by Matt Weiland
20. Indiana 21.2%
21. Wyoming 20.1%
22. Iowa 19.8%
23. Idaho 19.7%
24. Vermont 19.7%
25. Illinois 19.3%
26. Kansas 19.1%
27. New Hampshire 18.6%
28. Nebraska 18.6%
29. Minnesota 18.6%
30. Texas 18.6%
31. Nevada 18.4%
32. Montana 18.2%
33. New Jersey 18.2%
34. Rhode Island 17.9%
35. Delaware 17.8%
36. New York 17.5%
37. Florida 17.4%
38. Michigan 17.3%
39. Massachusetts 17.2%
40. Wisconsin 16.9%
41. Maryland 16.2%
42. Oregon 15.9%
43. Washington 15.4%
44. Utah 14.8%
45. Virginia 14.4%
46. Arizona 14.3%
47. California 14.0%
48. Colorado 12.9%
49. Connecticut 12.8%
50. Hawaii 9.6%
SOURCE: Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Percentage of adults aged 65 and over who have had all of their natural teeth extracted.
TABLE 24.
OBESITY RATE
1. West Virginia 61.2%
2. Alabama 61.0%
3. Mississippi 60.8%
4. Michigan 60.2%
5. Alaska 59.5%
6. Kentucky 59.4%
7. North Dakota 59.3%
8. South Carolina 59.3%
9. Tennessee 59.0%
10. Arkansas 58.9%
11. Iowa 58.8%
12. Texas 58.8%
13. Indiana 58.7%
14. Louisiana 58.4%
15. Missouri 58.4%
16. South Dakota 58.2%
17. Minnesota 57.6%
18. Kansas 57.5%
19. Nebraska 57.0%
20. Pennsylvania 57.0%
21. Washington 56.7%
22. Virginia 56.4%
23. Oklahoma 56.2%
24. Georgia 56.1 %
25. Maine 55.9%
26. Illinois 55.8%
27. Delaware 55.6%
28. Ohio 55.6%
29. Wisconsin 55.5%
30. Maryland 55.2%
31. Idaho 55.0%
32. Nevada 54.8%
33. California 54.6%
34. North Carolina 54.5%
35. Wyoming 54.5%
36. New Mexico 54.4%
37. New York 54.4%
38. Oregon 54.4%
39. Arizona 54.1%
40. Montana 54.1%
41. Florida 53.9%
42. New Hampshire 53.5%
43. New Jersey 52.9%
44. Rhode Island 52.9%
45. Utah 52.1%
46. Vermont 52.1%
47. Hawaii 51.6%
48. Colorado 51.5%
49. Connecticut 51.4%
50. Massachusetts 51.3%
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation, statehealthfacts.org, 2003.
TABLE 25.
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
1. Wisconsin 21.8%
2. North Dakota 20.4%
3. Minnesota 19.8%
4. Iowa 18.9%
5. Rhode Island 18.2%
6. Nevada 18.0%
7. Nebraska 17.6%
8. Pennsylvania 17.6%
9. Illinois 17.5%
10. Delaware 17.4%
11. Colorado 17.2%
12. Montana 17.0%
13. South Dakota 16.9%
14. Massachusetts 16.9%
15. Ohio 16.9%
16. Alaska 16.3%
17. Missouri 16.2%
18. Vermont 16.1%
19. Wyoming 16.1%
20. Michigan 16.1%
21. New Hampshire 16.0%
22. Texas 15.6%
23. Arizona 15.5%
24. New York 15.2%
25. Maine 14.9%
26. Connecticut 14.8%
27. California 14.7%
28. Indiana 14.4%
29. New Jersey 14.4%
30. Washington 14.2%
31. Louisiana 14.2%
32. Virginia 13.7%
33. South Carolina 13.5%
34. Oregon 13.1%
35. New Mexico 13.0%
36. Oklahoma 13.0%
37. Maryland 12.8%
38. Kansas 12.8%
39. Alabama 12.7%
40. Idaho 12.6%
41. Florida 12.4%
42. Georgia 12.1%
43. Arkansas 11.2%
44. Mississippi 10.4%
45. West Virginia 9.7%
46. Kentucky 9.6%
47. North Carolina 9.5%
48. Utah 9.2%
49. Tennessee 8.2%
50. Hawaii NA
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2004). Percentage of adults who have five or more drinks on one occasion, which the CDC defines as “binge drinking.”
TABLE 26.
CIGARETTE CONSUMPTION
1. Kentucky 33.3%
2. West Virginia 32.1%
3. Oklahoma 30.8%
4. Missouri 30.6%
5. South Dakota 30.2%
6. Arkansas 30.0%
7. Ohio 29.3%
8. Louisiana 28.6%
9. Mississippi 28.0%
10. Tennessee 28.0%
11. Kansas 27.9%
12. Michigan 27.8%
13. Alabama 27.7%
14. North Dakota 27.5%
15. Indiana 27.4%
16. Iowa 27.1%
17. North Carolina 27.1%
18. Pennsylvania 27.1%
19. Illinois 27.1%
20. South Carolina 26.9%
21. Maine 26.6%
22. Nevada 26.6%
23. Colorado 26.5%
24. Texas 26.2%
25. Montana 26.1%
26. Rhode Island 26.1%
27. Georgia 25.9%
28. Wisconsin 25.8%
29. Wyoming 25.5%
30. Alaska 25.5%
31. Virginia 25.4%
32. Vermont 25.3%
33. Minnesota 25.0%
34. Delaware 24.9%
35. New York 24.9%
36. Arizona 24.8%
37. New Hampshire 24.6%
38. Oregon 24.4%
39. Nebraska 24.2%
40. Florida 24.0%
41. Washington 23.8%
42. New Mexico 23.6%
43. Connecticut 23.6%
44. Maryland 23.1%
45. New Jersey 22.7%
46. Idaho 22.6%
47. Massachusetts 21.9%
48. Hawaii 20.3%
49. California 17.8%
50. Utah 17.6%
SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies. Percentage of adult residents who have used cigarettes in the past month.
TABLE 27.
DIVORCE RATE
1. Oklahoma 6.6
2. Nevada 6.4
3. Arkansas 6.1
4. Wyoming 5.2
5. Idaho 5.0
6. West Virginia 5.0
7. Alabama 4.9
8. Kentucky 4.9
9. Tennessee 4.9
10. Florida 4.8
11. New Mexico 4.6
12. Mississippi 4.5
13. Colorado 4.4
14. Maine 4.3
15. Washington 4.3
16. Alaska 4.3
17. California 4.3
18. North Carolina 4.2
19. Arizona 4.2
20. Oregon 4.1
21. Utah 4.1
22. New Hampshire 3.9
23. Virginia 3.9
24. Vermont 3.9
25. Montana 3.8
26. Missouri 3.8
27. Hawaii 3.7
28. Delaware 3.7
29. Ohio 3.6
30. Texas 3.6
31. Louisiana 3.4
32. Michigan 3.4
33. Nebraska 3.4
34. Kansas 3.3
35. Maryland 3.2
36. South
Carolina 3.2
37. Georgia 3.2
38. North Dakota 3.1
39. South Dakota 3.1
40. Connecticut 3.1
41. New York 3.0
42. New Jersey 3.0
43. Rhode Island 3.0
44. Pennsylvania 3.0
45. Wisconsin 3.0
46. Iowa 2.8
47. Minnesota 2.8
48. Illinois 2.6
49. Massachusetts 2.2
50. Indiana NA
SOURCE: Division of Vital Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control. Number of divorces per year by state of occurrence per 1,000 residents.
TABLE 28.
SUICIDE RATE
1. Alaska 23.6
2. Montana 18.9
3. Nevada 18.9
4. New Mexico 18.7
5. Wyoming 17.4
6. Colorado 17.3
7. Idaho 16.9
8. West Virginia 15.7
9. Utah 15.6
10. Oregon 15.5
11. Arizona 15.3
12. Vermont 15.0
13. South Dakota 14.5
14. Oklahoma 14.4
15. Florida 13.7
16. Kansas 13.5
17. Kentucky 13.5
18. Tennessee 13.4
19. Washington 13.4
20. Arkansas 13.1
21. Maine 13.0
22. Missouri 12.4
23. Mississippi 12.1
24. North Carolina 12.0
25. Wisconsin 12.0
26. Alabama 12.0
27. Louisiana 11.9
28. Iowa 11.6
29. Ohio 11.5
30. South Carolina 11.5
31. North Dakota 11.5
32. Pennsylvania 11.4
33. Indiana 11.3
34. Delaware 11.2
35. Virginia 11.1
36. Georgia 10.9
37. Michigan 10.9
38. Minnesota 10.3
39. New Hampshire 10.2
40. Texas 10.2
41. Nebraska 9.5
42. California 9.4
43. Hawaii 9.2
44. Maryland 9.0
45. Connecticut 8.4
46. Illinois 8.1
47. Rhode Island 7.9
48. New Jersey 6.9
49. Massachusetts 6.6
50. New York 6.2
SOURCE: CDC, “Fatal Injury Reports,” American Association of Suicidology. Number of suicides per 100,000 residents.
TABLE 29.
HIGHEST MONTHLY TEMPERATURE
1. Arizona 105.0°
2. Nevada 104.5°
3. California 98.8°
4. Texas 98.5°
5. Oklahoma 93.9°
6. Arkansas 93.6°
7. Louisiana 93.3°
8. Utah 93.2°
9. Kansas 92.9°
10. New Mexico 92.8°
11. Mississippi 92.5°
12. Colorado 92.2°
13. Georgia 92.2°
14. South Carolina 91.9°
15. Florida 91.7°
16. Alabama 91.5°
17. Tennessee 91.5°
18. Idaho 90.6°
19. Missouri 90.5°
20. Nebraska 89.5°
21. Indiana 88.8°
22. Virginia 88.4°
23. North Carolina 88.3°
24. Kentucky 87.6°
25. Hawaii 87.1°
26. Illinois 87.1°
27. Maryland 87.1°
28. Wyoming 87.1°
29. Montana 86.6°
30. South Dakota 86.5°
31. Iowa 86.2°
32. Pennsylvania 86.2°
33. Ohio 85.8°
34. Delaware 85.6°
35. New Jersey 85.6°
36. West Virginia 85.6°
37. New York 85.3°
38. Connecticut 84.8°
39. North Dakota 84.4°
40. Washington 84.0°
41. Minnesota 83.4°
42. Michigan 83.1°
43. Wisconsin 82.8°
44. New Hampshire 82.6°
45. Oregon 82.6°
46. Massachusetts 81.8°
47. Rhode Island 81.7°
48. Vermont 80.5°
49. Maine 78.9°
50. Alaska 71.8°
SOURCE: National Climatic Data Center
TABLE 30.
LOWEST MONTHLY TEMPERATURE
1. Alaska -21.6°
2. North Dakota -5.1°
3. Minnesota -2.9°
4. South Dakota 1.9°
5. Wisconsin 5.4°
6. Iowa 6.3°
7. Vermont 7.7°
8. Montana 8.1°
9. Nebraska 8.9°
10. New Hampshire 9.0°
11. Illinois 9.8°
12. Maine 11.9°
13. New York 11.9°
14. Wyoming 11.9°
15. Michigan 14.0°
16. Colorado 14.3°
17. Idaho 15.1°
18. Ohio 15.5°
19. Massachusetts 15.6°
20. Kansas 15.7°
21. Indiana 15.8°
22. Connecticut 16.7°
23. Pennsylvania 18.0°
24. Missouri 19.4°
25. Nevada 19.5°
26. Utah 19.7°
27. Rhode Island 20.0°
28. Washington 20.0°
29. Texas 21.7°
30. New Mexico 22.3°
31. Kentucky 23.1°
32. Delaware 23.2°
33. West Virginia 23.9°
34. New Jersey 24.2°
35. Maryland 24.3°
36. Oklahoma 24.8°
37. Virginia 26.2°
38. Arkansas 26.6°
39. North Carolina 27.3°
40. Tennessee 27.8°
41. Alabama 31.0°
42. South Carolina 31.2°
43. Georgia 32.6°
44. Oregon 32.8°
45. Mississippi 34.9°
46. Louisiana 36.2°
47. California 36.8°
48. Arizona 38.1°
49. Florida 39.9°
50. Hawaii 65.3°
SOURCE: National Climatic Data Center
Acknowledgments
David Hirshey, our editor for The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup, asked us to consider doing another anthology together—we’re grateful to him for providing the initial spark. His colleague Daniel Halpern and everyone at Ecco—Rachel Bressler, Abigail Holstein, Carrie Kania, Sunil Manchikanti, Michael McKenzie, Greg Mortimer, and Allison Saltzman—made it a real fire. They have been a pleasure to work with, and they have improved State by State at every turn.
If and when the federal government decides to organize some future Federal Writers Project, we know who should represent it: David McCormick and Zoë Pagnamenta. In the meantime, we thank them for all their work on our behalf. For encouragement and support of our efforts on State by State and much else besides, we also thank Tim Adams, John Bennet, Carin Besser, Kimberly Burns, Elizabeth Byrne, Linda Byrne, Willing Davidson, Tom Davis, Jeff Frank, Ann Godoff, Philip Gourevitch, Horacio Herrera-Richmond, Brent Hoff, Ian Jack, Miranda July, Jonathan Karp, Jed Lipinski, Michael Meredith, Anna Musso, Deborah Treisman, Simon Trewin, Alice Truax, Henry Wessells, and Daniel Zalewski.
We are grateful, too, to the photographers and artists who generously donated their work for the book: Christopher P. Bills, Michael Brophy, Maureen Gallace, Tom Gralish, Ertana Kolenovic, Ride Hamilton, Susan Z. Hitt, Chris P. Johnson, Douglas N. King, Lisa Klausner, Erin Kunkel, Jim Lewis, Rachel Mason, Andrew L. McFarlane, Joseph J. McGovern, Jr., Peter Miller, Pepper Pepper, Jon Rowley, Mark Seeman, Robert L. Segal, Wyatt Seipp, John C. Spence, Thomas Struth, Debbie Taylor, and Holly Rae Taylor.
Finally—first, really—we thank our families: Daphne Beal and Owen and Mira Wilsey; and Eugenia Bell and Enzo Weiland. Now that we’re done with the book: road trip!
About the Contributors
A native of Gh
ana, MOHAMMED NASEEHU ALI is a writer and musician. His fiction and essays have been published in The New Yorker, the New York Times, and Essence, and he is the author of the story collection The Prophet of Zongo Street. Ali is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
DAPHNE BEAL’S work has appeared in Vogue, McSweeney’s, and The London Review of Books. Her novel, In the Land of No Right Angles, has just been published by Vintage/Anchor Books.
ALISON BECHDEL is the creator of the long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. Her graphic memoir Fun Home, published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006, was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award. She lives in northern Vermont, where she’s working on another memoir.
WILL BLYTHE grew up in North Carolina, spent part of every summer in Massachusetts, and lives in New York City. He is the author of To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever.
CHARLES BOCK is a Las Vegas native, and the author of the novel Beautiful Children. He lives in New York with his wife and pets.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN is the host of the television series “No Reservations” and the author of eight books, including the bestselling Kitchen Confidential, The Nasty Bits, and A Cook’s Tour. A thirty-one-year veteran of professional kitchens, he is the executive chef at Les Halles in Manhattan. He lives in New York City.
KEVIN BROCKMEIER is the author of the novels The Brief History of the Dead and The Truth About Celia, the story collections Things That Fall from the Sky and The View from the Seventh Layer, and the children’s novels City of Names and Grooves: A Kind of Mystery. Recently he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and named one of Granta magazine’s Best Young American Novelists. He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was raised.
CARRIE BROWNSTEIN was a member of the critically acclaimed rock band Sleater-Kinney. Her writing has appeared in The Believer, Slate, and various anthologies on music and culture. She writes a blog for NPR and is a contributor to public radio’s Day to Day. Brownstein is at work on her first book of nonfiction.
SUSAN CHOI was born in 1969 in South Bend, Indiana. She is the author of three novels: The Foreign Student (1998), recipient of the Asian-American Literary Award; American Woman (2003), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; and A Person of Interest (2008). She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Pete Wells, and their sons Dexter and Elliot.
JOSHUA CLARK is the author of Heart Like Water: Surviving Katrina and Life in its Disaster Zone. He runs the KARES writers relief fund and covered New Orleans in the hurricane’s aftermath for Salon.com and National Public Radio. He is the founder of Light of New Orleans Publishing, and serves on the executive board of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival. He lives in New Orleans.
PHILIP CONNORS is editor of the New West Reader: Essays on an Ever-Evolving Frontier. His work has appeared in the Paris Review, Salon, The London Review of Books, the Virginia Quarterly Review, and n+1. He lives in New Mexico.