The Rating Guide to Life in America's Fifty States

In The Rating Guide to Life in America's Fifty States, G. Scott Thomas ranges throughout the length and breadth of these vast, diverse United States to assess their overall quality of life in 125 statistical categories, covering everything from per capita income and population density to the number of high school athletes and female-owned businesses. Each state receives a rating in every area and is ranked from best to worst. These statistical data are used to analyze each state's performance in twenty-five broad areas, including housing, education, public safety, arts and culture, transportation, sports, recreation, business opportunities for women and minorities, and future prospects. Every state is then given its own report card, grading it from A to F, as it highlights that state's particular strengths and weaknesses and compares it with its neighbors.

Thomas is a former reporter for national Public Radio.