A new bipartisan report titled State of the States, issued by Tulane University’s State of the Nation Project, examined over thirty years of information from all fifty states and the District of Columbia. It offers a long-term assessment of progress in each area. Drawing on more than four thousand indicators, the study evaluated states on thirty-one metrics that include life satisfaction, trust in neighbors and institutions, civil liberties, education, environment, families, economy, workforce, health, and inequality. Project director Douglas Harris noted that despite polarization, states of differing political leanings encounter largely the same difficulties. The effort involved experts from seven major think tanks spanning the political spectrum and advisers to recent presidents from both parties. It follows an earlier international comparison released in 2025. Findings revealed regional patterns, with western Midwest and New England states often ranking highest overall while southern states placed near the bottom. Minnesota led in average standing across measures, and Louisiana finished last. Southern states showed middling personal well-being but notably low trust in institutions, including their own governments. Mountain states displayed high trust yet the lowest personal well-being scores. Most states moved in similar directions on key indicators, though often negatively. No state improved on eight measures including life satisfaction, depression rates, overdoses, trust in federal government, income inequality, long-term unemployment, and earnings growth. Every state advanced on child mortality and real state income. States grew more alike overall but diverged further in economic gaps and well-being indicators such as interpersonal trust, confidence in science, depression, suicide, and overdoses. The report also highlighted that higher state incomes did not correspond with better personal well-being outcomes.
