This just in: money may not buy happiness. That's a key takeaway from a new report measuring quality of life in all 50 states as the nation celebrates its birthday.
The State of the States report shows that economics don't necessarily determine well-being.
That's the case in Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming, said Tulane University economics professor Douglas Harris, one author of the report. There are relatively low poverty and income inequality rates in those states, but also high suicide and depression rates.
For example, Wyoming ranks eighth nationwide on income inequality, but it's 42nd for depression rates.
"You'd expect some connection there, but the correlation is zero," said Harris, who worked on the report with think tank members and university researchers across the country.
Harris added that those northern mountain states are mostly doing well on environmental measures like air quality and educational ones like test scores, compared to the rest of the country. Otherwise, it's hard to find many trends.
"That reinforces the point that geography isn't destiny," Harris said.
He pointed out, however, that southern mountain states, including Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, rank poorly for many more measures, and they have higher levels of poverty.
Altogether, Harris said, the report also shows that states are more similar than different and converging in many areas, like in education.
Here's the full list of how Mountain West states ranked nationwide:
- Utah — 10th
- Idaho — 12th
- Colorado — 16th
- Montana — 17th
- Wyoming — 25th
- Arizona — 38th
- Nevada — 48th
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, and KJZZ in Arizona, as well as NPR, with support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
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