About America's Dashboard

America's Dashboard is a data-driven platform that ranks and scores all 50 US states and 1,312 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 every US city of 50,000 or more plus smaller cities in every state, 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.

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.

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 1,312cities, 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.

1. 01

   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.

2. 02

   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.

3. 03

   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 1,312 cities using city-level data.

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:

All data comes from official government sources and established research organizations. We never fabricate, estimate, or model data points ourselves; figures are used as each source publishes them. Our current dataset reflects the latest releases from sources including:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — unemployment rates, occupational wages, employment statistics
• U.S. Census Bureau — median income, population and migration estimates, demographics, commuting, broadband subscriptions, business patterns
• FBI Crime Data Explorer — official state crime estimates and city police agency reports
• CDC National Center for Health Statistics and BRFSS — state life expectancy, adult obesity
• NAEP and the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts) — state test scores, graduation rates
• Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) — GDP, regional price parities for all items and for goods
• EPA AirData and National Walkability Index — air quality, walkability
• CDC PLACES — city health estimates
• NOAA Climate Normals — monthly temperatures and precipitation
• NCES Common Core of Data — public schools, students per teacher, spending
• Energy Information Administration (EIA) — electricity, natural gas and gasoline prices, 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
• Child Care Aware of America — center-based infant care prices
• Zillow Research — typical home values, rents and market data
• 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 latest release each agency has published. Our methodology page documents the source for every metric.

• Economy Rankings
• Safety Rankings
• Health Rankings
• Education Rankings
• Fiscal Health Rankings
• Growth Rankings
• Affordability Rankings
• Environment Rankings
• Outdoor Access Rankings
• Transportation Rankings
• Livability Rankings

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. Known limitations and citation guidance are in the newsroom.