Billy House/Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON -- Connecticut is tops. Mississippi is at the bottom. And Florida is about in the middle.
Where does your state and community fit in terms of standard of living?
A new study modeled on the United Nations Development Report provides what it calls a “snapshot” of Americans’ well-being, ranked by state and congressional district.
The authors of the non-profit effort looks at the same standards – based on government data on such topics as health and life expectancy, education and income -- used by the United Nations in compiling its reports on developing nations.
The study is an independent, non-profit initiative funded by Oxfam America, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council with additional funding from the Annenberg Foundation.
Drawing on the government data, the report constructs a nation-wide "American Human Development Index."
“By combining current information with historical data, the report reveals that some groups of Americans are living 10, 20, even 50 years behind others, constrained by limited access to education, well-paying jobs, and adequate health care,” said Ray Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America.
For example, the index shows that people in last-ranked Mississippi are living the equivalent of 30 years behind those in first-place Connecticut.
Among the nation’s 436 congressional districts, New York’s 14th CD (Manhattan) ranks first, and California’s 20th (near Fresno) ranks last.
The report also provides other information and rankings based on gender, race and life expectancy.
The report lists Florida as ranked 24th in well-being among states overall – and 10th in longest life expectancy.
Nationally, Asian males have the highest human development index score and African-American males the lowest, with the report saying there is the equivalent of a 50-year gap between the two groups.
And the report shows wide disparities in well-being within state borders.
Florida’s 22nd congressional district (which covers most of the ocean seafront of Palm Beach and Broward counties) is ranked among the top 70 of all 436 congressional districts nationwide in overall well-being, while its 3rd congressional district (extending from Jacksonville to Orlando) is ranked 395th.
Overall, the study ranks Rhode Island 9th highest, or best, in terms of the study’s “Human Development” index, Virginia as the 13th, Georgia 32nd, North Carolina 34th, South Carolina 43rd.
To look up how your state or neighborhood stacks up against others in the study on various indicators, or create your own local “Well-O-Meter” to calculate a wellness score, go to here.
Where does your state and community fit in terms of standard of living?
A new study modeled on the United Nations Development Report provides what it calls a “snapshot” of Americans’ well-being, ranked by state and congressional district.
The authors of the non-profit effort looks at the same standards – based on government data on such topics as health and life expectancy, education and income -- used by the United Nations in compiling its reports on developing nations.
The study is an independent, non-profit initiative funded by Oxfam America, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council with additional funding from the Annenberg Foundation.
Drawing on the government data, the report constructs a nation-wide "American Human Development Index."
“By combining current information with historical data, the report reveals that some groups of Americans are living 10, 20, even 50 years behind others, constrained by limited access to education, well-paying jobs, and adequate health care,” said Ray Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America.
For example, the index shows that people in last-ranked Mississippi are living the equivalent of 30 years behind those in first-place Connecticut.
Among the nation’s 436 congressional districts, New York’s 14th CD (Manhattan) ranks first, and California’s 20th (near Fresno) ranks last.
The report also provides other information and rankings based on gender, race and life expectancy.
The report lists Florida as ranked 24th in well-being among states overall – and 10th in longest life expectancy.
Nationally, Asian males have the highest human development index score and African-American males the lowest, with the report saying there is the equivalent of a 50-year gap between the two groups.
And the report shows wide disparities in well-being within state borders.
Florida’s 22nd congressional district (which covers most of the ocean seafront of Palm Beach and Broward counties) is ranked among the top 70 of all 436 congressional districts nationwide in overall well-being, while its 3rd congressional district (extending from Jacksonville to Orlando) is ranked 395th.
Overall, the study ranks Rhode Island 9th highest, or best, in terms of the study’s “Human Development” index, Virginia as the 13th, Georgia 32nd, North Carolina 34th, South Carolina 43rd.
To look up how your state or neighborhood stacks up against others in the study on various indicators, or create your own local “Well-O-Meter” to calculate a wellness score, go to here.