Well-Being Survey

The American Human Development Project, a nonpartisan initiative, completed their The Measure of America report.  It measures three categories:  health, education, and income.  Some of the findings are as follows:

• U.S. life expectancy is 78.6 years, the same life expectancy for Chile.  Chile spends 10% of what the U.S. spends on health care.
• The 11 “states with the shortest lifespans are in the South.”
• Washington, D.C. scored the highest in Education with 85.8% of adult residents being high school graduates and 26.7% having graduate or advanced degrees.  Arkansas scored last with 82% of adult residents being high school graduates and 6.3% having graduate or advanced degrees.
• “In every ethnic and racial group studied except Asian Americans, women have higher educational attainment and enrollment than men.”
• “The wealth of the top 1 percent of households rose, on average, 103 percent (to $18.5 million per household) from 1983 to 2007.  The poorest 40 percent of households experienced a 63 percent decline in wealth during the same period (to $2,200 per household).”
• Washington, D.C. has the highest median earnings of $40,342 and Arkansas has the lowest median earnings of $23,471.
• “The wealthiest 20 percent of U.S. households have slightly more than half of the nation’s total income. The poorest 20 percent have 3.4 percent of total income.”
• “In health, we must address the ‘Fatal Four’-the risk factors that are the most significant contributors to premature death, namely, smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, and drinking to excess.”
• “In education, research shows that quality preschool is the single most decisive means to prepare disadvantaged children for elementary school.”
• In income, prevalent poverty affects health and education negatively.  Therefore, financial literacy should be included in the education system and retirement savings should have automatic enrollment to help build up assets.

The 3 risks to a long and healthy life:

• The percentage of babies with a low birth weight
• Diabetes rates
• And, the trauma-related death rate.

The 3 risks to access to knowledge:

• The percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds not enrolled in preschool
• The percentage of fourth graders not demonstrating reading proficiency
• And, the percentage of students not graduating from high school on time.

The 3 risks to a decent standard of living:

• The number of children under the age of 6 living in households with incomes below the poverty line
• The number of marginally attached workers
• The number of renters with severe housing-cost burdens
• And, the number of elderly living in poverty.

Click on the chart below to see an enlarged, clearer chart.

Click on the chart below to see an enlarged, clearer chart.

Click on the chart below to see an enlarged, clearer chart.

Click on the chart below to see an enlarged, clearer chart.

To read the entire report, click on American Human Development Project of the Social Science Research Council.