US Election 2024: Understanding the United States on 20 Maps | News about the 2024 US election

How well do you know the United States?

These 20 maps provide an overview of the economy, demographics, geography and history of the country of 335 million people as voters prepare for the November 5 election.

Which state has the largest economy?

The United States has the largest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world at $29 trillion.

Within the country, California, Texas, and New York are the largest economies at $4.08 trillion, $2.69 trillion, and $2.28 trillion, respectively.

California's GDP rivals Japan's, Texas rivals France's, and New York's GDP rivals Italy's.

Where is unemployment highest?

Both the Democratic and Republican platforms have made a point of prioritizing the American economy in their policies. Harris appealed to middle-class voters, and Trump stuck to his 2016 message of “making America great again” by focusing on preserving American jobs for American workers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in October, with about seven million Americans unemployed and actively looking for work.

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

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

What is the minimum wage in each state?

The minimum wage was a key issue for Democrats. Kamala Harris advocated doubling the current federal rate of $7.25 an hour, which she calls a “poverty wage” and which 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.

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

Where is the income tax highest?

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

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

Several other states, including Alaska, Nevada, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming, do not impose an income tax but raise revenue through other forms of taxes.

Where is homelessness most pronounced?

According to the 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR), more people in the U.S. are homeless than ever before, with 20 in 10,000 people (one in 500 people) experiencing homelessness nationwide.

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

Who is the richest person in each state?

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, nine of the ten richest people in the world live in the United States.

The richest person in the world, 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 around 9.8 million square kilometers (3.8 million square miles), the United States is the third largest country in the world by area.

If you compare the individual US states with other countries, Alaska turns out to be the largest state, roughly the same size as Libya. Texas is the second largest state and is comparable in size to Myanmar, while California is about the size of Iraq.

Which federal state has the highest population?

With an estimated population of approximately 335 million people, the United States is the third most populous country in the world.

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

If the US population were reduced to just 1,000 people, here is where they would live:

Which state is most densely populated?

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

New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country, with 487 people per square kilometer.

Rhode Island is second with 409 people per square kilometer, followed by Massachusetts with 346 people.

The least populated states are Alaska, Wyoming and Montana, with fewer than one, two and three people per square kilometer, respectively.

Which states have the most people born outside the US?

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

California has the highest population of people born outside the country: 27 percent of residents were born elsewhere. New Jersey and New York follow with 24 and 23 percent, respectively.

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

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the white non-Hispanic population is the largest racial or ethnic group in the United States at 57.8 percent, up from 63.7 percent in 2010.

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

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 and 88 percent, respectively.

Among the areas with the highest black population is the District of Columbia, where 42 percent of the population identifies as black or African American. This is followed by the southern states of Mississippi and Louisiana with a black population of 36.9 percent and 32 percent, respectively.

Where is the biggest youth election taking place?

The average age in the US is 38.5 years. The youth vote, which represents the 18- to 24-year-old age group, makes up nine percent of the U.S. population, or about 30.5 million people.

Utah has the largest youth voting bloc, making up 12 percent of the state's total population. This is followed by North Dakota with 11 percent and the District of Columbia with 10 percent.

Where is maternal mortality highest?

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

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

Where are suicide rates highest?

According to the CDC, at least 49,000 people died by suicide in the United States in 2022, averaging one death every 11 minutes. Almost 80 percent of all suicide cases were men.

Broken down by state, Montana had the highest suicide rate at 29 per 100,000 residents, followed by Alaska at 28 and Wyoming at 26 per 100,000 residents.

Where is violent crime highest?

In 2022, the FBI estimated about 381 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people, a decrease of 1.6 percent from 2021. This category includes crimes 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

According to the Gun Violence Archive, which describes a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are killed or injured, the United States recorded at least 4,684 shooter incidents between 2014 and 2023.

Over the past decade, Illinois has had the most mass shootings with 468 incidents, followed by California and Texas with 419 and 336 incidents, respectively.

Which states have the death penalty?

21 states actively enforce the death penalty, six have suspended executions, and 23 states have no death penalty.

Between 2014 and 2023, at least 244 prisoners were executed in the United States, the highest number being 83 in Texas, followed by 30 in Missouri and 25 in Florida.

Where is abortion illegal?

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision, which had established a constitutional right to abortion for nearly 50 years.

This ruling allowed states to enact their own laws and regulations regarding abortion access.

After the ruling, nearly two dozen states banned or imposed restrictions on abortion.

When did each state join the union?

In 1776, 13 colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. In 1787, the Constitution of the United States was drafted, which eventually led to the formation of the 50 states that make up the United States today.

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