Compare all 50 states across 78 measures of income, housing, population, education and everyday life—with federal sources, visible data years and downloadable rankings.
Select a state to explore. Alaska and Hawaii are not to scale or position.
Population: Census population estimates, Vintage 2025.
78 measures / 50 state profiles / Federal sourcesSource register
Renter income after housing costs
2024 Census microdata
Among renter households, California has the highest average (mean) income left after paying for housing: $72,809 a year. Its median renter household keeps $47,397, a reminder that high incomes pull the average up. These experimental estimates are before taxes and other living expenses. Read the calculation and limitations.
These examples compare dollar amounts, household burdens, and the components of population change.
Massachusetts income adjusted for regional prices
Massachusetts recorded a median household income of $104,828 in 2024. Its regional price parity was 105.8, where the U.S. price level equals 100. Dividing income by that index and multiplying by 100 gives $99,122 at national price levels.
This makes a useful second lens on income. It does not describe a particular household’s budget: state averages hide local prices, household sizes and spending patterns. The income estimate is a median; the price adjustment is our calculation using the same reference year. Combined uncertainty is not quantified.
Florida and California: rent costs versus rent burden
Florida’s median monthly renter costs were $1,812 in 2024, below California’s $2,104. Yet Florida had a higher share of measured renter households spending at least 30% of income on rent and utilities: 58.1%, compared with 53.0% in California.
Monthly costs describe the dollar amount. Cost burden describes the relationship between housing costs and each household’s income. Dividing a state’s median rent by its overall median income cannot reproduce that household-level measure. The ranking pages show the survey margins of error and the population each measure covers.
Texas added 391,243 residents between July 2024 and July 2025. That change includes 157,711 more births than deaths, net domestic migration of 67,299, net international migration of 167,475, and a residual adjustment of -1,242.
These components reconcile to the total change. A large increase in residents does not necessarily mean the fastest percentage growth, and net migration counts arrivals minus departures. Use migration rates per 1,000 residents to compare states of different sizes. All components here come from one Census vintage so revised estimates remain consistent.
Our standard tables rank the highest numerical value first, with equal source values sharing a rank. First place can mean the largest population, the highest income or the highest housing burden. It is not an overall verdict on a state. Use side-by-side comparisons to see several measures together, or choose explicit weights in the custom ranking tool.
How current are the state rankings?
Reference years differ because federal sources follow different release schedules. This edition ranges from 2022 health data and 2023 road deaths to 2024 Census survey measures, 2025 crime, GDP and population estimates, and 1991–2020 climate averages. Each ranking names its reference period, source release and edition date. An edition date is not the year the underlying conditions were measured. The source register documents that coverage.
Are small differences between states meaningful?
Not always. Survey estimates have uncertainty, and neighboring ranks can be separated by very little. ACS tables and our experimental microdata estimates include 90% margins of error where available. Use the methodology’s uncertainty guidance and each ranking’s reliability notes before treating a one-place gap as a clear difference.
Can I download and reproduce a ranking?
Yes. Each dataset page provides a CSV, source identifiers, units and an immutable edition download. The default rank universe contains the 50 states. Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico appear as labeled reference jurisdictions where a source provides comparable data; they do not receive a default state rank. Calculated measures also document their formulas and limitations.
A larger income, shorter commute, or higher homeownership rate tells you something different. Our custom ranking lets you choose the measures and weights—and see exactly how the score is calculated.