A new report shows how Wisconsin compares to other states on measures such as the economy, civil liberties and education.
The State of the Nation Project released the State of the States report in June, evaluating states across a wide variety of quality-of-life categories. Here’s how Wisconsin fared against the rest of the country.
Children and families
In Wisconsin, “progress in this area has been mixed,” the report says, with child mortality improving but low birthweights, youth depression and the share of children living with a single parent worsening.
Here’s how Wisconsin compares to other states:
Environment
The report similarly describes Wisconsin’s environmental progress as mixed, with air quality improving but net greenhouse gas emissions showing mixed progress over time.
Social capital
Social capital is described in the report as “the strength and usefulness of our relationships with other people.”
Volunteerism in Wisconsin has worsened over time, the report says, contributing to the state’s mixed progress. However, Wisconsin had its highest ranking of any category in trust in other people.
Citizenship and democracy
This category, measured by voter participation, also yielded mixed progress for Wisconsin, as it ranked eighth in the country.
Inequality
Wisconsin has mixed progress in inequality, with income inequality described as “relatively stable,” but poverty showing mixed trends over time.
Trust
Trust in institutions, such as governments and universities, has been declining in Wisconsin, the report says. Trust in the federal government has worsened over time while trust in science has had little to no change.
Civil liberties
Ranked by freedom of the press alone, Wisconsin has been moving backward in civil liberties over time. Wisconsin ranks 26th in the country for press freedom.
Life satisfaction
Wisconsin has shown mixed progress over time in life satisfaction, which measures citizens’ view of the world and their lives. Satisfaction with current lives is showing mixed progress, while social isolation is listed as not having enough data to determine a trend.
Violence
As a combination of shootings and murder rate, Wisconsin has made mixed progress on violence. The murder rate is improving, but the rate of fatal shootings has worsened over time.
Economy
The economy yielded positive progress for Wisconsin, as economic output and productivity have both improved over time.
Mental health
Wisconsin’s progress in mental health was described as negative, as fatal overdose and suicide rates worsened. Depression was marked as stable.
Work and labor force
Employment in Wisconsin was marked as mixed in progress, as the employment-to-population ratio, long-term employment rate and hourly earnings growth showed mixed trends over time. The labor force population rate was listed as relatively stable.
Education
Wisconsin had mixed progress in education. Average years of education are improving, while academic test scores show mixed results. The percentage of young adults employed or in school is marked as stable.
Physical health
Life expectancy is the sole measure of physical health in the report, which showed positive progress for Wisconsin, though the report notes the state has been improving less than the rest of the country. Wisconsin ranked 19th.
Lance Schulteis can be reached at LSchulteis@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Report shows where Wisconsin ranks on jobs, schools and quality of life
Reporting by Lance Schulteis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Lance Schulteis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
