Interesting Facts

Background

• The name of Portland, Oregon was decided on a coin flip: there was a 50% chance the city would today be called Boston, Oregon.
• If the lower 48 states were all ironed out flat, Idaho would be the largest one.

Crime

• South Carolina has the highest rate of violent crimes and aggravated assaults per capita among US states.
• Oklahoma has the highest rate of women in State or Federal correctional facilities.
• It's not the government they hate: Washington DC has the highest number of hate crimes per capita in the US.

Economy

• Puerto Rico has roughly the same gross state product as Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota combined.
• Minnesota and Connecticut are both in the top 5 in saving money and total tax burden per capita.
• 73.3% of America's gross operating surplus in motion picture and sound recording industries comes from California.

Education

• The top five best educated states are all in the Northeast.
• Bookworms: Vermont has the highest number of high school teachers per capita and third highest number of librarians per capita.
• The bookmobile capital of America is Kentucky.
• Alaska spends more money per capita on elementary and secondary education than any other state.
• Cheap sloppy joes: Looking for reduced-price lunches for schoolchildren? Head for Oklahoma!
• Montana's 8th graders excel at science, with the best scale score, highest % above proficient and 4th highest % above advanced.

Energy

• Gas guzzlers and Greens: Wyoming consumes more gasoline per capita than any other state. California consumes the least.
• The top ten states for geothermal consumption per capita are all west of the Mississippi River.
• The Charleston Isotopes: South Carolina consumes more nuclear energy per capita than any other state.
• Though #1 in per capita consumption of petroleum and natural gas, Alaska spends the most money per GDP on renewable energy R & D programs.
• Oregon and New Jersey are the only US states that do not allow you to pump your own gas.

Geography

• Michigan is ranked 22nd in land area, but since 41.27% of the state is composed of water, it jumps to 11th place in total area.
• Austin, Texas has more people than Alaska.
• If Alaska were its own country, it would be the 26th largest in total area, slightly larger than Iran.
• At roughly 1,000 feet above sea level, Atlanta, Georgia is the highest elevated capital east of the Mississippi River.

Government

• The total number of state executions in 2005 was 60: 19 in Texas and 41 elsewhere. The racial split was 19 Black and 41 White.
• Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming have no legislation regarding prohibited firearms.
• In 1972, the youth voter turnout in Utah was a whopping 70%. The state's youth voter turnout in 2004 was 51%.
• In the 2004 Presidential Elections, California and Hawaii were the only states with a voter turnout percentage below 50%.
• The top five states for youth voter turnout in the 2000 Presidential Election all went for Al Gore.

Health

• The top 4 binge drinking states are all in the Midwest.
• Cancer death rates among residents of DC are the highest in the US, so it's no surprise they're more likely to try kicking the butts.
• Mississippi has the highest death rate, but also the highest amount of health spending as a percent of the overall gross state product.
• In a twelve year period (1991 to 2003), California saw a 46% drop in teen birth rates, the second largest decrease in the US.
• You betcha hey! Minnesotans can make a strong claim to being the most physically fit in the nation.
• Those who have survived the drive might know: Montana has the highest motor vehicle death rate in the US.
• The HIV death rate for America is 4.9 per 100,000 people; the HIV death rate for District of Columbia is 40.8 per 100,000 people.
• From 2000 to 2004, the uninsured population in Texas increased by 825,635. New York decreased by 351,547 in the same period.
• Ship off grandma to Sheboygan: on average, Wisconsin has the best nursing homes.
• New York has the fifth highest percentage of poor mental health, but is dead last in per capita number of suicides.
• For every 1,000 live births in New York, there are 500 abortions.

Housing

• Just 1% of the houses in Nevada were built before 1939.
• If you're itching to live in a trailer park, hitch up your home and head to South Carolina, where a whopping 18% of residences are mobile homes.

Identification

• Though Rhode Island is the smallest state in total area, it has the longest official name: The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
• Washinton's state motto, Al-Ki, is the only one that comes from a Native American saying.
• The Mexican Free-tailed Bat is the Official State flying mammal of Texas.
• Caught in the headlights: 11 states list the White-tailed Deer as one of their Official State animals.

Industry

• Idaho produces more milk than Iowa, Indiana and Illinois combined.
• The Carolinas are the textile mill centers of America, coming in first and second in total value of all shipments.

Labor

• South Dakota has the highest employment ratio in America, but the lowest median earnings of full-time male employees.
• Wisconsin has more metal fabricators per capita than any other state.
• Looking for table makers? Head to Mississippi, with an overwhlemingly large number of employees in furniture manufacturing.
• If you're tired of sitting in traffic on your way to work, move to North Dakota.
• Delaware is the latchkey kid capital of America, with 71.8% of households having both parents in the labor force.
• Workers in Arkansas have the highest probability of dying in a fire or explosion while on the job; Wonder about their overall fire death rate?

Lifestyle

• The top five states for largest average households are all in the west.
• In the District of Columbia, only 7.2% of households are married couple families with children.
• Shop till you drop: Connecticut and Rhode Island lead the US in number of shopping malls per capita.
• Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas rank near the top for per capita bankruptcy filings and per capita number of Walmart Supercenters.
• Roadside diner: Montana has the highest per capita number of resturants among US states.
• A mere 3.22% of Tennesseans are cremated when they die. The national average is 31.2%.

Military

• Statistically, Delaware bears more cost of the US Military than any other state.
• 15% of Army recruits from South Dakota are Native American, which is roughly the same percentage for female Army recruits in the state.

People

• New York has America's lowest percentage of residents who are veterans.
• North Carolina has a larger Native American population than North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana combined.
• A mere 0.8% of West Virginians were born in a foreign country.

Presidential Elections

• In the 2000 Presidential Election, Texas gave Ralph Nader the 3rd highest popular vote count of any US state.

Trade

• From '04 to '05, Oklahoma saw a 422.1% increase in trade from Israel; nearby New Mexico saw an 81.4% drop.
• Exports to Mexico from Texas have a greater value than the next 15 states combined.
• Georgia exports more to Iran than all other U.S. states combined.
• California and Washington compose nearly a third of all trade with China.
• Viva la Boise: Exports to France from Idaho skyrocketed by 194.9% from '04 to '05. Nearby Wyoming saw a -70.3% dip.

Transportation

• 74.4% of auto fatalities in North Dakota occured when a seat belt was not used. They also lead the country in per capita fatalities at railroad crossings.
• Washington DC has the highest percent of people taking public transportation to work, but they also have the highest pedestrian fatality rate. Oh, and beware on the bridges.

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