The U-Haul Growth Index reveals Americans are moving away from high-tax states like California and New York towards low-tax states such as Texas and Florida, with a strong correlation between lower personal income tax rates and higher migration. The index also highlights that most top-performing states have Right-to-Work laws, while the bottom states do not, emphasizing the impact of tax and labor policies on migration patterns.
A 2025 report by Mental Health America ranks New York, Hawaii, and New Jersey as the top states for mental health, while Nevada, Arizona, and Alabama rank lowest, highlighting ongoing disparities and the need for increased investment and policy changes to improve mental health services across the US.
A study using PIAAC data reveals that New Hampshire and Minnesota have the highest adult literacy rates in the U.S., while New Mexico, Louisiana, and Mississippi have the lowest. Overall, adult literacy levels are declining nationally, with an increase in adults with low literacy skills and a decrease in those with high literacy, highlighting the need for expanded adult education programs.
The doxo 2025 Cost of Bills Index reveals California as the most expensive U.S. state for household bills, averaging $2,854 monthly, while West Virginia is the least expensive at $1,149, highlighting significant regional disparities in living costs across the country.
The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championship qualifiers have been announced, with Pennsylvania leading the way with 43 qualifiers, followed by Ohio with 28 and New Jersey with 26. The article also provides a breakdown of qualifiers by state, per capita, and per high school participant, as well as a list of wrestlers and their hometowns. Additionally, it includes information on international qualifiers and an interactive heat map.
SmartAsset ranked U.S. states (excluding Florida) based on eight health variables for people aged 65 and older, with New Hampshire coming out on top for senior health, while Louisiana ranked last. Factors considered included obesity, smoking, arthritis, mental distress, cognitive decline, disability status, and leisure-time activity. The study found that New Hampshire, Hawaii, and Vermont have the healthiest seniors, while states in the South generally ranked lower for senior health.
A GOBankingRates study using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Missouri Economic Research and Information Center data reveals that $1 million in retirement savings will last the longest in states like Mississippi and Oklahoma, over 21 years, while it will deplete much faster, around 10 to 15 years, in high-cost states such as Hawaii, New York, and California. The study highlights significant differences in living expenses, particularly housing costs, across the states. Fidelity suggests that the ideal retirement savings should be based on multiples of one's annual salary by certain ages, rather than a fixed dollar amount, to account for varying costs of living in different regions.
Virginia ranks first in defense spending, followed by Texas and California. Arizona replaced Washington in the top 10 states where the Pentagon spends the most on defense. However, if rankings were based on dollars spent relative to a state's gross domestic product, Virginia, Hawaii, and Connecticut would be the top three. The fiscal 2022 report tracks defense spending across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, totaling the amount of money spent per state on defense contracts and personnel.
CNBC's annual competitiveness study, America's Top States for Business, has ranked the top 10 states with the healthiest housing markets based on factors such as price appreciation, housing starts, foreclosure rates, and affordability. The states offering the best value for buyers are Alabama, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, South Carolina, and Florida. These states have seen varying levels of price appreciation, foreclosure rates, and affordability, with Florida topping the list as the strongest housing market in the country.
A new study by WalletHub ranks California as the best state to be a police officer, followed by Washington D.C, Connecticut, Maryland, and Illinois. Surprisingly, states known for "Defund the Police" movements, such as California and New York, ranked high on the list. The study considered factors such as salary, training requirements, and job hazards and protections. However, the effect of "Defund the Police" on morale and retention rates was not discussed. States with high rankings have had a hard time retaining police officers, with an 18% increase in resignations and a 45% increase in retirement rates.
Two bills have been introduced in Congress to address the issue of low teacher pay in the U.S. The Pay Teachers Act and the American Teacher Act both aim to set a national minimum salary of $60,000 for public school teachers. Currently, the median annual salary for teachers in the U.S. is just over $61,000. Teacher salaries vary widely by state, with New York offering the highest average salary of $80,286 and Hawaii offering the lowest at $47,156. Low salaries and high stress have contributed to a nationwide teacher shortage.
