50 Worst Cities to Live In
Deciding on the right city to live in will always require some compromise. A city like New York may have a booming job market, but it is also one of the most expensive places…
All Work
Sam Stebbins
States With the Most Credit Card Debt
Americans are more likely to pay with a credit card than with cash than ever before. With a credit card, consumers can buy now and pay later and earn rewards like cash back and…
The Worst States for Hispanics
Comprising nearly 18% if the population, Hispanics and Latinos are one of the largest and fastest growing demographic groups in the United States. Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino trace their ancestry to…
Southern States Struggle the Most With Credit Card Debt
Americans are increasingly using plastic over cash in the checkout aisle. According to the Federal Reserve, Americans have a record $1.04 trillion in credit card debt. The temptation to buy now and pay later…
How Much Home You Can Buy for $200K in Every State
Buying a home is the biggest purchase millions of Americans make in their lifetimes. Within a given market, a higher price tag generally corresponds with a larger house. However, real estate markets vary by…
The Fastest Growing and Shrinking States
Long-term population decline can spell disaster for any economy. A shrinking population can result in labor shortages, lower tax revenue, higher per-capita debt, and weakened GDP growth. While the U.S. population has grown steadily…
States With the Highest (and Lowest) Property Taxes
Property taxes, the single largest revenue source for local governments, are ratified, collected, and spent almost entirely at the municipal level. As a result, the United States is a patchwork of property tax codes,…
States With the Highest and Lowest Gas Taxes
Not including the cost of crude oil, taxes are the single largest factor in determining how much Americans pay at the pump. Combined, federal and state taxes add more to the price of a…
Retailers Closing the Most Stores in 2019
This week, children’s clothing chain Gymboree is expected to file for bankruptcy protection and begin shuttering its 900 U.S. locations. The company had been in the process of closing hundreds of stores for months,…
The Weather in These US Cities Will be Unrecognizable in 30 Years
Preliminary data indicates that 2018 will be the fourth warmest year since record keeping began nearly a century and a half ago. If these projections prove accurate, this year would join the preceding three…
America’s Most Popular Governors
Governors are the most powerful elected officials in state governments, effectively serving as the chief executive. Unlike CEOs in the private sector, however, governors face re-election every few years — and for those who…
The Poorest County in Every State
For years now, each new month has brought news of job growth and signs of a strong economy. As of November 2018, 12-month wage growth reached its highest level in nearly a decade. Often…
Cities Where It’s Easiest to Buy a House for Less Than $100K
Homeownership is, for many, the realization of the American dream. However, the sale price of the typical American home has climbed substantially in recent years — from about $214,000 in 2009 to nearly $316,000…
Biggest Mergers of the Year
2018 is on pace to be a record-breaking year for corporate consolidation. In the first three quarters of the year, companies around the world announced merger and acquisition deals worth a total of $3.3…
Why These Jobs Are Largely Held by People 55 and Older
The U.S. labor force is over 160 million strong. It includes those not yet out of high school, just starting their first job, as well as those old enough to qualify for Social Security…
Biggest IPOs of the Year
In the first three quarters of 2018, 173 companies have gone public in the United States. By year’s end, the total number of domestic initial public offerings is projected to exceed the 181 IPOs…
The Best and Worst CEOs of 2018
In August 2018, 154 chief executives at American companies left their job — the most of any month on record, according to management consulting firm Challenger, Gray, & Christmas. While many departed on good…
The Most Educated City in Every State
The average American adult with a bachelor’s degree earns nearly $22,000 more per year than the average adult with just a high school education. In addition to a higher earning potential, a college education…
Highest and Lowest Paying Jobs of 2018
In the United States, 40 hours of work per week is generally considered full-time employment. Though nearly 130 million Americans work full-time, they are compensated differently depending on where they live and what they…
Best and Worst Run States in America: A Survey of All 50
No two states are exactly alike. Job market strength, economic productivity, and individual prosperity and security all vary widely from state to state. While some of these conditions can be meaningfully impacted by immutable…