Which state has the highest Total Score?

Alaska has the highest Total Score, at 83.18, followed by West Virginia (76.02) and Mississippi (71.31).

Which state has the lowest Total Score?

New Jersey has the lowest Total Score, at 8.41.

What is the median Total Score across US states?

The median is 33.96 across the 50 US states with data.

Where does this most independent states data come from?

Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Wallet Hub.

State rankings

Most Independent States

Name: Most Independent States
Creator: Rankodex

Alaska has the highest Total Score (83.18), followed by West Virginia (76.02) and Mississippi (71.31). New Jersey has the lowest (8.41).

Politics & Government50 states · 3 metricsUpdated Apr 18, 2023Original page

1 source

Wallet Hub

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50 of 51 states

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Total Score

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 50 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median

33.96

Middle half 28.03 – 54.06

Average

39.35

50 states

Highest

83.18

Alaska

Lowest

8.41

New Jersey

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

50 states · # = rank by Total Score

#
1	Alaska	83.18	3	2
2	West Virginia	76.02	1	9
3	Mississippi	71.31	7	5
4	Kentucky	70.95	5	10
5	New Mexico	69.73	2	17
6	Wyoming	64.23	24	1
7	South Carolina	59.86	6	27
8	Arizona	58.86	13	6
9	Montana	57.77	14	7
10	Louisiana	57.46	22	3
11	North Dakota	55.91	4	35
12	Indiana	55.34	9	19
13	Maine	54.25	11	12
14	Alabama	53.48	10	16
15	South Dakota	52.22	29	4
16	Vermont	50.13	19	11
17	Missouri	44.13	28	8
18	Oklahoma	41.6	15	31
19	Pennsylvania	41.1	20	22
20	Idaho	40.57	23	15
21	Rhode Island	39.65	31	13
22	Tennessee	37.94	26	18
23	New Hampshire	37.39	41	14
24	Maryland	36.36	16	36
25	Michigan	34.67	27	24
26	Hawaii	33.25	8	50
27	Oregon	33.23	25	30
28	Arkansas	33.18	40	20
29	Texas	32.71	39	21
30	Minnesota	32.29	17	42
31	Connecticut	30.45	18	44
32	Virginia	30.38	12	46
33	Georgia	30.3	35	28
34	Florida	30.2	30	32
35	Ohio	29.12	46	23
36	Nebraska	29.05	42	26
37	North Carolina	28.43	37	33
38	Wisconsin	27.89	21	40
39	New York	27.27	44	29
40	Colorado	25.18	36	34
41	Nevada	23.45	38	37
42	Delaware	22.23	50	25
43	Iowa	19.28	32	43
44	Massachusetts	17.32	48	38
45	California	17.27	45	41
46	Illinois	17.05	47	39
47	Kansas	15.7	34	47
48	Utah	14.96	33	48
49	Washington	14.63	43	45
50	New Jersey	8.41	49	49

What correlates with Total Score?

Pearson r against 2,111 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Total Score tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

Overall Dependency ScoreDonor States
r = +0.80 · very strong · n = 49
Plot
Federal Share of State RevenueFederal Aid by State
r = +0.77 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
Return on Tax DollarsDonor States
r = +0.73 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
State Revenue from Federal FundsDonor States
r = +0.70 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
% of Median Income Spent On GroceriesGrocery Prices by State
r = +0.68 · strong · n = 50
Plot
Per Capita Balance of PaymentsFederal Aid by State
r = +0.67 · strong · n = 50
Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Total Score tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

Federal Tax Dollars Paid per Dollar of Support ReceivedFederal Aid by State
r = −0.78 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
Chat GPT Messages per Capita RankChatGPT Usage by StateA rank: rank 1 is the best
r = +0.69 · strong · n = 50
Plot
Quality of Life RankQuality of Life by StateA rank: rank 1 is the best
r = +0.64 · strong · n = 50
Plot
Homes with Broadband Internet (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)
r = −0.63 · strong · n = 50
Plot
AgedSocial Security Disability Benefits by State
r = −0.63 · strong · n = 50
Plot
% of Households Making Over 300kPercentage of Households Making Over $300,000 by State
r = −0.62 · strong · n = 50
Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Total Score?: Alaska has the highest Total Score, at 83.18, followed by West Virginia (76.02) and Mississippi (71.31).
Which state has the lowest Total Score?: New Jersey has the lowest Total Score, at 8.41.
What is the median Total Score across US states?: The median is 33.96 across the 50 US states with data.
Where does this most independent states data come from?: Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Wallet Hub.