The Southern State of the Union Index

And, we in California thought things were bad here.

The Southern State of the Union

Facing South

January27, 2010

http://www.southernstudies.org/

  

Out of 13 Southern states,* number with unemployment

rates over 10%: 8

Percent of African-Americans unemployed nationally:

16.4%

Percent of African-Americans unemployed in South

Carolina: 20.4% (#1 in country)

Of 10 states with the lowest median income, number that

are in the South: 8

Of 10 states with the highest number of occupational

fatalities, number in the South: 5

Education spending per pupil in the state of New York:

$15,981

Education spending per pupil in Tennessee: $7,113

Of 15 states with highest percentage of population

incarcerated, number in the South: 11

Of 15 states with the highest percentage of population

without health insurance, number in the South: 8

Of 20 Congressional districts containing the highest

percentage of residents without health care, number in

Florida and Texas: 15

Percent of the population of Mississippi enrolled in

Medicaid: 21.2% (#1 in country)

Percent of West Virginia population enrolled in

Medicare: 17.4% (#1 in country)

Rank of Texarkana, Arkansas/Texas, among U.S. metro

areas having the highest percentage of their health

insurance market monopolized by one company: 1

Percent of those enrolled in TRICARE, the federally-

backed health insurance program for active-duty

military and retirees, that are in Southern states: 47%

Number of Congressional seats and Electoral College

votes Southern states are expected to gain after the

2010 Census: 7

Rank of North Carolina and South Carolina among states

with biggest increase in Latino/Hispanic population: 1,

2

Months since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast:

53

Number of vacant or unoccupied residential addresses in

New Orleans as of September 2009: 61,310 **

Of 15 states emitting highest amount of toxic releases

into the environment, number in the South: 7

Of 10 states with lowest voter turnout in 2008, number

in the South: 6

Of 10 states that saw the biggest increase in voter

turnout between 2004 and 2008, number in the South: 6

Of 13 Southern states, number that set 30-year records

for voter turnout in 2008: 10

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Facing South

January27, 2010

http://www.southernstudies.org/

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