (2023). National Vital Statistics Reports: State Life Tables, 2020-2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/life_tables.htm
National Center for Health Statistics. (2023). Infant Mortality Rates by State. CDC WONDER Online Database. Retrieved from https://wonder.cdc.gov/
Arias, E., Xu, J., & Kochanek, K. D. (2023). United States Life Tables, 2021. National Vital Statistics Reports, 72(12). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
Methodology: Life expectancy is calculated using period life tables based on age-specific death rates. Infant mortality rate is defined as deaths under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program
Data Used: Violent Crime Rates
Citation:
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2023). Crime in the United States, 2022. Criminal Justice Information Services Division. Retrieved from https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/home
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2023). Crime Data Explorer. Retrieved from https://crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov/
Methodology: Violent crime includes four offense categories: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Rates are calculated per 100,000 population using Census Bureau population estimates.
Zillow
Source: Zillow Research
Data Used: Median Home Prices (Zillow Home Value Index)
Citation:
Zillow Research. (2024). Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI): All Homes, Time Series, Smoothed, Seasonally Adjusted. Retrieved from https://www.zillow.com/research/data/
Methodology: The Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is a smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure of the typical home value and market changes across a given region. It represents the typical value for homes in the 35th to 65th percentile range.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Source: USDA Economic Research Service
Data Used: Food Insecurity Rates
Citation:
Coleman-Jensen, A., Rabbitt, M. P., Gregory, C. A., & Singh, A. (2023). Household Food Security in the United States in 2022. Economic Research Report No. (ERR-325). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=107702
USDA Economic Research Service. (2023). State-Level Food Insecurity Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/interactive-charts-and-highlights/
Methodology: Food insecurity is defined as a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Statistics are derived from the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement.
Technical Details
- Library: Leaflet.js v1.9.4
- Map Tiles: OpenStreetMap
- Data Format: GeoJSON for state boundaries
- Interactivity: Hover for details, click to zoom
Limitations and Considerations
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Composite Index Simplicity: Each metric is given equal weight. Different weighting could produce different rankings.
-
Temporal Variations: Data from 2022-2024 sources; conditions change over time.
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State Averages: State-level data masks significant intra-state variation (urban vs. rural, etc.).
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Metric Selection: These 8 metrics were chosen for data availability and relevance, but other factors (climate, air quality, commute times, etc.) could also be included.
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Cost-of-Living Trade-offs: States with low housing costs may also have fewer job opportunities or lower wages.