Most Dangerous States

Total Score
Crime and Law Enforcement
Firearms and Violence
Safety & Social Equity
Transportation Safety
Welfare and Personal Security
Danger Index Score
1.LouisianaLouisiana51.4
2.AlaskaAlaska55.1
3.New MexicoNew Mexico55.4
4.TennesseeTennessee58.0
5.NevadaNevada58.2
6.MississippiMississippi58.3
7.South CarolinaSouth Carolina59.1
8.MissouriMissouri59.3
9.DelawareDelaware59.4
10.ArkansasArkansas60.4
11.ColoradoColorado61.1
12.AlabamaAlabama61.4
13.GeorgiaGeorgia62.2
14.ArizonaArizona63.3
15.MontanaMontana64.2
16.FloridaFlorida65.3
17.OregonOregon65.6
18.OklahomaOklahoma65.6
19.North CarolinaNorth Carolina66.3
20.IllinoisIllinois66.5
21.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania67.3
22.CaliforniaCalifornia68.0
23.TexasTexas68.4
24.KentuckyKentucky68.4
25.OhioOhio68.5
26.WashingtonWashington68.9
27.MarylandMaryland68.9
28.MichiganMichigan69.3
29.IndianaIndiana69.5
30.West VirginiaWest Virginia70.3
31.KansasKansas71.0
32.WyomingWyoming71.9
33.South DakotaSouth Dakota72.4
34.VirginiaVirginia73.9
35.North DakotaNorth Dakota74.2
36.UtahUtah74.6
37.HawaiiHawaii75.1
38.WisconsinWisconsin75.5
39.New YorkNew York75.9
40.VermontVermont76.4
41.NebraskaNebraska77.1
42.IowaIowa77.3
43.MinnesotaMinnesota77.3
44.IdahoIdaho77.5
45.ConnecticutConnecticut77.9
46.MaineMaine77.9
47.Rhode IslandRhode Island78.1
48.New HampshireNew Hampshire78.8
49.New JerseyNew Jersey79.4
50.MassachusettsMassachusetts80.4
Rankings
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Crime

Table of Contents

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Introduction

The complex panorama of safety across the United States is increasingly inviting comprehensive study, as concerns arise over disparate quality of life indices in different states. As integral as safety is to any society's fabric, it serves as a crucial deciding factor for families seeking to relocate and shape their futures. In the light of the Global Peace Index ranking the U.S. as the 128th-safest country in the world out of 163, a deeper dive into safety metrics at the state level offers valuable insights.

Drawing from a diverse range of 53 indicators, we devised a 'Danger Index Score' to measure the safety, or lack thereof, in all 50 states. These cover Personal & Residential Safety, Financial Safety, Road Safety, Workplace Safety, and Emergency Preparedness, offering a comprehensive view of each state's safety status.

  • Massachusetts, with a score of 80.4, makes it the safest state in the United States, followed by New Jersey at 79.4. The third and fourth positions go to New Hampshire and Rhode Island, both of which are in New England, indicating a clustering of safety in this region.
  • Louisiana, with the lowest score at 51.4, is considered the most dangerous state. Alaska and New Mexico follow closely behind, with scores of 55.1 and 55.4 respectively.
  • There is a noteworthy split between states from the southern part of the United States and those from the northeast region: Southern states tend to have lower 'Danger Index Scores', thus implying a higher level of danger, while northeastern states - exemplified by Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont - are perceived as safer, with higher scores.

By Region

Alabama

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Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

61.4

#12

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.8

#14

Firearms and Violence

11.3

#3

Safety & Social Equity

8.2

#42

Transportation Safety

7.2

#46

Welfare and Personal Security

18.1

#22

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

55.1

#2

Crime and Law Enforcement

11.8

#1

Firearms and Violence

14.5

#9

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#8

Transportation Safety

5.9

#7

Welfare and Personal Security

16.0

#9

Arizona

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Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

63.3

#14

Crime and Law Enforcement

15.9

#9

Firearms and Violence

17.8

#25

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#9

Transportation Safety

6.2

#14

Welfare and Personal Security

16.5

#12

Arkansas

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Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

60.4

#10

Crime and Law Enforcement

12.6

#3

Firearms and Violence

14.1

#8

Safety & Social Equity

7.8

#33

Transportation Safety

6.6

#25

Welfare and Personal Security

19.3

#36

California

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California

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.0

#22

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.3

#12

Firearms and Violence

20.8

#43

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#11

Transportation Safety

7.1

#39

Welfare and Personal Security

17.0

#16

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

61.1

#11

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.5

#17

Firearms and Violence

17.4

#22

Safety & Social Equity

6.8

#7

Transportation Safety

5.4

#3

Welfare and Personal Security

13.9

#3

Connecticut

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Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.9

#45

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.7

#45

Firearms and Violence

22.3

#45

Safety & Social Equity

8.1

#41

Transportation Safety

6.9

#32

Welfare and Personal Security

18.0

#21

Delaware

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Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

59.4

#9

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.1

#10

Firearms and Violence

15.8

#15

Safety & Social Equity

7.6

#28

Transportation Safety

7.3

#47

Welfare and Personal Security

12.6

#2

Florida

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Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

65.3

#16

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.4

#30

Firearms and Violence

18.5

#31

Safety & Social Equity

6.6

#5

Transportation Safety

5.7

#6

Welfare and Personal Security

15.2

#4

Georgia

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Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

62.2

#13

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.2

#11

Firearms and Violence

15.0

#11

Safety & Social Equity

7.7

#32

Transportation Safety

7.6

#49

Welfare and Personal Security

15.7

#8

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

75.1

#37

Crime and Law Enforcement

18.9

#25

Firearms and Violence

24.4

#50

Safety & Social Equity

7.6

#31

Transportation Safety

4.8

#1

Welfare and Personal Security

19.3

#34

Idaho

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Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.5

#44

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.3

#41

Firearms and Violence

18.5

#32

Safety & Social Equity

7.6

#30

Transportation Safety

6.1

#12

Welfare and Personal Security

23.0

#50

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

66.5

#20

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.1

#26

Firearms and Violence

15.3

#14

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#17

Transportation Safety

6.6

#22

Welfare and Personal Security

18.2

#23

Indiana

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Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

69.5

#29

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.0

#33

Firearms and Violence

16.6

#17

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#18

Transportation Safety

7.0

#35

Welfare and Personal Security

18.7

#30

Iowa

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Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.3

#42

Crime and Law Enforcement

21.2

#39

Firearms and Violence

19.9

#36

Safety & Social Equity

8.7

#50

Transportation Safety

5.3

#2

Welfare and Personal Security

22.3

#48

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

71.0

#31

Crime and Law Enforcement

18.1

#22

Firearms and Violence

17.5

#23

Safety & Social Equity

7.9

#37

Transportation Safety

7.1

#41

Welfare and Personal Security

20.4

#43

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.4

#24

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.8

#31

Firearms and Violence

15.2

#13

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#23

Transportation Safety

6.6

#24

Welfare and Personal Security

19.3

#35

Louisiana

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Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

51.4

#1

Crime and Law Enforcement

14.1

#5

Firearms and Violence

7.8

#2

Safety & Social Equity

8.3

#45

Transportation Safety

6.0

#9

Welfare and Personal Security

15.2

#5

Maine

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Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.9

#46

Crime and Law Enforcement

24.6

#50

Firearms and Violence

20.1

#42

Safety & Social Equity

8.0

#40

Transportation Safety

7.0

#37

Welfare and Personal Security

18.3

#24

Maryland

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Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.9

#27

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.6

#18

Firearms and Violence

20.0

#38

Safety & Social Equity

8.4

#47

Transportation Safety

7.5

#48

Welfare and Personal Security

15.4

#6

Massachusetts

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Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

80.4

#50

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.6

#44

Firearms and Violence

24.2

#49

Safety & Social Equity

7.9

#38

Transportation Safety

7.1

#42

Welfare and Personal Security

18.5

#27

Michigan

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Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

69.3

#28

Crime and Law Enforcement

18.7

#23

Firearms and Violence

17.6

#24

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#20

Transportation Safety

7.0

#36

Welfare and Personal Security

18.6

#28

Minnesota

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Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.3

#43

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.2

#40

Firearms and Violence

20.0

#39

Safety & Social Equity

8.3

#46

Transportation Safety

6.7

#29

Welfare and Personal Security

20.2

#42

Mississippi

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Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

58.3

#6

Crime and Law Enforcement

15.6

#8

Firearms and Violence

7.4

#1

Safety & Social Equity

8.3

#44

Transportation Safety

7.1

#45

Welfare and Personal Security

19.8

#41

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

59.3

#8

Crime and Law Enforcement

14.3

#6

Firearms and Violence

13.3

#4

Safety & Social Equity

7.1

#14

Transportation Safety

6.6

#21

Welfare and Personal Security

17.9

#19

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

64.2

#15

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.9

#21

Firearms and Violence

14.8

#10

Safety & Social Equity

6.5

#3

Transportation Safety

6.5

#20

Welfare and Personal Security

18.5

#26

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.1

#41

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.0

#32

Firearms and Violence

19.8

#35

Safety & Social Equity

8.0

#39

Transportation Safety

7.1

#43

Welfare and Personal Security

22.2

#47

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

58.2

#5

Crime and Law Enforcement

15.2

#7

Firearms and Violence

16.8

#19

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#19

Transportation Safety

6.6

#23

Welfare and Personal Security

12.4

#1

New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

78.8

#48

Crime and Law Enforcement

24.6

#49

Firearms and Violence

21.8

#44

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#26

Transportation Safety

5.5

#5

Welfare and Personal Security

19.5

#37

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

79.4

#49

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.8

#46

Firearms and Violence

22.9

#47

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#27

Transportation Safety

6.7

#28

Welfare and Personal Security

19.5

#38

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

55.4

#3

Crime and Law Enforcement

12.3

#2

Firearms and Violence

13.8

#7

Safety & Social Equity

6.6

#4

Transportation Safety

6.2

#13

Welfare and Personal Security

16.6

#14

New York

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New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

75.9

#39

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.5

#36

Firearms and Violence

22.6

#46

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#12

Transportation Safety

6.9

#31

Welfare and Personal Security

19.0

#33

North Carolina

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North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

66.3

#19

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.7

#19

Firearms and Violence

16.8

#20

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#24

Transportation Safety

7.1

#40

Welfare and Personal Security

17.2

#17

North Dakota

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North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

74.2

#35

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.3

#34

Firearms and Violence

18.8

#34

Safety & Social Equity

7.4

#22

Transportation Safety

6.2

#15

Welfare and Personal Security

21.5

#46

Ohio

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Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.5

#25

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.9

#38

Firearms and Violence

17.1

#21

Safety & Social Equity

7.0

#13

Transportation Safety

6.1

#10

Welfare and Personal Security

17.5

#18

Oklahoma

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Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

65.6

#18

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.9

#15

Firearms and Violence

15.8

#16

Safety & Social Equity

7.9

#36

Transportation Safety

6.2

#17

Welfare and Personal Security

18.7

#29

Oregon

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Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

65.6

#17

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.5

#16

Firearms and Violence

18.3

#29

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#10

Transportation Safety

6.4

#19

Welfare and Personal Security

16.4

#11

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

67.3

#21

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.3

#27

Firearms and Violence

17.8

#26

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#25

Transportation Safety

6.2

#16

Welfare and Personal Security

16.5

#13

Rhode Island

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Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

78.1

#47

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.4

#43

Firearms and Violence

23.4

#48

Safety & Social Equity

8.4

#49

Transportation Safety

5.4

#4

Welfare and Personal Security

18.4

#25

South Carolina

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South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

59.1

#7

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.5

#13

Firearms and Violence

13.6

#5

Safety & Social Equity

7.4

#21

Transportation Safety

6.0

#8

Welfare and Personal Security

15.7

#7

South Dakota

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South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

72.4

#33

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.9

#20

Firearms and Violence

18.4

#30

Safety & Social Equity

7.6

#29

Transportation Safety

6.1

#11

Welfare and Personal Security

22.4

#49

Tennessee

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Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

58.0

#4

Crime and Law Enforcement

12.6

#4

Firearms and Violence

13.7

#6

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#16

Transportation Safety

7.7

#50

Welfare and Personal Security

16.6

#15

Texas

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Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.4

#23

Crime and Law Enforcement

18.8

#24

Firearms and Violence

18.1

#28

Safety & Social Equity

6.7

#6

Transportation Safety

7.0

#34

Welfare and Personal Security

17.9

#20

Utah

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Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

74.6

#36

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.4

#28

Firearms and Violence

20.1

#40

Safety & Social Equity

8.4

#48

Transportation Safety

7.0

#38

Welfare and Personal Security

19.8

#40

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

76.4

#40

Crime and Law Enforcement

23.3

#48

Firearms and Violence

19.9

#37

Safety & Social Equity

7.1

#15

Transportation Safety

6.3

#18

Welfare and Personal Security

19.8

#39

Virginia

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Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

73.9

#34

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.3

#42

Firearms and Violence

18.0

#27

Safety & Social Equity

7.8

#35

Transportation Safety

6.8

#30

Welfare and Personal Security

19.0

#32

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.9

#26

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.4

#29

Firearms and Violence

20.1

#41

Safety & Social Equity

6.4

#2

Transportation Safety

7.0

#33

Welfare and Personal Security

16.0

#10

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

70.3

#30

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.4

#35

Firearms and Violence

16.6

#18

Safety & Social Equity

7.8

#34

Transportation Safety

6.6

#26

Welfare and Personal Security

18.8

#31

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

75.5

#38

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.8

#37

Firearms and Violence

18.7

#33

Safety & Social Equity

8.2

#43

Transportation Safety

7.1

#44

Welfare and Personal Security

20.8

#44

Wyoming

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Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

71.9

#32

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.9

#47

Firearms and Violence

15.0

#12

Safety & Social Equity

6.3

#1

Transportation Safety

6.7

#27

Welfare and Personal Security

21.0

#45

Table

Region ↕Total Score ↕Crime and Law Enforcement ↕Firearms and Violence ↕Safety & Social Equity ↕Transportation Safety ↕Welfare and Personal Security ↕
Alabama iconAlabama61.416.811.38.27.218.1
Alaska iconAlaska55.111.814.56.95.916.0
Arizona iconArizona63.315.917.86.96.216.5
Arkansas iconArkansas60.412.614.17.86.619.3
California iconCalifornia68.016.320.86.97.117.0
Colorado iconColorado61.117.517.46.85.413.9
Connecticut iconConnecticut77.922.722.38.16.918.0
Delaware iconDelaware59.416.115.87.67.312.6
Florida iconFlorida65.319.418.56.65.715.2
Georgia iconGeorgia62.216.215.07.77.615.7
Hawaii iconHawaii75.118.924.47.64.819.3
Idaho iconIdaho77.522.318.57.66.123.0
Illinois iconIllinois66.519.115.37.36.618.2
Indiana iconIndiana69.520.016.67.37.018.7
Iowa iconIowa77.321.219.98.75.322.3
Kansas iconKansas71.018.117.57.97.120.4
Kentucky iconKentucky68.419.815.27.56.619.3
Louisiana iconLouisiana51.414.17.88.36.015.2
Maine iconMaine77.924.620.18.07.018.3
Maryland iconMaryland68.917.620.08.47.515.4
Massachusetts iconMassachusetts80.422.624.27.97.118.5
Michigan iconMichigan69.318.717.67.37.018.6
Minnesota iconMinnesota77.322.220.08.36.720.2
Mississippi iconMississippi58.315.67.48.37.119.8
Missouri iconMissouri59.314.313.37.16.617.9
Montana iconMontana64.217.914.86.56.518.5
Nebraska iconNebraska77.120.019.88.07.122.2
Nevada iconNevada58.215.216.87.36.612.4
New Hampshire iconNew Hampshire78.824.621.87.55.519.5
New Jersey iconNew Jersey79.422.822.97.56.719.5
New Mexico iconNew Mexico55.412.313.86.66.216.6
New York iconNew York75.920.522.66.96.919.0
North Carolina iconNorth Carolina66.317.716.87.57.117.2
North Dakota iconNorth Dakota74.220.318.87.46.221.5
Ohio iconOhio68.520.917.17.06.117.5
Oklahoma iconOklahoma65.616.915.87.96.218.7
Oregon iconOregon65.617.518.36.96.416.4
Pennsylvania iconPennsylvania67.319.317.87.56.216.5
Rhode Island iconRhode Island78.122.423.48.45.418.4
South Carolina iconSouth Carolina59.116.513.67.46.015.7
South Dakota iconSouth Dakota72.417.918.47.66.122.4
Tennessee iconTennessee58.012.613.77.37.716.6
Texas iconTexas68.418.818.16.77.017.9
Utah iconUtah74.619.420.18.47.019.8
Vermont iconVermont76.423.319.97.16.319.8
Virginia iconVirginia73.922.318.07.86.819.0
Washington iconWashington68.919.420.16.47.016.0
West Virginia iconWest Virginia70.320.416.67.86.618.8
Wisconsin iconWisconsin75.520.818.78.27.120.8
Wyoming iconWyoming71.922.915.06.36.721.0
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