Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2024 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Norms Found in Study of American States

Billboards in Los Angeles reflect the area's diverse demographics.
David McNew
/
Getty Images
Billboards in Los Angeles reflect the area's diverse demographics.

How "average" or "American" is your state? The Associated Press has produced an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data that ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia according to how closely they resemble the country's demographics.

They looked at 21 demographic factors — from race, age, income and education to immigration and the percentage of residents living in urban and rural areas.

Illinois came out on top, because the state's racial, urban, and rural characteristics almost match that of the nation, as the AP's Stephen Ohlemacher tells NPR's Michele Norris.

The state least like the rest of the nation: West Virginia.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.