American workers sit in the driver’s seat in a way they haven’t in years. That’s because there aren’t nearly enough of them to fill more 11 million job opportunities. So workers are increasingly able to name their own terms. Calculation goes down more money.
That’s why every year on CNBC Top US Countries for Business Research always measures quality of life, and why is it especially important this year Methodology.
Our Life, Health and Inclusion category considers factors such as crime rates, environmental quality and healthcare. For the first time in 2022, we’re also looking at the availability of childcare, which the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Find remains a major obstacle for parents looking to refocus their workforce during the pandemic.
Over the past few years, we have also looked at the coverage of state law in areas such as protection against discrimination and voting rights. It’s not politics, it’s business.
Deloitte’s latest annual survey of Gen Z and millennials Find nearly two-fifths are willing to turn down an assignment if it doesn’t match their worth. If you want to attract workers, it helps you stay in a place where they want to go. In addition, half of the respondents in the latest survey about CNBC Global CFO Council agree that it is important to do business in a state where the laws are as open and inclusive as possible.
We see that some states do not make points. But these 10 states lead the way in Life, Health and Inclusion.
10. Iowa
Fans wave to children at the University of Iowa’s Stead Children’s Hospital during the Iowa football game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Matthew Holst | beautiful pictures
Is this heaven? No but Iowa is a good place to take care of health. Only 5% of Iowans are uninsured, according to American Health Organization data. And the state ranks a respectable 12th in public health funding, spending $161 per person, slightly above the national average. Iowa Child Care Referrals & Resourceswas founded 30 years ago, linking Iowans with relatively diverse establishments in the state.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 231 out of 325 (US First: B)
Strength: Health Resources, Child Care
Weak: Comprehensive
8. (draw) Oregon
Aerial view of the scenic coastline and Highway 101, on the western shoulder of Mount Neah-Kah-Nie, in Oregon, USA.
Feng Wei Photography | Moment | beautiful pictures
Integrating is a way of living in Beaver State, with strong anti-discrimination laws. In 2000, Oregon became the first state to conduct all of its elections by mail, making voting easy and secure. Today, Oregon’s electoral system is considered the gold standard, with the best scores in a “voting cost index” developed by researchers at Northern Illinois University. Oregon is also a family-friendly state, ranking 3rd for licensed child care facilities per capita.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 232 out of 325 (US First: B)
Strength: Inclusion, Suffrage, Child Care
Weaknesses: Health Resources, Air Quality
8. (draw) New Jersey
People walk and cycle along the boardwalk the day before Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, in the coastal community of Wildwood on May 28, 2021 in Wildwood, New Jersey.
Spencer Platt | beautiful pictures
How comprehensive? New shirtpublic accommodation law? Follow National Conference of State Legislatures, which is one of five states that prohibits discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and childbirth. The Garden State is also one of the safest states in the US in terms of violent crime per capita.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 232 out of 325 (US First: B)
Strength: Inclusion, Voting Rights, Crime Rate
Weaknesses: Childcare, Air Quality
7. Nebraska
Horses run in a field near Valentine, Nebraska.
Diana Robinson Photography | Moment | beautiful pictures
Air in State of Cornhusker – among the cleanest in the nation. And if you get sick here, health care is plentiful. Nebraska is in the top ten states in terms of hospital beds per capita, according to Becker .’s Hospital Review.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 234 out of 325 points (US First: B)
Strength: Air Quality, Health Resources
Weaknesses: Inclusiveness, crime
6. Washington
Jenny Goff, right, approaches a child at Central Park Childcare Center in Vancouver, Washington.
Ariane Kunze | Colombians via AP
Evergreen State is a leader in childcare and it has become even more affordable and accessible with the adoption of The Children’s Fair Start Act. The state has more than 5,400 licensed child care facilities serving a population of 7.7 million. That’s one of the best rates in the country.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 239 out of 325 (US First: B+)
Strength: Child Care, Anti-Discrimination Law.
Weaknesses: Health Resources, Air Quality
5. Minnesota
Surgeons perform a liver transplant at the Mayo Clinic.
Source: Mayo Clinic
Legendary Mayo Clinic based in Rochester, but that’s just one component of one of the best healthcare environments in the country. Minnesota ranks in the top 10 health care providers per capita and has one of the lowest rates of premature death.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 245 out of 325 (US First Class: B+)
Strength: Health, Inclusion
Weak: Take care of children
4. North Dakota
Peter Beck | beautiful pictures
State Garden of Peace addressed the problem of drug abuse by removing the stigma surrounding drug treatment. Educational efforts seem to be paying off. Drug addiction and death rates are low. One state-mandated survey Of more than 2,000 North Dakotans last year, 74% agreed that addiction was a disease rather than a choice, up from 63% in 2018. And 87% said they were willing to have it. recovery person as a neighbor.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 256 out of 325 (US First: B+)
Strength: Air quality, health
Weak: Crime
3. Hawaii
Rainbow Falls, Iao Needle State Park, Hawaii
Shutterjack | Accommodation | beautiful pictures
The Aloha spirit lives on well here, with a pristine environment, good health care and low crime. But Hawaii slipped to the lowest rank in this category since 2009 largely due to the addition of childcare as a measure (before 2021, we refer to this category as “Quality of Life”). One LendingTree’s research named Hawaii the most expensive state for childcare. It is still in the top half of the states in terms of access to childcare, but only at the low end.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 262 out of 325 (US First: A-)
Strength: Air quality, Health, Crime
Weak: Take care of children
2. Maine
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Enzo Figueres | Moment | beautiful pictures
Maine It’s not just a safe state – it’s getting safer. Maine Department of Public Safety report The most recent statistics show that overall crime has fallen for the ninth year in a row in 2020. Violent crime is down by nearly 5% and robbery by more than 6%.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 265 out of 325 (US First: A-)
Strength: Crime, Child Care, Voting Rights
Weak: Air quality
1. Vermont
Middlebury Charming Center, Vermont.
John Greim | Lightrocket | beautiful pictures
Few states make it easier for you to exercise your right to vote Vermont do. Elections are conducted by post, but polling stations are available in person. And voting begins 45 days before election day, one of the longest early voting periods in the country, according to National Conference of State Legislatures. No state offers better access to child care, and the health care system is first-rate. Add fresh air, less crime, and less stress, and you’ll have America’s Top State to Live in 2022.
2022 Life, health and inclusion scores: 308 out of 325 (Top US Rank: A+)
Strength: Suffrage, Child Care, Health Care, Air Quality
Weak: Comprehensiveness (strong, but not as strong as other metrics)
