G****a
发帖数: 10208 | 1 America’s Most Livable States
10. Maryland
> Future livability score: 18.5
> Full-time employment: 3rd best
> Job creation index: 24th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 16th best
Maryland is the state with the 10th-best outlook in the country, according
to Gallup’s Future Livability survey. The state has the wealthiest
population in the nation based on median household income, according to
recent Census data. Also, just 8.4% of Maryland households live below the
poverty line, compared to the nearly 12% of households nationwide. In Gallup
’s Economic Confidence Index survey, the state ranks the second-most
optimistic about the economy in the country. It also has the third-highest
percentage of residents reporting being employed full-time by an employer.
9. South Dakota
> Future livability score: 18.1
> Full-time employment: 13th best
> Job creation index: 6th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 10th worst
South Dakota has a strong job market, scoring sixth best in Gallup’s Job
Creation Index. And the state’s unemployment rate of 4.3% as of June is
nearly 50% of the national figure for the month. It is not surprising then
that South Dakota has the third-largest proportion of respondents feeling
positive about the current economy and the seventh-largest proportion of
respondents who felt their standard of living was getting better. But
despite the rosy projections, South Dakotans are surprisingly pessimistic
about their own future lives. When asked to evaluate their lives in five
years, they scored 10th worst of all states.
8. Hawaii
> Future livability score: 17.5
> Full-time employment: 4th worst
> Job creation index: 20th worst
> Outlook on life in five years: 7th best
While most of the states on this list are near the top in terms of employees
working full-time, Hawaii is the only state in the top 10 for future
livability that is among the worst in this category. Nevertheless, Hawaii
fares well economically otherwise. Its median household income of $63,030 is
the fifth highest in the country and well higher than the U.S. average of $
50,046. Hawaiians are healthier than the average American, too. As of 2011,
the state has the third-lowest rate of smokers at 16% and the 10th-lowest
rate of obese residents at 23.3%, besting the national rate of 21% and 26.1%
, respectively.
7. Iowa
> Future livability score: 17.5
> Full-time employment: 6th best
> Job creation index: 3rd best
> Outlook on life in five years: 5th worst
A large part of why Iowa is a great place to live is the state’s relatively
strong economy. The unemployment rate is the seventh lowest in the country
at 5.2%, while the national rate is 8.2%. Iowa ranks third for job creation
in the nation. Manufacturing added the most jobs of any nonfarm sector in
Iowa in 2011. Meanwhile, the housing sector also seems to be rebounding in
the state. While home prices declined almost 2% nationwide between the first
quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, they increased by 5.7% in
the Hawkeye state during that period — the most of any state in the country.
6. Virginia
> Future livability score: 16.8
> Full-time employment: 9th best
> Job creation index: 16th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 20th best
Virginia has one of the lowest poverty rates in the country, as well as one
of the highest median incomes. The housing market is improving, as evidenced
by the 4.8% increase in home prices between the first quarter of 2011 and
the first quarter of 2012. While the state is not exceptional in any of the
13 metrics Gallup uses to create its Future Livability score, it is in the
top 25 in every category but one — obesity, in which it ranks 26th. The
state’s unemployment rate in June was just 5.7%, the 10th lowest in the
country. The state also has the ninth-highest percentage of residents
employed full-time.
5. North Dakota
> Future livability score: 14.5
> Full-time employment: The best
> Job creation index: The best
> Outlook on life in five years: 14th worst
Like its southern neighbor, North Dakota has an extremely strong job outlook
, with the nation’s best job creation score and a June unemployment rate of
2.9% — the nation’s lowest. In 2011, the proportion of employees who
stated their employer was hiring was 34 percentage points higher than the
proportion claiming their employer was shedding jobs — the largest
disparity in the nation. Additionally, North Dakota residents have the
fourth-highest economic confidence score, and few states have residents who
are more optimistic about their future quality of life. But despite all
these positive projections about the state, respondents are less
enthusiastic about their own lives in five years, giving the 14th-worst
projections for their futures lives.
4. Nebraska
> Future livability score: 13.7
> Full-time employment: 2nd best
> Job creation index: 4th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 9th worst
Nebraska’s housing market did not collapse nearly as hard as other parts of
America. Housing prices in the state only fell 2.8% from the first quarter
of 2007 to the first quarter of 2012, much better than the U.S. average of a
33.3% drop. In turn, the June 2012 unemployment rate of 3.8% is second
lowest after North Dakota, and is less than half the national rate of 8.2%.
Those employees feel valued, too; the state ranks fifth overall in terms of
managers treating employees as partners and not as bosses. Despite this,
Nebraska is one of four states on this list ranked in the bottom 10 in terms
of life outlook five years from now.
3. Colorado
> Future livability score: 12.8
> Full-time employment: 10th best
> Job creation index: 18th worst
> Outlook on life in five years: 18th worst
Colorado residents are among the healthiest in the United States. With an
obesity rate of 18.5%, it is the only state to have an obesity rate below 20
% as of 2011. The state also ranks third in terms of finding a safe place to
exercise. Colorado’s 20% smoking rate, while not as impressive as its low
obesity rate, is below the national average of 21%. The state’s
unemployment rate is the same as the national average at 8.2%. But of all
states, Colorado has the fifth-lowest decline in unemployment from 2011 to
2012, dropping only 0.2 percentage points compared to 0.9 percentage points
in the U.S. as a whole. However, for those who have work, the state ranks
third in managers who treat their employees like partners.
2. Minnesota
> Future livability score: 10.5
> Full-time employment: 8th best
> Job creation index: 10th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 3rd worst
The Gopher state ranks first in economic confidence and the ease of finding
a safe place to exercise. The Land of 10,000 Lakes also comes in second for
the ease in finding clean, safe drinking water. With the seventh-lowest rate
of smoking, the fifth-highest rate of regular visits to the dentist and the
proportion of the population insured, Minnesotans are a healthy bunch
compared to their fellow Americans. Despite all of this, the state is
projected to have the fourth-worst change in home prices between the first
quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013, with an almost 5% drop
compared to a national average projected decrease of 1%.
1. Utah
> Future livability score: 7.5
> Full-time employment: 21st best
> Job creation index: 5th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 21st worst
Job creation has been booming in Utah. The state ranks sixth highest in
Gallup’s job creation index and has the tenth-lowest unemployment rate of
any state in the country as of June. In 2011, the proportion of respondents
stating their employers were hiring was 20 percentage points higher than the
proportion stating their employers were letting people go. Positive
attitudes go well beyond just the number of jobs: in the past 18 months,
residents of Utah were more likely than those of any other state to claim
they felt treated like a partner at work and to claim they had easy access
to clean water. People in Utah not only like where they live, but they are
also very healthy. No state has fewer smokers and just four states have
lower obesity rates.
America’s Least Livable States
10. Delaware
> Future livability score: 32.5
> Full-time employment: 17th best
> Job creation index: 17th worst
> Outlook on life in five years: 14th best
By many measures, Delaware residents are better off than many other
Americans. The state has the 10th-highest median income in the United States
, as well as the 11th-lowest percentage of families living below the poverty
line. It is also one of just nine states where less than 10% of families
have no health insurance. Yet, the state receives the 10th-worst future
livability score from Gallup. For one, Mississippi is the only state where
employees and managers have a worse relationship. In addition, nearly a
third of state residents are obese, and the state scores in the bottom 15 in
areas such as access to clean water, smoking and the frequency of dentist
visits.
9. Ohio
> Future livability score: 32.7
> Full-time employment: 23rd worst
> Job creation index: 14th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 4th best
Ohioans are not particularly well off. Median household income in Ohio is
almost $5,000 less than the national average, and 14.1% of households
receive food stamps, 2.2 percentage points higher than the nationwide rate.
Further, few states are as unhealthy as Ohio, which has the nation’s sixth-
highest obesity rate and the seventh-highest smoking rate. Residents have
mixed views on the economy, as the state has the 19th-lowest score in
economic confidence but the 14th-highest score in job creation.
8. Louisiana
> Future livability score: 33.3
> Full-time employment: 24th best
> Job creation index: 21st worst
> Outlook on life in five years: 2nd best
Across almost every health measurement, the Bayou state is at the back of
the pack. Louisiana ranks fourth worst for obesity and ease in finding clean
water, ninth worst for smoking and seventh worst for regular visits to the
dentist and ease in finding a safe place to exercise. The state also has the
11th-lowest rate of population insured. Not only are Louisianians some of
the most unhealthy Americans, they are also some of the poorest, with 18.2%
of residents living below the poverty line and 15.3% on food stamps — the
sixth- and eighth-highest percentages in the country, respectively. Not
surprising, residents also have the lowest confidence in their state’s
economy of all the states polled.
7. Alabama
> Future livability score: 33.5
> Full-time employment: 8th worst
> Job creation index: 23rd worst
> Outlook on life in five years: 6th best
Alabama is one of the poorest states in the country with a median income
that is nearly $10,000 less than the national median of $50,046. The state’
s economy has shown some positive signs, including one of the highest
declines in unemployment in the country in the past 12 months. However,
according to Gallup’s measures of future livability, Alabama is in poor
shape. Despite the improvement in unemployment, the state still has the
eighth-lowest rate of people employed full-time. It also has the 10th-
highest obesity and smoking rates in the country.
6. Florida
> Future livability score: 33.9 (tied for 5th worst)
> Full-time employment: 3rd worst
> Job creation index: 13th worst
> Outlook on life in five years: 12th best
Even though Florida’s unemployment rate fell 2.1 percentage points, from 10
.7% to 8.6%, residents still give the economy poor reviews. According to
Gallup, the state has the 17th-worst economic confidence score, as well as
the 13th-worst score in job creation. Floridians also are less likely than
residents in most other states to claim that their standard of living is
improving or that the areas where they live are improving. Home prices in
Florida have declined by 48.4% between the first quarters of 2007 and the
first quarter of 2012, according to Fiserv, while 21% of the population is
without health insurance.
5. Arkansas
> Future livability score: 33.9 (tied for 5th worst)
> Full-time employment: 13th worst
> Job creation index: 17th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 10th best
Even though the state’s unemployment rate of 7.2% is well below the
national rate of 8.2% for June, Arkansans have less confidence in the
economy than residents of all other states except West Virginia. There may
be good reasons for this pessimism as 18% of residents live below the
poverty line, the fifth-highest proportion nationwide. Additionally, at $38,
307 a year, more than $11,000 live below the median for the United States.
Arkansas has the nation’s third-lowest household median income. The state
is also one of the unhealthiest in the country, with the third-highest
obesity rate, the fourth-highest smoking rate and the second-lowest
proportion of people who visited a dentist in the past 12 months.
4. Nevada
> Future livability score: 34.5
> Full-time employment: 15th worst
> Job creation index: 9th worst
> Outlook on life in five years: 18th best
The housing collapse has hit Nevada harder than any other state in the
country. Home prices dropped 59.7% from the first quarter of 2007 to the
first quarter of 2012, more than any other state by nearly 10 percentage
points. In the next five years, housing prices are expected to rise only 2%,
the third-smallest increase among all states. The collapse of the housing
market has led to a poor job market. The state has the highest unemployment
rate in the country at 11.6%, although the rate dropped 2.2 percentage
points from 2011, faster than any other state. Nevadans, however, are not
feeling the relief. The state ranks eighth from the bottom in the proportion
of people who believe their standard of living is getting better, the
second-lowest rate on this list.
3. Kentucky
> Future livability score: 36.7
> Full-time employment: 16th worst
> Job creation index: 23rd best
> Outlook on life in five years: 20th worst
Kentucky’s median household income of $40,062 is the fourth lowest of all
states and about $10,000 less than the median income across the United
States. The state also has the fourth-highest percentage of people below the
poverty line and people on food stamps/SNAP benefits. It is not surprising
that the state has the eighth-lowest score on the economic confidence index.
Kentuckians health is also poor. The state has the second-highest rate of
smokers, with an estimated 29% reporting smoking in 2011, the seventh-
highest obesity rate and the 10th lowest rate of people who say they have
visited the dentist in the past year. Kentucky ranks fourth from the bottom
in ease of finding a safe place to exercise.
2. Mississippi
> Future livability score: 37.8
> Full-time employment: The worst
> Job creation index: 11th best
> Outlook on life in five years: The best
While Gallup ranks Mississippi second worst for future livability, residents
feel good about their own future as the state ranks first for the best
outlook on life in five years’ time. But the Magnolia state has the lowest
percentage of people employed full-time and the lowest median income in the
country at $36,851, less than three-quarters of the national average of $50,
046. Mississippi ranks worst in the country in the percentage of the
population living below the poverty line and in the percentage of residents
who feel like their manager treats them like a partner and not like a boss.
Mississippi is also among the worst in several important areas of health.
The state has the second-highest rate of obesity and the fifth-highest
percentage of smokers. It is also ranks second worst in finding a safe place
to exercise and has the lowest percentage of residents who have visited the
dentist in the last year.
1. West Virginia
> Future livability score: 43.3
> Full-time employment: 2nd worst
> Job creation index: 20th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 23rd best
While West Virginia has an unemployment rate of 7%, well below the 8.2%
national unemployment rate, it ranks second worst in terms of people
employed full-time. The state also has the second-lowest median household
income of $38,218 and the eighth-highest percentage of people below the
poverty line, at 17.62%. West Virginia also can lay claim to the dubious
title of unhealthiest state. It has the highest rate of smokers in the
nation with a quarter of residents smoking as of 2011. The state also has
the highest obesity rate (35.3%), the highest rate of people with high blood
pressure (38.9%) and the highest rate of people with diabetes (15.7%) as of
2011. Options for those looking to stay in shape are limited as the state
ranks dead last in ease of finding a safe place to exercise. | M****7
发帖数: 13407 | 2 VA是很不错啊, 但风景不行.
从SFO机场出来车上一路往外看, 不喜欢上BA都难. 当然, 也没啥十全十美的事, 老是
不下雨, 中午又热得要死, 哎! |
|
