Data and methods
Where every number on this site comes from.
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Rankings include the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 51 places in total.
Where the state figures come from
Population counts and age shares come from the Census Bureau's annual population estimates (Vintage 2025, for July 1, 2025) and the 2020 census, retrieved from Census QuickFacts on October 22, 2026.
Income, poverty, housing, education, health insurance, commuting and place of birth come from the American Community Survey 1-year estimates for 2025, retrieved from the Census Bureau's data API on November 7, 2026. A 1-year estimate reflects survey responses from a single year, so it shows the most recent picture. Dollar amounts are in 2025 dollars. Survey figures have margins of error; small differences between states may not be meaningful.
The 2025 survey changed the health insurance question. The Census Bureau recommends caution when comparing 2025 health insurance figures with earlier years.
Stories published before the 2025 figures came out keep the 2020–2024 figures they were written with. Each chart says which period it shows.
Race and ethnicity shares, on the home page and in every state profile, come from the Census Bureau's annual county resident population estimates by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin (file CC-EST2025-ALLDATA, released June 2026), for July 1, 2025. The county maps of race and ethnicity use the same file, county by county. White, Black, Asian and Other exclude Hispanics, who can be of any race. Other covers all remaining non-Hispanic residents, such as American Indian, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander and multiracial people.
Indicators
| Indicator | What it measures | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | Half of households earn more than this, half earn less. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, in 2025 dollars |
| Income per person | Total income divided by every resident, children included. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, in 2025 dollars |
| Poverty rate | Share of people living below the federal poverty line. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025 |
| Average commute | Average travel time to work for workers 16 and older. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025 |
| Median home value | For homes lived in by their owners. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, in 2025 dollars |
| Median rent | Gross rent: contract rent plus utilities. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, in 2025 dollars |
| Homeownership rate | Share of occupied homes lived in by their owners. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025 |
| Population | Estimated number of residents. | Population estimates program, July 1, 2025 |
| Population change since 2020 | Growth since the 2020 census. | Population estimates program, April 2020 to July 2025 |
| Under 18 | Share of residents younger than 18. | Census Bureau QuickFacts, latest available |
| 65 and older | Share of residents 65 or older. | Census Bureau QuickFacts, latest available |
| Born abroad | Share of residents born outside the United States. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | Share of adults 25 and older. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025 |
| Without health insurance | Share of people under 65 with no health coverage. | American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025 |
Maps
State maps use equal-size squares so small states are as visible as large ones. Colors split the 51 places into five groups of about the same size. Population change uses a fixed scale centered on zero, with blue for growth and red for decline.
County maps open when you select a state on the home page map. Except for the largest racial or ethnic group, they split the counties of that state into five groups of about the same size. Colors compare counties within one state, so the same color can stand for different values in different states. County outlines come from the Census Bureau's cartographic boundary files.