2018 Prosperity Now Scorecard

If you’re looking to understand what’s happening with the American economy at the state and local level, let me suggest that you check out the 2018 Prosperity Now Scorecard, which was released today.     I’m a big fan of this benchmarking tool, because it provides a holistic look at economic prosperity.  It doesn’t just track job or business growth; it also looks at poverty rates, home ownership, health care access and the like.  It presents a deep dive look at the quality of life across the US.  The Scorecard has been produced for decades, and it gets improved every year.  This year’s version tracks states, counties, and metro areas, and allows for downloads of profiles for these various geographies.   The site has tons of insights, and it’s worth spending some time surfing around.   As usual, Prosperity Now also ranks states on how they do in terms of providing economic opportunity and prosperity for all residents.  This year’s rankings have the following top performers (in rank order):  Vermont, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Utah.  This year’s weakest performers include Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia and Nevada.