United States · domain scores · 2023
The county scores against each other
Each score averages one topic’s (domain’s) measures across 3,222 counties. It is turned so that higher is better, and put on a common scale (standardised). Comparing the scores asks: do counties that do well on one topic also do well on another? The link is shown as r, which measures how closely two scores rise and fall together, from −1 (opposite) to +1 (in step); 0 means no link. 1 of these 28 pairs have a link of 0.4 or more, either way, before adjusting, and fall below 0.2 after. 7 still reach 0.4 when comparing places with the same population density, income and education levels.
Every pair, both ways
Above the diagonal: the link before adjusting for anything. Below it: the same pair after adjusting for population density, median household income and the share of graduates. What is left is the part not explained by the city-versus-country and rich-versus-poor differences that run through all this data. The gap between a cell and its mirror shows how much of the link was really those three things.
| Disability-free | Economy | Education | Health | Material security | Mobility | Safety | Social connection | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disability-free | +0.83 | +0.34 | +0.88 | +0.86 | +0.35 | +0.69 | +0.58 | |
| Economy | +0.37 | +0.31 | +0.81 | +0.71 | +0.29 | +0.60 | +0.45 | |
| Education | +0.18 | +0.10 | +0.31 | +0.41 | +0.30 | +0.33 | +0.24 | |
| Health | +0.67 | +0.30 | +0.14 | +0.76 | +0.40 | +0.76 | +0.48 | |
| Material security | +0.77 | +0.27 | +0.28 | +0.58 | +0.44 | +0.64 | +0.61 | |
| Mobility | +0.24 | +0.13 | +0.21 | +0.37 | +0.29 | +0.43 | +0.42 | |
| Safety | +0.40 | +0.05 | +0.19 | +0.59 | +0.39 | +0.37 | +0.49 | |
| Social connection | +0.56 | +0.30 | +0.17 | +0.40 | +0.59 | +0.31 | +0.36 |
Ranked by what remains after adjusting
“Adjusted” works like this. For each score, we first take out the part that density, income and education can predict, using a regression (a calculation that looks at many factors at once). Then we measure the link between what is left of the two scores. Bands use the size of r, ignoring its sign (|r|): strong is 0.7 or more, moderate 0.4 to 0.7, weak below 0.4.
| Pair | Raw | Adjusted | Strength | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disability-free × Material securityWhere Disability-free is higher, Material security tends to be higher: a strong link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Disability-free by US county · Material security by US county | +0.86 | +0.77 | strong | 2,906 |
| Disability-free × HealthNot an independent finding: both are modelled from the same inputs, so they would partly agree even if the real quantities did not. Disability-free by US county · Health by US county | +0.88 | +0.67 | moderate | 2,934 |
| Material security × Social connectionWhere Material security is higher, Social connection tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Material security by US county · Social connection by US county | +0.61 | +0.59 | moderate | 3,040 |
| Health × SafetyWhere Health is higher, Safety tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Health by US county · Safety by US county | +0.76 | +0.59 | moderate | 1,930 |
| Material security × HealthWhere Material security is higher, Health tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Material security by US county · Health by US county | +0.76 | +0.58 | moderate | 2,906 |
| Disability-free × Social connectionWhere Disability-free is higher, Social connection tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Disability-free by US county · Social connection by US county | +0.58 | +0.56 | moderate | 2,866 |
| Disability-free × SafetyWhere Disability-free is higher, Safety tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Disability-free by US county · Safety by US county | +0.69 | +0.40 | moderate | 1,930 |
| Health × Social connectionWhere Health is higher, Social connection tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Health by US county · Social connection by US county | +0.48 | +0.40 | weak | 2,866 |
| Material security × SafetyWhere Material security is higher, Safety tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Material security by US county · Safety by US county | +0.64 | +0.39 | weak | 2,086 |
| Health × MobilityWhere Health is higher, Mobility tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Health by US county · Mobility by US county | +0.40 | +0.37 | weak | 1,860 |
| Mobility × SafetyWhere Mobility is higher, Safety tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Mobility by US county · Safety by US county | +0.43 | +0.37 | weak | 1,834 |
| Disability-free × EconomyLinked across counties, but mostly as both follow how urban, rich and educated a place is. Comparing only places with similar density, income and education, a weak link of +0.37 remains. Disability-free by US county · Economy by US county | +0.83 | +0.37 | weak | 2,934 |
| Safety × Social connectionWhere Safety is higher, Social connection tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Safety by US county · Social connection by US county | +0.49 | +0.36 | weak | 2,077 |
| Mobility × Social connectionWhere Mobility is higher, Social connection tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Mobility by US county · Social connection by US county | +0.42 | +0.31 | weak | 1,974 |
| Economy × Social connectionWhere Economy is higher, Social connection tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Economy by US county · Social connection by US county | +0.45 | +0.30 | weak | 3,053 |
| Economy × HealthLinked across counties, but mostly as both follow how urban, rich and educated a place is. Comparing only places with similar density, income and education, a weak link of +0.30 remains. Economy by US county · Health by US county | +0.81 | +0.30 | weak | 2,934 |
| Material security × MobilityWhere Material security is higher, Mobility tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Material security by US county · Mobility by US county | +0.44 | +0.29 | weak | 1,985 |
| Education × Material securityWhere Education is higher, Material security tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Education by US county · Material security by US county | +0.41 | +0.28 | weak | 2,838 |
| Economy × Material securityLinked across counties, but mostly as both follow how urban, rich and educated a place is. Comparing only places with similar density, income and education, a weak link of +0.27 remains. Economy by US county · Material security by US county | +0.71 | +0.27 | weak | 3,093 |
| Disability-free × MobilityWhere Disability-free is higher, Mobility tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Disability-free by US county · Mobility by US county | +0.35 | +0.24 | weak | 1,860 |
| Education × MobilityWhere Education is higher, Mobility tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Education by US county · Mobility by US county | +0.30 | +0.21 | weak | 1,958 |
| Education × SafetyWhere Education is higher, Safety tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Education by US county · Safety by US county | +0.33 | +0.19 | weak | 2,064 |
| Disability-free × EducationWhere Disability-free is higher, Education tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Disability-free by US county · Education by US county | +0.34 | +0.18 | weak | 2,665 |
| Education × Social connectionWhere Education is higher, Social connection tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Education by US county · Social connection by US county | +0.24 | +0.17 | weak | 2,812 |
| Education × HealthWhere Education is higher, Health tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Education by US county · Health by US county | +0.31 | +0.14 | weak | 2,665 |
| Economy × MobilityCould easily be chance once only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Economy by US county · Mobility by US county | +0.29 | +0.13 | weak | 1,986 |
| Economy × EducationWhere Economy is higher, Education tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Economy by US county · Education by US county | +0.31 | +0.10 | weak | 2,848 |
| Economy × SafetyLinked across counties, but mostly as both follow how urban, rich and educated a place is. Comparing only places with similar density, income and education, what is left could easily be chance. Economy by US county · Safety by US county | +0.60 | +0.05 | weak | 2,086 |
The same pairs at three unit sizes
Counties, metro areas and states, each compared only with its own kind, not three views of one set. Nobody publishes metro figures, so they are added up from counties. The metro scores are then worked out again from those added-up measures. Averaging the scores of a metro’s counties would not give the metro’s score. States have only 4 of the eight scores. The sources behind the other five publish nothing for states. And this site does not add measures up into states, since a home-made state figure would clash with the one the agency publishes.
A link that holds at all three sizes is not an accident of where the lines were drawn. One that shows up at only one size tells you about the unit, not the country. The three columns are not equally precise. A state figure rests on 52 places, against a few thousand for counties. So treat a difference in strength as weaker evidence than a difference in direction.
As it turns out, not one of these 28 pairs changes direction when the unit changes. Whatever these scores pick up, it is not an accident of county lines. The metro figures run slightly stronger: 18 of 28 are larger than the county figure. That is what averaging a few counties together does to random noise. It is a reason to treat the county column as the cautious reading, not the strongest one.
| Pair | Counties 3,222 units | Metro areas 935 units | States 52 units | Holds across sizes? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disability-free × Material security | +0.77 | +0.87 | +0.40 | same direction, different strength |
| Disability-free × Health | +0.67 | +0.73 | +0.72 | same direction, similar strength |
| Material security × Social connection | +0.59 | +0.62 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Health × Safety | +0.59 | +0.56 | +0.58 | same direction, similar strength |
| Material security × Health | +0.58 | +0.71 | +0.54 | same direction, different strength |
| Disability-free × Social connection | +0.56 | +0.56 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Disability-free × Safety | +0.40 | +0.47 | +0.38 | same direction, similar strength |
| Health × Social connection | +0.40 | +0.36 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Material security × Safety | +0.39 | +0.60 | +0.15 | same direction, different strength |
| Health × Mobility | +0.37 | +0.50 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Mobility × Safety | +0.37 | +0.51 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Disability-free × Economy | +0.37 | +0.55 | — | same direction, different strength |
| Safety × Social connection | +0.36 | +0.34 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Mobility × Social connection | +0.31 | +0.30 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Economy × Social connection | +0.30 | +0.17 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Economy × Health | +0.30 | +0.43 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Material security × Mobility | +0.29 | +0.50 | — | same direction, different strength |
| Education × Material security | +0.28 | +0.28 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Economy × Material security | +0.27 | +0.58 | — | same direction, different strength |
| Disability-free × Mobility | +0.24 | +0.39 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Education × Mobility | +0.21 | +0.17 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Education × Safety | +0.19 | +0.20 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Disability-free × Education | +0.18 | +0.08 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Education × Social connection | +0.17 | +0.19 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Education × Health | +0.14 | +0.09 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Economy × Mobility | +0.13 | +0.25 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Economy × Education | +0.10 | +0.09 | — | same direction, similar strength |
| Economy × Safety | +0.05 | +0.14 | — | same direction, similar strength |
What each score is made of
| Score | Counties | Link with density | How it is built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disability-free score | 2,956 | 0.24 | How common disability is goes with age, and with how people report it, as much as with anything a county does. So it is kept out of the health score. Otherwise an older county would look sicker just for being older. The average of 13 measures from 2 publishers. Each measure is first put on a common scale: how many typical gaps between places (standard deviations) it sits above or below the average. Each is also flipped where needed, so higher is always better. Measures from the same publisher are averaged first, then the publishers are averaged together. Each level is scaled on its own. A county's score shows where it stands among counties, and a state's shows where it stands among states. The two are not on one scale, so do not compare them with each other. This is a summary, not a measurement. |
| Economy score | 3,143 | 0.27 | The average of 4 measures from 4 publishers. Each measure is first put on a common scale: how many typical gaps between places (standard deviations) it sits above or below the average. Each is also flipped where needed, so higher is always better. Measures from the same publisher are averaged first, then the publishers are averaged together. Each level is scaled on its own. A county's score shows where it stands among counties, and a state's shows where it stands among states. The two are not on one scale, so do not compare them with each other. This is a summary, not a measurement. |
| Education score | 2,859 | 0.11 | The average of 4 measures from 2 publishers. Each measure is first put on a common scale: how many typical gaps between places (standard deviations) it sits above or below the average. Each is also flipped where needed, so higher is always better. Measures from the same publisher are averaged first, then the publishers are averaged together. Each level is scaled on its own. A county's score shows where it stands among counties, and a state's shows where it stands among states. The two are not on one scale, so do not compare them with each other. This is a summary, not a measurement. |
| Health score | 2,956 | 0.32 | The average of 41 measures from 3 publishers. Each measure is first put on a common scale: how many typical gaps between places (standard deviations) it sits above or below the average. Each is also flipped where needed, so higher is always better. Measures from the same publisher are averaged first, then the publishers are averaged together. Each level is scaled on its own. A county's score shows where it stands among counties, and a state's shows where it stands among states. The two are not on one scale, so do not compare them with each other. This is a summary, not a measurement. |
| Material security score | 3,108 | 0.11 | Turned around so that higher is better. So it measures the absence of hardship, not hardship itself. The average of 9 measures from 4 publishers. Each measure is first put on a common scale: how many typical gaps between places (standard deviations) it sits above or below the average. Each is also flipped where needed, so higher is always better. Measures from the same publisher are averaged first, then the publishers are averaged together. Each level is scaled on its own. A county's score shows where it stands among counties, and a state's shows where it stands among states. The two are not on one scale, so do not compare them with each other. This is a summary, not a measurement. |
| Mobility score | 1,987 | 0.11 | The average of 2 measures from 1 publishers. Each measure is first put on a common scale: how many typical gaps between places (standard deviations) it sits above or below the average. Each is also flipped where needed, so higher is always better. Measures from the same publisher are averaged first, then the publishers are averaged together. Each level is scaled on its own. A county's score shows where it stands among counties, and a state's shows where it stands among states. The two are not on one scale, so do not compare them with each other. This is a summary, not a measurement. |
| Safety score | 2,086 | 0.44 | The average of 4 measures from 2 publishers. Each measure is first put on a common scale: how many typical gaps between places (standard deviations) it sits above or below the average. Each is also flipped where needed, so higher is always better. Measures from the same publisher are averaged first, then the publishers are averaged together. Each level is scaled on its own. A county's score shows where it stands among counties, and a state's shows where it stands among states. The two are not on one scale, so do not compare them with each other. This is a summary, not a measurement. |
| Social connection score | 3,065 | 0.20 | The average of 7 measures from 3 publishers. Each measure is first put on a common scale: how many typical gaps between places (standard deviations) it sits above or below the average. Each is also flipped where needed, so higher is always better. Measures from the same publisher are averaged first, then the publishers are averaged together. Each level is scaled on its own. A county's score shows where it stands among counties, and a state's shows where it stands among states. The two are not on one scale, so do not compare them with each other. This is a summary, not a measurement. |
A score is a summary, and every summary is a set of choices: which measures belong to a topic, which way is up, how much of a topic a county must report, and how to stop one publisher with many measures from outvoting the rest. Each score’s own page describes those choices. Seven groups of measures have no score at all: housing, migration, taxes, politics, population makeup, benefit receipt and use of care. In these, neither direction is clearly better. A high vacancy rate can mean a resort town or a collapse. A rise in food-stamp use can mean more need, or a programme reaching more of the people who qualify. All measures · How the US county data works