| Category |
Top State
(Ranked 1) |
How Maine Fares |
Lowest State
(Ranked 50) |
| Total area |
Alaska 656,424 square miles |
Ranked 39 35,387 square miles |
Rhode Island 1,545 square miles |
Population
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census |
California 35.1 million |
Ranked 40 1.3 million |
Wyoming 499,000 |
Per capita income
(U.S. $30,941)
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |
Connecticut $42,706 |
Ranked 33 $27,744 |
Mississippi $22,372 |
State and local tax burden (2000)
(as%age of state personal income)
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census |
New York (14.1%) |
Ranked 2 (13.9%) |
New Hampshire (8.8%) |
Federal expenditure
(for every $1 paid in federal taxes)
Source: Tax Foundation |
New Mexico $2.37 |
Ranked 16 $1.34 |
New Jersey $.62 |
Average teacher's salary
Source: American Federation of Teachers |
Connecticut ($53,507) |
Ranked 37 ($36,373) (15.9% below U.S. average) |
South Dakota ($30,265) |
Full-time state and local
government workers
(per 10,000 residents)
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census |
Wyoming (818 workers) |
Ranked 14 (580 workers) |
Nevada (413 workers) |
Full-time state government workers
(per 10,000 residents)
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census |
Hawaii (448 workers) |
Ranked 27 (167 workers) |
Illinois (104 workers) |
Livability
(social, economic and environmental factors)
Source: Morgan Quitno Press |
Minnesota |
Ranked 16 |
Mississippi |
Crime rate
(murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, etc.)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation |
Florida |
Ranked 48 |
North Dakota |
Healthiest states
(crime, smoking, disease, insurance coverage, etc.)
Source: United Health Foundation |
New Hampshire |
Ranked 10 |
Louisiana |
Health care costs
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
Massachusetts |
Ranked 10 |
Idaho |
State cigarette tax (per pack)
Source: Federation of Tax Administrators |
New Jersey ($2.05) |
Ranked 12 ($1) |
Kentucky (3 cents) |
State gasoline tax (per gallon)
Source: Tax Foundation |
New York 32 cents |
Ranked 22 cents |
Alaska 8 cents |
State sales tax
Source: Tax Foundation |
California 7.25% |
Ranked 5% |
Colorado 2.9% |
How Maine Ranks...
... on taxes
- 14th in general state revenue ($4,205 per capita/$3,685 U.S. average)
- 13th in state taxes ($2,079 per capita/$1,966 U.S.)
- 2nd in state and local taxes as percentage of personal income (13.9 percent)
- 9th in state taxes as percentage of personal income (8.7 percent)
- 9th in overall taxes, including federal, compared to income (30.8 percent)
- 7th in state and local property taxes ($1,254 per capita/$885 U.S.)
- 7th in individual state income tax bracket (8.5 percent for $16,500 and over)
- 8th in individual state income tax as percentage of personal income (3.5 percent)
- 18th in state corporate income tax ($118 per capita/$115 U.S.)
- 32nd in general state sales taxes ($937 per capita/$1,099 U.S.)
- 24th in selective state sales taxes (alcohol, tobacco and gasoline) ($280 per capita/$276 U.S.)
- 25th in state license revenue (hunting, motor vehicle, occupational, etc.) ($107 per capita/$115 U.S.)
... on spending
- 15th in overall state government ($4,059 per capita/$3,664 U.S.)
- 3rd in state public welfare ($1,304 per capita/$914 U.S.)
- 22nd in state public health and hospitals ($280 per capita/$275 U.S.)
- 9th in state and local public education K-12 ($8,945 per student/$7,463 U.S.)
- 47th in state and local law enforcement ($225 per capita/$375 U.S.)
- 19th in state law enforcement ($40 per capita/$36 U.S.)
- 3rd in state and local corrections ($55,751 per prisoner/$27,504 U.S.)
- 18th in state and local highways ($449 per capita/$360 U.S.)
- 8th in state natural resources ($111 per capita/$61 U.S.)
.. otherwise
- 13th in adults age 25 and older who graduated high school (84.5 percent)
- 27th in adults age 25 and older with bachelor's degree or higher (22.9 percent)
- 47th in population under age 18 (23.63 percent)
- 7th in population age 65 and older (14.39 percent)
- 6th in homeownership (75.5 percent of households)
- 11th in federal aid to state and local governments per capita ($1,472)
- 27th in people living below poverty (10.9 percent)
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Congressional Quarterly State Fact Finder, Center for Public Policy Priorities, Tax Foundation
To top of page
|
