July 24, 2015
By Representative Henry Genga
Forget the naysayers who tell you that Connecticut is not the place to be. Our state is in fact the best place in the United States to live when it comes to your overall well-being, health and education.
According to a nonpartisan study by Measure of America, done under the auspices of the Social Science Research Council, states were ranked on the basis of the American Human Development Index, which took into account various metrics of health, education and earnings, and Connecticut was ranked No. 1.
In terms of the overall index — a measure of how well states are "improving people's well-being and expanding their freedoms and opportunities" — Connecticut is followed by Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. The bottom five states are Alabama, Kentucky, West Virginia, Arkansas and Mississippi.
According to a report on the study, the American HD Index provides the data needed to measure well‐being in the three key areas – life expectancy, educational attainment, and median earnings – that shape the opportunities available to everyday people and enable them to live freely chosen lives.
The American HD Index scores enable a ranking of the 50 U.S. states, America's 25 largest metro areas, and major racial and ethnic groups and allows for the tracking of progress over time. And by focusing on outcomes, the report says, the American HD Index is helpful in determining if investments and resources are moving the needle on the country's major social and economic challenges. It answers the essential question: How are ordinary Americans doing?
I urge you to read the full report. Here is the website where the report can be found.