About America's Dashboard
A free, data-driven platform ranking all 50 US states and 1,000 cities using real government data.
What is America's Dashboard?
America's Dashboard is a data-driven platform that ranks and scores all 50 US states and 1,000 cities across 11 categories: economy, safety, health, education, fiscal health, growth, affordability, environment, outdoor access, transportation, and livability. Every score is calculated from real, publicly available government data — nothing is fabricated or estimated.
The platform serves millions of Americans making one of the biggest decisions of their lives: where to live. Whether you're a family evaluating school districts, a retiree weighing tax burden against healthcare access, or a remote worker choosing between affordability and outdoor recreation, the data here helps you make an informed choice instead of guessing.
Beyond state rankings, the platform includes head-to-head state comparisons, city-level scoring for the 1,000 largest US cities, persona-based rankings (best states for families, retirees, remote workers, and more), a household affordability calculator, career wage data across 20 occupations, state-to-state migration flow analysis, and in-depth data stories that go beyond the numbers.
Who Built This
America's Dashboard was built by Roket Software, a team focused on making government data accessible and actionable for everyday Americans. The project grew from a simple frustration: government agencies publish incredible data, but it's scattered across dozens of websites, published in incompatible formats, and nearly impossible to compare across states without significant data processing expertise.
The goal was to build the tool that should already exist — one place where anyone can compare all 50 states on the metrics that actually matter, using the same underlying data that policymakers and researchers use, but presented in a way that's immediately understandable. No paywalls, no spin, no fabricated data. Just the numbers.
Our Mission
To make state-level and city-level data accessible, comparable, and understandable. We believe transparency in how states perform helps residents, policymakers, journalists, and researchers make better decisions. By standardizing metrics across all 50 states and 1,000 cities, we aim to cut through noise and deliver clear, actionable insights.
We are committed to three principles: accuracy (every number comes from a verified government source), transparency (our methodology is fully documented and all weights are published), and accessibility (the platform is free to use with no paywalls or account requirements). We do not accept payments from states, economic development agencies, or real estate companies to influence rankings.
How It Works
Collect & Normalize
Raw data from federal agencies (BLS, Census Bureau, FBI, EPA, EIA, FEMA, NPS, USGS, FHWA, and more) is collected and normalized to a 0–100 scale using linear interpolation. Metrics where lower is better (crime, unemployment) are inverted so higher always means better.
Score & Weight
Eleven category scores are computed from the normalized data. Each category combines multiple metrics with defined weights. Category scores are then combined into a single composite score using the weights shown below.
Rank & Grade
States are ranked 1–50 by composite score and assigned letter grades from A+ (rank 1–5) to F (rank 49–50). The same process applies to 1,000 cities using city-level data.
Composite Score Weights
The composite score that determines overall state rankings is a weighted average of 11 category scores. The weights balance economic factors against quality-of-life indicators:
Data Accuracy & Sources
All data comes from official government sources and established research organizations. We never fabricate, estimate, or model data points. Our current dataset reflects 2024–2026 data from federal agencies including:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — unemployment rates, occupational wages, employment statistics
- U.S. Census Bureau — median income, demographics, housing, commute data, business patterns
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) — violent and property crime rates
- America's Health Rankings — comprehensive health metrics, life expectancy
- Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) — GDP, regional price parities
- EPA AirData — air quality index
- EIA State Electricity Profiles — energy costs, renewable adoption
- FEMA National Risk Index — natural disaster risk
- USGS & National Park Service — public land, park acreage
- IRS Statistics of Income — migration flows, adjusted gross income
- Tax Foundation & Pew Charitable Trusts — tax burden, fiscal health, pension funding
Rankings are updated annually as new data is released by each agency. Most metrics use the most recent available data (2024–2025 releases). Our methodology page documents the exact release year and source for every metric.
What You Can Do on the Platform
Compare States
See any two states side by side across all 11 categories with head-to-head scoring.
Explore 1,000 Cities
Search, sort, and filter city-level data for the 1,000 largest US cities across 50 states.
Affordability Calculator
Model household costs across all 50 states for your specific income level and family size.
Career Wages by Metro
Compare wages for 20 occupations across metro areas, adjusted for local cost of living.
Migration Flows
See where people are moving from and to using IRS county-to-county migration data.
Data Stories
In-depth analyses on best states to live, safest states, cheapest states, and more.
Category Rankings
Contact & Attribution
If you're a journalist, researcher, or policymaker looking to cite our data, please reference “America's Dashboard (americadashboard.com)” and link to the specific page or category ranking you are citing. All underlying data is sourced from the federal agencies listed above.
For corrections, data questions, or partnership inquiries, reach out at hello@americadashboard.com. We take data accuracy seriously and will investigate and correct any verified errors promptly.