America Decides: Understanding the United States in 20 maps

 

These 20 maps offer an overview of the economy, demographics, geography and history of the country of 335 million people as voters head to the polls.

Which state has the biggest economy?

The US has the largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the world at $29 trillion.

Within the country, California, Texas and New York lead with the biggest economies, at $4.08 trillion, $2.69 trillion and $2.28 trillion respectively.

California’s GDP rivals Japan’s, Texas’s rivals France, and New York’s GDP equates to Italy’s.

Where is unemployment the highest?

Both the Democratic and Republican platforms have emphasised prioritising the American economy in their policies, with Harris appealing to middle-class voters and Trump maintaining his 2016 message of “Making America Great Again” by focusing on keeping American jobs for American workers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of October, the national unemployment rate stood at 4.1 per cent, with about seven million Americans unemployed and actively seeking work.

In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, eight out of 10 registered voters said the economy will be one of the most important factors in their vote.

The states with the highest rate of unemployment are the District of Columbia (5.7 per cent), Nevada (5.5 per cent) and California (5.3 per cent), while South Dakota (2 per cent), Vermont (2.2 per cent) and North Dakota (2.3 per cent) have the lowest rates.

What is the minimum wage in each state?

The minimum wage has been a focal point for the Democrats, with Kamala Harris backing a doubling of the current federal rate of $7.25 per hour, which she describes as “poverty wages” and has remained unchanged since 2009.

However, each state can set its own minimum wage standards. The District of Columbia ($17), Washington ($16.28) and California ($16) have the highest minimum wage.

Voters work on their ballot at a polling station at the Elena Bozeman Government Center in Arlington, Virginia, on September 20, 2024. [AFP]

Georgia ($5.15) and Wyoming ($5.15) are the only two states that fall below the federal rate.

Where is income tax the highest?

At 13.3 percent, California has the highest income tax rate for the state’s highest earners followed by Hawaii (11 percent) and New York (10.9 percent).

These states have progressive tax structures, meaning rates increase with income.

Several other states including: Alaska, Nevada, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming have no income tax but collect revenue through other forms of taxes.

Where is homelessness most pronounced?

More people are homeless in the US than ever before according to the 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) with 20 out of every 10,000 people (one in every 500 people) nationwide experiencing homelessness.

The District of Columbia, New York and Vermont have the highest rate of homelessness with 72, 52 and 51 people homeless per 10,000 people while Mississippi (3), Alabama (7) and Louisiana (7) have the lowest rates.

Who is the richest person in every state?

The United States is home to nine out of the top 10 richest people in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The world’s richest person, Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, SpaceX and X, lives in Texas. Jeff Bezos, the second richest and founder of Amazon, lives in Florida, while Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the third richest, lives in California.

How big is each state?

At about 9.8 million square kilometres (3.8 million square miles), the US is the world’s third-largest country by total area.

When comparing each US state with other countries, Alaska emerges as the largest state, roughly equivalent in size to Libya. Texas ranks as the second largest state, comparable in size to Myanmar, while California is about the same size as Iraq.

Which state has the highest population?

The United States ranks as the third most populous country globally, with an estimated population of about 335 million people.

People walk past a TV showing US election results in Ajijic, Jalisco state, Mexico on November 5, 2024. [AFP]

California has the largest population, with about 39 million residents, followed by Texas at 30 million and Florida at about 22 million. Wyoming is the least populated state, with fewer than 600,000 residents.

Which state is the most densely populated?

Despite having a population of 335 million, the United States is one of the least densely populated countries in the world, with a vast land area that equates to approximately 35 people per square kilometre (91 people per square mile).

New Jersey is the country’s most densely populated state with 487 people per square kilometre.

Rhode Island comes in second with 409 people per square kilometre, followed by Massachusetts with 346 people.

The most sparsely populated states are Alaska, Wyoming and Montana, each with fewer than one, two, and three people per square kilometre, respectively.

Which states have the most people born outside of the US?

Immigration and border control are key issues in the 2024 election, particularly among Trump supporters.

According to the Pew Research Center about six in 10 voters (61 percent) say immigration is very important to their vote. This figure rises to 82 per cent among Trump supporters.

California has the highest population of people born outside the country with 27 percent of its residents born elsewhere. It is followed by New Jersey and New York, at 24 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.

What is the racial and ethnic breakdown of the United States?

According to the 2020 US Census, the largest racial or ethnic group in the United States is the White non-Hispanic population at 57.8 per cent, down from 63.7 per cent in 2010.

The Hispanic or Latino population was the second-largest group at 18.7 per cent, while the Black or African American non-Hispanic population was third at 12.1 per cent.

People wait in line to vote outside a polling station at the Dryland United Church of Christ on Election Day in Nazareth, Pennsylvania on November 5, 2024. [AFP]

The states with the highest concentration of white residents are West Virginia, where they make up 91 percent of the population, followed by Vermont and Maine at 89 per cent and 88 per cent, respectively.

The areas with the highest Black populations include the District of Columbia, where 42 per cent of the population identifies as Black or African American. This is followed by the southern states of Mississippi and Louisiana, with Black populations of 36.9 per cent and 32 per cent, respectively.

Where is the largest youth vote?

The median age for the US is 38.5 years. The youth vote, representing the 18-24 age group, constitutes nine percent of the US population, which is roughly 30.5 million individuals.

Utah has the largest youth voting bloc, making up 12 percent of the state’s total population. It is followed by North Dakota at 11 per cent and the District of Columbia at 10 per cent.

Where is maternal mortality the highest?

According to the Commonwealth Fund, the United States has a maternal mortality rate of 22 deaths per 100,000 live births, making it one of the highest among high-income countries.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the highest maternal mortality rates are found in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, with 44, 43, and 42 deaths per 100,000 live births, respectively.

Where are the highest suicide rates?

In 2022, at least 49,000 people across the US died by suicide according to the CDC, which averages out to one death every 11 minutes. Nearly 80 percent of all suicide cases were men.

In a state breakdown, Montana had the highest suicide rate at 29 per 100,000 people, followed by Alaska at 28 and Wyoming at 26 per 100,000.

Where is violent crime the highest?

In 2022, the FBI estimated approximately 381 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people, a decrease of 1.6 percent from 2021. This category includes offences such as murder, rape, sexual assault, robbery and assault.

The highest crime rate was recorded in the District of Columbia, at 812 per 100,000 residents, followed by New Mexico at 781 and Alaska at 759.

Mass shootings

The United States has the highest number of mass shootings globally with at least 4,684 incidents recorded between 2014 and 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which describes a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are killed or injured, excluding the shooter.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. [AFP]

Over the past decade, Illinois recorded the most number of mass shootings at 468 incidents, followed by California and Texas, with 419 and 336 incidents each.

Which states have the death penalty?

Twenty-one states actively enforce the death penalty, six have paused executions and 23 states have no death penalty.

Between 2014 and 2023, at least 244 prisoners have been executed in the US with the highest number in Texas, with 83, followed by 30 in Missouri and 25 in Florida.

Where is abortion illegal?

In 2022 the US Supreme Court reversed the landmark Roe v Wade decision, which had established a constitutional right to abortion for nearly 50 years.

This ruling allowed states to establish their own laws and regulations concerning abortion access.

Following the ruling, nearly two dozen states banned abortions or imposed restrictions.

When did each state join the Union?

In 1776, 13 colonies declared independence from Great Britain. In 1787, the United States Constitution was drafted, eventually leading to the formation of the 50 states that comprise the United States today.

Alaska and Hawaii were the most recent states to join the federation, both joining in 1959.