In 2009, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America released 10 recommendations to improve health outside of health care. The Commission is reconvening in June 2013 to identify what actions should be taken now to improve the health of all Americans. Additional information will be available soon at RWJF.org

State by State Data

The Commission created an in-depth collection of state-level graphical data ready to download into relevant research and presentations. Filter charts by state using the navigation at the right. Charts may be reproduced without permission provided the following attribution is noted: “Courtesy of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America.” Additional source information must also be included when data are used.

Chartbooks

National Adult Health Chartbook

Reaching America’s Health Potential Among Adults: A State-by-State Look at Adult Health – the second Commission chartbook investigating health across social and economic groups – examines the differences in adults’ health based on their levels of education. Nationally and in each state there is a consistent and striking pattern: as levels of education rise, health improves.

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National Child Health Chartbook

This chartbook, America's Health Starts With Healthy Children: How Do States Compare?, examines the health of children from different socioeconomic backgrounds in every state to document how healthy our nation's children are now and how healthy they could be if we as a nation were realizing our full health potential.

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State Comparison Charts

  • Gaps in Adult Health Status by Level of Education: How Do States Compare?

    Although the size of the state-level gap in adult health status varies markedly across the United States, adults in every state could be healthier.

  • Gaps in Adult Health Status by Level of Education: How Do States Compare?

    Comparing states based on the size of the gap in adult health status by education tells us that Americans are not as healthy as they could be, both nationally and in every state.

  • Gaps in Adult Health Status by Level of Education: How Do States Compare?

    Comparing states based on the size of the gap in adult health status by education tells us that Americans are not as healthy as they could be, both nationally and in every state.

  • Health-Related Behaviors and Education Both Affect Health

    Differences in adult health status are evident not only across racial or ethnic groups, but also with respect to individuals' health-related behaviors. At every level of educational attainment, adults who do not smoke and get leisure-time physical exercise are less likely to be in less than very good health than adults without these healthy behaviors.

  • Education Is Linked With Health Regardless of Racial or Ethnic Group

    Differences in adult health status by education do not simply reflect differences by racial or ethnic group. Both educational attainment and racial or ethnic group matter.

  • United States: Gaps in Adult Health Status

    In the nation overall, adult health status varies both by level of educational attainment and by racial or ethnic group.

  • United States: Social Factors Affecting Adult Health

    In the United States, health among adults is powerfully linked with social factors such as household income, educational attainment and racial or ethnic group.

  • Across America, Differences in How Long and How Well We Live

    Where we live, work, learn and play dramatically affects our health—for better or for worse. Across America and within every state, there are differences in how long and how well we live. This map and accompanying chart show the highest and lowest life expectancy rates (based on county-level data) found in each state and the District of Columbia.

  • United States: Social Factors Affecting Children’s Health

    In the United States, health during childhood is powerfully linked with social factors, including the income and education levels of a child’s family and his or her racial or ethnic group.

  • United States: Gaps in Infant Mortality

    Infant mortality rates – a key indicator of overall health – vary by mother’s education and racial or ethnic group nationally.

  • United States: Gaps in Children’s General Health Status

    Overall in the United States, children’s general health status varies by family income and education and by racial or ethnic group. Children in the least-advantaged groups typically experience the worst health, but even children in middle-class families are less healthy than those with greater advantages.

  • Health-Related Behaviors and Income Matter for Children’s Health

    Differences in children’s general health status occur across social groups, but also depend on health-related behaviors in families. At every income level, children in families where someone smokes and no one exercises regularly are more likely to be in less than optimal health than their peers in families with healthier behaviors.

  • Gaps in Infant Mortality Rates by Mother’s Education: How Do States Compare?

    Comparing states based on the size of the gap in infant mortality by mother’s education reveals unrealized health potential among babies, both at the national level and in every state.

  • Gaps in Children’s General Health Status by Family Income:How Do States Compare?

    Although the size of the state-level gaps in children’s general health status varies markedly across the United States, there is unrealized health potential among children in every state.

  • Gaps in Infant Mortality Rates by Mother’s Education:How Do States Compare?

    Although the size of the state-level gaps in infant mortality by mother’s education varies markedly across the United States, there is unrealized health potential among babies in every state.

  • Gaps in Children’s General Health Status by Family Income: How Do States Compare?

    Comparing states based on the size of the gap in children’s general health status by income reveals unrealized health potential among babies, both at the national level and in every state.

  • Income Is Linked With Health Regardless of Racial or Ethnic Group

    For children in the United States, differences in general health status by income do not simply reflect differences by race or ethnicity. Both income and racial or ethnic group are important for health.

More Charts

Find Your State

  • To view state specific data, select a state below: