MOST LIVABLE STATES

IN THE U.S.By Vic Setlur

Supervisor: Mr. Borne

Methodology

• I ranked the 50 states using 10 variables

• Minimized bias by using the 2010 census and reputable

websites• Ranked states by either percentage or per 1000 population

• However the report is still subject to bias due to the selection of the

variables

Variables

• Life Expectancy

• Health Care

• Medicaid

• Divorces

• Motor Vehicle accidents

• Educational Attainment

• Crime Rates

• Unemployment

• Annual Wage

• Poverty Rate

Top Ten – Best of the best

#1 – Massachusetts- Average: 44.1

- First in Annual Wage, educational

attainment, and motor vehicle

accident rate

- Lowest ranked variable is

unemployment rate at 34 (going

from 1=worst,50=best)

#2 – Connecticut- Average: 41.6

- Top ten in every single category other

than unemployment, where they rank 14

#3 – New Hampshire- Average: 40.2

- Lowest rank: Number of divorces

per 1000 at 6th worst

- Highest rank: Poverty rate at 50

#4 – Vermont- Average rank: 39.9

- Highest rank is unemployment,

poverty rate, and health care

all at 48

- Lowest rank is divorces at 24

#5 – Minnesota- Minnesota didn’t have

any rankings that were

below average

- Their lowest rank is

Medicaid at 25

- 2nd highest life

expectancy

- Average rank of 38.8

#6 – New York- Average: 38.1

- Lowest rank: Poverty rate at

13

- Highest rank: Annual Wage,

Life Expectancy, and Motor

vehicle accidents all at 48

- Third highest annual wage

and life expectancy in the

U.S

#7 - Hawaii- Hawaii averaged 36.3

- They ranked above average for

everything except crime rate

(does not include violent crime)

- Unsurprisingly ranked first in

life expectancy at 81.5 years

and also had the best ranked

Medicare

#8 – New Jersey- New Jersey ranked below average

in only two categories,

unemployment at 7 and Medicaid at

14

- Average of 36.1

- 2nd lowest poverty rate

#9 – Maryland- Average 35.5

- Lowest rank is life expectancy

at 19

- 2nd highest ranked in

educational attainment

#10 – Rhode Island- Rhode Island averaged 32.9

- Lowest rank is unemployment rate at 6

- Highest rank is motor vehicle accident rate at 49

#1-10 analysis

#11-20, Above Average

#11-20, Above Average

• Colorado

• Washington

• Pennsylvania

• North Dakota

• Virginia

• California

• Wisconsin

• South Dakota

• Nebraska

• Utah

#11-20 analysis

#21-30, Roughly Average

#21-30

• 21 – Iowa

• 22 – Delaware

• 23 – Maine

• 24 – Michigan

• 25 – Alaska

• 26 – Illinois

• 27 – Oregon

• 28 – Idaho

• 29 – Montana

• 30 – Kansas

#21-30 analysis

#31-40, Below Average

• 31 – Ohio

• 32 – Arizona

• 33 – Wyoming

• 34 – Florida

• 35 – Missouri

• 36 – Georgia

• 37 – New Mexico

• 38 – Texas

• 39 – Nevada

• 40 – South Carolina

Map

#41-50 The Worst of the Worst

#41 – Indiana

#42 – North Carolina

#43 – Kentucky

#44 – West Virginia

#45 – Oklahoma

#46 – Louisiana

#47 – Alabama

#48 – Tennessee

#49 – Arkansas

#50 – Mississippi

Excel Chart – Sorted Worst to BestGoing from 1=Worst to 50=Best

Excel Chart Continued

Final Map

Heat MapRank 1-10 is colored in red, 11-20 is orange, 21 -30 is yellow, 31-40 is light blue, 41-50 is

dark blue

Analysis

• Gap between rich and poor evident

• Variables show that the top ranked states are in the North-

East

• 8 of the 10 states in the top 10 are in the North-East

• Worst ranked states highly concentrated in the South-East

Test on Virginia

• The test on Virginia: Because Virginia is vastly different in

the top 1/3 and the bottom 2/3, (top 1/3 is more like north

east, bottom 2/3 is more like south east) I did a test with

picking two cities in the north, two in the south, and picked

a few variables to rank and compare them to see if it is

similar to the trend I was seeing with the northeast being

very livable and the southeast not so livable.

Test on Virginia Continued

Fairfax City Alexandria Roanoke Norfolk

Percent aged

25+ who

achieved B.A.

52.7% 60.1% 22.4% 24.7%

Median

Household

Income

$99,300 $82,899 $37,753 $43,914

Percent living

below poverty

level

5.9% 7.8% 20.8% 17.1%

The End!