Safest States

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

Assessing Safety Across the States

Safety is a pivotal aspect of our lives, influencing not only our individual and familial peace of mind but also our decisions on where we choose to live, work, and raise our families. In the United States, the levels of safety differ significantly from state to state, influenced by a range of factors encompassing personal and residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety, and emergency preparedness. Though, as a country, the United States ranks 128 out of 163 countries as per the Global Peace Index, this nationwide figure disguises the range of safety levels within the constituent states. By analyzing a host of safety indicators, such as law enforcement strength, rates of DUIs, unemployment rates, assault rates, and the number of mass shootings, among others, it is possible to discern the safety landscape across the states and derive a safety score between 0 to 100 for each state, where 100 represents the highest level of safety.

  • The Northeast of the United States generally appears safer, with states like Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut taking place in the top five based on Safety Index Score.
  • On the other hand, certain states like Louisiana and Alaska sit at the lower end of the spectrum, indicating lower safety rates.
  • It's also noteworthy that larger states such as California and Texas did not feature in the top ten safest states, suggesting that population density and state size might impact the safety ratings.
  • Some states have similar safety scores despite geographical differences, like Maine and Idaho, which both scored around 77.5 on the safety index.

10 Safest States

Taking a proud lead on the list is Massachusetts, scoring an impressive 80.4 on the Safety Index. Ranking second is New Jersey, with a Safety Index Score of 79.4. New Hampshire clinches the third spot with a Safety Index Score of 78.8. Its low crime rates and robust emergency preparedness plans contribute towards its high score. Following closely, Rhode Island and Connecticut both score above 77.9 on the Safety Index, placing them at the fourth and fifth ranks respectively. These states excel in maintaining a safe environment for their residents through their safety policies and implementations. Coming at sixth is Maine, matching Connecticut's score of 77.9. Known for its serene, low-populated towns, Maine has consistently ranked high in safety. In the seventh spot, Idaho bears a rating of 77.5. Despite its relative geographical isolation, Idaho has been successful in maintaining a safe and secure environment for its inhabitants. Iowa and Minnesota share the eighth spot with identical scores of 77.3. Both these states have demonstrated their ability to provide safety across various aspects from road quality to emergency preparedness. Rounding off the list is Nebraska with a score of 77.1. This heartland state embodies safety with its low crime rates and high-quality road safety.

10 Safest States

  1. Massachusetts - 80.4
  2. New Jersey - 79.4
  3. New Hampshire - 78.8
  4. Rhode Island - 78.1
  5. Connecticut - 77.9
  6. Maine - 77.9
  7. Idaho - 77.5
  8. Iowa - 77.3
  9. Minnesota - 77.3
  10. Nebraska - 77.1

By Region

Alabama

See Less
Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

61.4

#39

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.8

#37

Firearms and Violence

11.3

#48

Safety & Social Equity

8.2

#9

Transportation Safety

7.2

#5

Welfare and Personal Security

18.1

#29

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

55.1

#49

Crime and Law Enforcement

11.8

#50

Firearms and Violence

14.5

#42

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#43

Transportation Safety

5.9

#44

Welfare and Personal Security

16.0

#42

Arizona

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Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

63.3

#37

Crime and Law Enforcement

15.9

#42

Firearms and Violence

17.8

#26

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#42

Transportation Safety

6.2

#37

Welfare and Personal Security

16.5

#39

Arkansas

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Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

60.4

#41

Crime and Law Enforcement

12.6

#47

Firearms and Violence

14.1

#43

Safety & Social Equity

7.8

#18

Transportation Safety

6.6

#26

Welfare and Personal Security

19.3

#15

California

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California

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.0

#29

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.3

#39

Firearms and Violence

20.8

#8

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#40

Transportation Safety

7.1

#12

Welfare and Personal Security

17.0

#35

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

61.1

#40

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.5

#35

Firearms and Violence

17.4

#29

Safety & Social Equity

6.8

#44

Transportation Safety

5.4

#48

Welfare and Personal Security

13.9

#48

Connecticut

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Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.9

#5

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.7

#6

Firearms and Violence

22.3

#6

Safety & Social Equity

8.1

#10

Transportation Safety

6.9

#19

Welfare and Personal Security

18.0

#30

Delaware

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Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

59.4

#42

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.1

#41

Firearms and Violence

15.8

#36

Safety & Social Equity

7.6

#23

Transportation Safety

7.3

#4

Welfare and Personal Security

12.6

#49

Florida

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Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

65.3

#35

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.4

#23

Firearms and Violence

18.5

#20

Safety & Social Equity

6.6

#46

Transportation Safety

5.7

#45

Welfare and Personal Security

15.2

#47

Georgia

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Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

62.2

#38

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.2

#40

Firearms and Violence

15.0

#40

Safety & Social Equity

7.7

#19

Transportation Safety

7.6

#2

Welfare and Personal Security

15.7

#43

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

75.1

#14

Crime and Law Enforcement

18.9

#26

Firearms and Violence

24.4

#1

Safety & Social Equity

7.6

#20

Transportation Safety

4.8

#50

Welfare and Personal Security

19.3

#17

Idaho

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Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.5

#7

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.3

#9

Firearms and Violence

18.5

#19

Safety & Social Equity

7.6

#21

Transportation Safety

6.1

#39

Welfare and Personal Security

23.0

#1

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

66.5

#31

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.1

#25

Firearms and Violence

15.3

#37

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#34

Transportation Safety

6.6

#29

Welfare and Personal Security

18.2

#28

Indiana

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Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

69.5

#22

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.0

#19

Firearms and Violence

16.6

#34

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#33

Transportation Safety

7.0

#16

Welfare and Personal Security

18.7

#21

Iowa

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Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.3

#8

Crime and Law Enforcement

21.2

#12

Firearms and Violence

19.9

#15

Safety & Social Equity

8.7

#1

Transportation Safety

5.3

#49

Welfare and Personal Security

22.3

#3

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

71.0

#20

Crime and Law Enforcement

18.1

#29

Firearms and Violence

17.5

#28

Safety & Social Equity

7.9

#14

Transportation Safety

7.1

#10

Welfare and Personal Security

20.4

#8

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.4

#28

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.8

#20

Firearms and Violence

15.2

#38

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#28

Transportation Safety

6.6

#27

Welfare and Personal Security

19.3

#16

Louisiana

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Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

51.4

#50

Crime and Law Enforcement

14.1

#46

Firearms and Violence

7.8

#49

Safety & Social Equity

8.3

#6

Transportation Safety

6.0

#42

Welfare and Personal Security

15.2

#46

Maine

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Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.9

#6

Crime and Law Enforcement

24.6

#2

Firearms and Violence

20.1

#9

Safety & Social Equity

8.0

#11

Transportation Safety

7.0

#14

Welfare and Personal Security

18.3

#27

Maryland

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Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.9

#25

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.6

#33

Firearms and Violence

20.0

#13

Safety & Social Equity

8.4

#4

Transportation Safety

7.5

#3

Welfare and Personal Security

15.4

#45

Massachusetts

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Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

80.4

#1

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.6

#7

Firearms and Violence

24.2

#2

Safety & Social Equity

7.9

#13

Transportation Safety

7.1

#9

Welfare and Personal Security

18.5

#24

Michigan

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Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

69.3

#23

Crime and Law Enforcement

18.7

#28

Firearms and Violence

17.6

#27

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#31

Transportation Safety

7.0

#15

Welfare and Personal Security

18.6

#23

Minnesota

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Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.3

#9

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.2

#11

Firearms and Violence

20.0

#12

Safety & Social Equity

8.3

#5

Transportation Safety

6.7

#22

Welfare and Personal Security

20.2

#9

Mississippi

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Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

58.3

#45

Crime and Law Enforcement

15.6

#43

Firearms and Violence

7.4

#50

Safety & Social Equity

8.3

#7

Transportation Safety

7.1

#6

Welfare and Personal Security

19.8

#10

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

59.3

#43

Crime and Law Enforcement

14.3

#45

Firearms and Violence

13.3

#47

Safety & Social Equity

7.1

#37

Transportation Safety

6.6

#30

Welfare and Personal Security

17.9

#32

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

64.2

#36

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.9

#31

Firearms and Violence

14.8

#41

Safety & Social Equity

6.5

#48

Transportation Safety

6.5

#31

Welfare and Personal Security

18.5

#25

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

77.1

#10

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.0

#18

Firearms and Violence

19.8

#16

Safety & Social Equity

8.0

#12

Transportation Safety

7.1

#8

Welfare and Personal Security

22.2

#4

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

58.2

#46

Crime and Law Enforcement

15.2

#44

Firearms and Violence

16.8

#32

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#32

Transportation Safety

6.6

#28

Welfare and Personal Security

12.4

#50

New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

78.8

#3

Crime and Law Enforcement

24.6

#1

Firearms and Violence

21.8

#7

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#25

Transportation Safety

5.5

#46

Welfare and Personal Security

19.5

#14

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

79.4

#2

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.8

#5

Firearms and Violence

22.9

#4

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#24

Transportation Safety

6.7

#23

Welfare and Personal Security

19.5

#13

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

55.4

#48

Crime and Law Enforcement

12.3

#49

Firearms and Violence

13.8

#44

Safety & Social Equity

6.6

#47

Transportation Safety

6.2

#38

Welfare and Personal Security

16.6

#37

New York

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New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

75.9

#12

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.5

#15

Firearms and Violence

22.6

#5

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#39

Transportation Safety

6.9

#20

Welfare and Personal Security

19.0

#18

North Carolina

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North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

66.3

#32

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.7

#32

Firearms and Violence

16.8

#31

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#27

Transportation Safety

7.1

#11

Welfare and Personal Security

17.2

#34

North Dakota

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North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

74.2

#16

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.3

#17

Firearms and Violence

18.8

#17

Safety & Social Equity

7.4

#29

Transportation Safety

6.2

#36

Welfare and Personal Security

21.5

#5

Ohio

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Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.5

#26

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.9

#13

Firearms and Violence

17.1

#30

Safety & Social Equity

7.0

#38

Transportation Safety

6.1

#41

Welfare and Personal Security

17.5

#33

Oklahoma

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Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

65.6

#34

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.9

#36

Firearms and Violence

15.8

#35

Safety & Social Equity

7.9

#15

Transportation Safety

6.2

#34

Welfare and Personal Security

18.7

#22

Oregon

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Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

65.6

#33

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.5

#34

Firearms and Violence

18.3

#22

Safety & Social Equity

6.9

#41

Transportation Safety

6.4

#32

Welfare and Personal Security

16.4

#40

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

67.3

#30

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.3

#24

Firearms and Violence

17.8

#25

Safety & Social Equity

7.5

#26

Transportation Safety

6.2

#35

Welfare and Personal Security

16.5

#38

Rhode Island

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Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

78.1

#4

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.4

#8

Firearms and Violence

23.4

#3

Safety & Social Equity

8.4

#2

Transportation Safety

5.4

#47

Welfare and Personal Security

18.4

#26

South Carolina

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South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

59.1

#44

Crime and Law Enforcement

16.5

#38

Firearms and Violence

13.6

#46

Safety & Social Equity

7.4

#30

Transportation Safety

6.0

#43

Welfare and Personal Security

15.7

#44

South Dakota

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South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

72.4

#18

Crime and Law Enforcement

17.9

#30

Firearms and Violence

18.4

#21

Safety & Social Equity

7.6

#22

Transportation Safety

6.1

#40

Welfare and Personal Security

22.4

#2

Tennessee

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Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

58.0

#47

Crime and Law Enforcement

12.6

#48

Firearms and Violence

13.7

#45

Safety & Social Equity

7.3

#35

Transportation Safety

7.7

#1

Welfare and Personal Security

16.6

#36

Texas

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Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.4

#27

Crime and Law Enforcement

18.8

#27

Firearms and Violence

18.1

#23

Safety & Social Equity

6.7

#45

Transportation Safety

7.0

#17

Welfare and Personal Security

17.9

#31

Utah

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Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

74.6

#15

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.4

#21

Firearms and Violence

20.1

#10

Safety & Social Equity

8.4

#3

Transportation Safety

7.0

#13

Welfare and Personal Security

19.8

#11

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

76.4

#11

Crime and Law Enforcement

23.3

#3

Firearms and Violence

19.9

#14

Safety & Social Equity

7.1

#36

Transportation Safety

6.3

#33

Welfare and Personal Security

19.8

#12

Virginia

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Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

73.9

#17

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.3

#10

Firearms and Violence

18.0

#24

Safety & Social Equity

7.8

#16

Transportation Safety

6.8

#21

Welfare and Personal Security

19.0

#19

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

68.9

#24

Crime and Law Enforcement

19.4

#22

Firearms and Violence

20.1

#11

Safety & Social Equity

6.4

#49

Transportation Safety

7.0

#18

Welfare and Personal Security

16.0

#41

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

70.3

#21

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.4

#16

Firearms and Violence

16.6

#33

Safety & Social Equity

7.8

#17

Transportation Safety

6.6

#25

Welfare and Personal Security

18.8

#20

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

75.5

#13

Crime and Law Enforcement

20.8

#14

Firearms and Violence

18.7

#18

Safety & Social Equity

8.2

#8

Transportation Safety

7.1

#7

Welfare and Personal Security

20.8

#7

Wyoming

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Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Total Score

71.9

#19

Crime and Law Enforcement

22.9

#4

Firearms and Violence

15.0

#39

Safety & Social Equity

6.3

#50

Transportation Safety

6.7

#24

Welfare and Personal Security

21.0

#6

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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