Media Roundup: State of the States Coverage
Since its release, the State of the States project has received widespread media coverage from national, state, and local outlets across the country. The report has been featured by over 300 news outlets, including The New York Times, and continues to inform conversations about how states are performing across measures of well-being, trust, civic life, health, education, the economy, and more.
The breadth of coverage reflects broad interest in better ways to understand how states are doing — not through partisan narratives, but through shared, evidence-based measures that people across perspectives can use. Stories have examined national trends, state-specific findings, and the shared challenges facing communities across the country.
Browse selected media coverage of the State of the States project below.
National Coverage
• The States Where Life Is Better — The New York Times, Author: Nicholas Kristof. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/06/opinion/happiness-trust-americans-states.html
• New bipartisan report finds that Americans share the same struggles despite deep political divides — EurekAlert! (AAAS). https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1129860
• New Bipartisan Study Reveals Common Challenges Faced by Americans Across — Ground News. https://ground.news/article/new-bipartisan-study-reveals-common-challenges-faced-by-americans-across
• What the 2026 State of the States Report Reveals About America — Luxurious Magazine https://www.luxuriousmagazine.com/2026-state-of-the-states-report/
• Red States and Blue States Are Becoming the Same Unhappy Country — ScienceBlog.com. https://scienceblog.com/red-states-and-blue-states-are-becoming-the-same-unhappy-country/
• Americans share the same struggles despite deep political divides, new bipartisan report finds — WN News. https://article.wn.com/view/2026/06/06/Americans_share_the_same_struggles_despite_deep_political_di/
• State of the Nation: New US State Rankings and Quality of Life Reports — News Usa Today. https://news-usa.today/state-of-the-nation-new-us-state-rankings-and-quality-of-life-reports/
• And the No. 1 State for Well-Being Is … — DNYUZ. https://dnyuz.com/2026/06/06/and-the-no-1-state-for-well-being-is/
• New Bipartisan Study Reveals Common Challenges Faced by Americans Across Political Divides — Scienmag Science Magazine. https://scienmag.com/new-bipartisan-study-reveals-common-challenges-faced-by-americans-across-political-divides/
State and Local Coverage
• Bipartisan State of the States Report Ranks Louisiana Last — Biz New Orleans https://bizneworleans.com/tulane-state-of-the-nation-report-ranks-louisiana-last/
• New report ranks Minnesota No. 1 in quality of life — KARE11. https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/state-of-the-nation-project-2026-minnesota-rank/89-e33f5045-ac3a-4e61-9c18-59359f3709b8
• Report ranks Minnesota No. 1 [State of the Nation] — Yahoo News https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/report-ranks-minnesota-no-1-012351306.html
• Oregon Leads in Democracy but Falls Behind in Mental Health, Report Finds — Wilamette Week https://www.wweek.com/news/2026/06/01/oregon-leads-in-democracy-falls-behind-in-mental-health-report-finds/
• Report shows how Louisiana compares with other states: See rankings — Fox 48 WNTZ https://www.cenlanow.com/news/state-news/report-shows-how-louisiana-compares-with-other-states-see-rankings/
• Minnesota ranks No. 1 for quality of life in new national study — Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2026/06/08/minnesota-named-no-1-quality-of-life.html
• Minnesota ranks #1 state in the country in new report, but falls short in several key categories — CBS News - Minnesota
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-ranked-best-state/
• Louisiana Shows Gains in Some Quality-of-Life Measures but Continues to Lag Nationally, Report Finds — BIZ. Magazine. https://bizmagsb.com/louisiana-shows-gains-in-some-quality-of-life-measures-but-continues-to-lag-nationally-report-finds/
• Deep divides, same struggles: 'State of the States' report explores shared challenges — NBC Montana
https://nbcmontana.com/news/nation-world/deep-divides-same-struggles-state-of-the-states-report-explores-shared-challenges-state-of-the-nation-project-2026-state-of-the-states-report-economy-americans-well-being-metrics-state-rankings-trends
• Minnesota ranked best in country for quality of life — The Minnesota Star Tribune https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-tops-quality-of-life-us-study/601854426
• New report shows Louisiana's scorecard from education to violence. See national ranks. — The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate
https://www.shreveportbossieradvocate.com/business/louisianas-ranking-30-top-categories/article_02cbcadf-4a0a-474b-b8c7-ef1fc52f50af.html
• New report shows Louisiana's scorecard from education to violence. See national ranks. — The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocate / NOLA. https://www.nola.com/shreveport_bossier/louisianas-ranking-30-top-categories/article_4b991411-cc62-57e7-96a8-120145d850ee.html#tncms-source=featured-3
• Report shows Wisconsin ranks eighth among states in voter participation — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2026/06/10/wisconsin-ranks-eighth-for-voter-participation-in-new-report/90475124007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z114128p003550c003550u116528e1177xxv114128&gca-ft=52&gca-ds=sophi
• NH gets high marks for children’s economic well being, but ranks worst for youth depression — NHPR
https://www.nhpr.org/health/2026-06-10/nh-childrens-well-being-mental-health-depression
• Report: Washington tops economic productivity but faces personal well-being crisis — KATU ABC 2 https://katu.com/news/local/report-washington-tops-economic-productivity-but-faces-personal-well-being-crisis-2026-state-of-the-nation-project-report-how-are-we-doing-as-a-country-united-states-of-america
• New Mexico ranks low for quality of life in national report on the state of the states — Source New Mexico
https://sourcenm.com/2026/06/12/new-mexico-ranks-low-for-quality-of-life-in-national-report-on-the-state-of-the-states/
• California has a top-ranked economy. It’s also one of the nation’s most unequal — CalMatters
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2026/06/california-struggles-unlike-other-states/
• Report: New Mexico among bottom third of states in life satisfaction, mental health — Santa Fe New Mexican
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/report-new-mexico-among-bottom-third-of-states-in-life-satisfaction-mental-health/article_f8bb1abb-986c-41cf-acf0-14e93f2495de.html
• Study finds West Virginia gains on economy and air quality, but health and education lag — 8 ABC Appalachia
https://wchstv.com/news/local/scholars-state-of-the-states-report-tracks-west-virginia-ahead-of-250th-anniversary
• The best and worst in Illinois, from a new report on jobs, education, environment — Belleville News-Democrat.
https://www.bnd.com/news/state/illinois/article316162891.html
• NC ranks No. 36 in bipartisan state report card — Carolina Journal. https://www.carolinajournal.com/nc-ranks-no-36-in-bipartisan-state-report-card/
• Deep divides, same struggles: ‘State of the States’ report explores shared challenges — The Baltimore Sun. https://www.baltimoresun.com/2026/06/12/deep-divides-same-struggles-state-of-the-states-report-explores-shared-challenges/
• SC among the worst states in the US, new national report says. Here’s where it ranks & why — The State
https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article316059516.html
• SC among the worst states in the US, new national report says. Here’s where it ranks & why — Yahoo! News. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/sc-among-worst-states-us-100000050.html
• New report shows Louisiana's scorecard from education to violence. See national ranks. — The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate https://www.shreveportbossieradvocate.com/business/louisianas-ranking-30-top-categories/article_02cbcadf-4a0a-474b-b8c7-ef1fc52f50af.html
Broadcast and Audio Coverage
• What is the state of our state? (It's not good) — WWL First News with Tommy Tucker https://www.audacy.com/podcast/wwl-first-news-with-tommy-tucker-34f17/episodes/what-is-the-state-of-our-state-its-not-good-7ae2d
• Douglas Harris details latest State of the States report — WCHS-TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QYjI7hZA4Q
