363840424446485052545658Personal Income ($1k)050100150200250300350400Population (100k)AlaskaArizonaCaliforniaConnecticutMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiNevadaOregon38.340.9OregonSouth-CarolinaUtahVermontWyoming2.02.53.03.54.04.55.05.56.06.57.0Unemployment (%)050100150200250300350400Population (100k)AlaskaArizonaCaliforniaConnecticutMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiNevadaOregon38.33.9OregonSouth-CarolinaUtahVermontWyoming12141618202224Child-Teacher Ratio30354045505560School QualityAlaskaArizonaCaliforniaMinnesotaMississippiNevadaOregon39.822.2OregonSouth-CarolinaUtahWyoming10.511.011.512.012.513.013.5Child-Teacher Ratio63646566676869707172737475School QualityConnecticutMassachusettsVermont12131415161718Child-Teacher Ratio54555657585960School QualityMinnesotaWyomingThetopstatesinAmericawhereyouaremostlikelytolandyourdreamjobTheU.S.jobmarketisonfirethesedays—companieshavemoreopeningsthanthereareunemployedworkerstofillthem.Thelabormarketiscon-sideredtobeclosetooratfullemployment.AccordingtotheLaborDepartment,thenumberofAmericansonjoblessrollsisata44-yearlow. ---------------------------------------------Butallstatesarenotcreatedequal.AccordingtothemostrecentfiguresfromtheBureauofLaborStatistics,Alaskalostmostjobsthisyear.---------------------------------------------Otherstatesmorethanmadeupfortheslack:*Nevada,theSilverState,isbooming,withGDPupby3.5percentlastyear—oneofthefastestratesinthenation.Thestateaddedmorethan37,000jobslastyear.*Washingtonhasthefastest-growingeconomyinthenation—GDPgrewby4.4percentlastyear.TheEvergreenStatehasaddednearly96,000jobsinthelastyear.*ReboundingoilpricesarefuelingmajorjobgrowthinTexas,theLoneStarState.That’swhytheunemploymentrateisalow4.1percent.Intermsofrawnumbers,Texasblowsawaythecompetition,addingmorethan352,000jobs.BestStatetoRaiseaFamilyRaisingahealthy,stablefamilysometimesrequiresmovingtoanewstate.Belowareafewofourfavorites:====Vermont:HeynowVermont!Soundslikeyouguysgotitallfiguredoutupthereinyourlittlenookinthewoods,huh?Vermontisagreatplaceforfamilies.Infact,it’snotevenclose.Vermontisthebestplaceforeducationinthecountry,andit’salsothe2ndsafest.Theonlyweirdthingis,only24%ofhouseholdsareactuallyfamilies.====Maine:Well,it’sstartingtolooklikethenortheastisthebestplaceinAmericaforfamiliestolive.Isthatasurprise?Itisn’ttous.MaineisthesafeststateinAmerica.WhiletherearesomemisfitsthatcauseissuesinMaine,you’remorelikelytohaveamoosegunstolenoutofyourSubaruthanyouaretobeattackedwhileicefishing.====Kansas:Suchagreatstatethatabandnameditselfafterit.PeopleinKansasknowtheyhaveitmade,andit’srarethatpeoplemoveawayfromthePrairieState.Italsoranks8thinthenationfornumberofhouse-holdswithchildren–meaningifyoumovedthere,yourlittleoneswouldhavelotsoflittleplaymates.DrugabuseinteensOpioidsPerhapsthemostalarmingdrugtrendamongteensis prescriptiondrugabuse.Especiallyinthecaseofpainkillers,thesedrugsareoftenfoundaroundthehouseorresoldafterreceivingaprescriptionfromadoctor.Opioidsarethemostciteddrugamongtreatmentadmissionsinmanystates:the3north-easternmoststates(Maine,New-Hampshire,Vermont),Delaware,KentuckyandTennessee.HeroinMoreandmoreteensareusingheroinasacheapalternativetopainkillers,andit’samongthemostdebilitatingandaddictingdrugstouse.TheNewEnglandarea(Maine,Vermont)hasbeenparticularlyaffectedbyheroin.CocaineInAmerica,teensusecocainemorethaninanyothercountryintheworld(!)CocaineisthemostciteddrugamongtreatmentadmissionsinGeorgia,andthesecondmostciteddruginatleast5otherstates’treatmentadmissions.VermontandColoradohavethehighestrateofcocaineuseinpeople12andolder.11.73.8Air PollutionAlaskaArizonaCaliforniaConnecticutMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiNevadaOregonOregon - 6.8South-CarolinaUtahVermontWyoming11.73.8Air PollutionAlaskaArizonaCaliforniaConnecticutMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiNevadaOregonOregon - 6.8South-CarolinaUtahVermontWyoming3436384042444648505254565860AlaskaArizonaCaliforniaConnecticutMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiNevadaOregonOregon - 40.88South-CarolinaUtahVermontWyomingPersonal Income ($1k)1.52.02.53.03.54.04.55.05.56.06.57.07.5AlaskaArizonaCaliforniaConnecticutMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiNevadaOregonOregon - 3.90South-CarolinaUtahVermontWyomingUnemployment (%)585959606061616262636364646565AlaskaArizonaCaliforniaConnecticutMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiNevadaOregonOregon - 61.10South-CarolinaUtahVermontWyomingHappiness Score253035404550556065707580AlaskaArizonaCaliforniaConnecticutMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiNevadaOregonOregon - 39.79South-CarolinaUtahVermontWyomingSchool Quality3.03.54.04.55.05.56.06.57.07.58.08.5MassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiOregonOregon - 6.80South-CarolinaVermontWyomingAir Pollution