Our Work

Building Bright Futures in Greater Houston

Broad Recovery, Persistent Inequity: Youth Disconnection in America

Broad Recovery, Persistent Inequity presents 2022 youth disconnection rates for the United States as a whole as well as by gender, race and ethnicity, region, state, metro area, and congressional district.

A Portrait of Newark

A Portrait of Newark is an extensive study of well-being across race, place, and gender, and youth disconnection across Newark, New Jersey.

Ensuring an Equitable Recovery: Addressing Covid-19’s Impact on Education

Ensuring an Equitable Recovery presents 2021 youth disconnection rates for the United States as a whole as well as by gender, race and ethnicity, region, state, metro area, and congressional district.

Youth Disconnection in The Rapides Foundation Service Area, 2023

Youth Disconnection in The Rapides Foundation Service Area 2023 provides an in-depth look at youth disconnection in The Rapides Foundation Service Area (TRFSA, which includes parishes in Central Louisiana).

Well-Being in Rural California

Well-Being in Rural California 2023 is a study of well-being across race, place, and gender.

Spotlight on Del Norte County

The Spotlight on Del Norte County is an extensive study of county-wide well-being across race, place, and gender.

Spotlight on Mendocino County

The Spotlight on Mendocino County is an extensive study of county-wide well-being across race, place, and gender.

Spotlight on the Inland Empire

The Spotlight on the Inland Empire is an extensive study of well-being across race, place, and gender in Riverside County and San Bernardino County.

A Portrait of the Valley

A Portrait of the Valley is an extensive study of well-being across race, place, and gender across the San Joaquin Valley.

Building Bright Futures for Youth in Los Angeles

Building Bright Futures for Youth in Los Angeles: Spotlight on Young Women provides an in-depth look at youth disconnection in Los Angeles County. The report also has a special focus on young women.

California Latino Power Map

The California Latino Power Map showcases the most comprehensive list of Latino-led nonprofits in California and presents the challenges and opportunities communities face through a wide range of socioeconomic indicators.

A Portrait of California 2021–2022

A Portrait of California 2021–2022: Human Development and Housing Justice, the third volume in Measure of America's Portrait of California series, takes a human development approach to understanding the country's most populous and diverse state.

Mapping America Tool

With over 100 indicators, Mapping America allows users to explore data like they never have before. Users can plug in their zip codes to locate human development levels within their own communities, compare places and indicators, and more.

A Portrait of Louisiana 2020

A Portrait of Louisiana 2020: Human Development in an Age of Uncertainty uses the human development approach and the American Human Development Index to explore well-being and access to opportunity among different groups of Louisianans.

Making the Connection

This report presents the latest available data on youth disconnection for the United States as a whole as well as by gender, race and ethnicity, region, state, and metro area. It also examines a key factor preventing young people from staying in school and the workforce: disparities in access to reliable and affordable transportation.

Measuring America: 10 Years and Counting

“Measuring America: 10 Years and Counting” explores trends in American Human Development Index scores over the past decade by race and ethnicity, gender, and U.S. state, revealing the uneven nature of America’s rebound from the 2007 financial crisis.

Two Futures: The Economic Case for Keeping Youth on Track

Building on Measure of America’s Disconnected Youth Series, Two Futures: The Economic Case for Keeping Youth on Track finds that by the time they reach their thirties, those who had been working or in school as teens and young adults earn $31,000 more per year.

More Than a Million Reasons for Hope

This report analyzes youth disconnection in the United States by state, metro area, county, and community type, and by gender, race, and ethnicity. It is the first in Measure of America’s disconnected youth series to compare American and European metro areas or to examine disconnection by group characteristics.

A Portrait of Los Angeles County

A Portrait of Los Angeles County is an exploration of how LA County residents are faring in terms of well-being and equity.

Highway to Health

Highway to Health: Life Expectancy in Los Angeles County reveals up-to-date life expectancy calculations for cities and unincorporated areas within Los Angeles County, the first release of such data in more than a decade.

Cottage Data2Go

Cottage Data2Go is a free, interactive online mapping and data tool that brings together data on a broad range of social and health factors that reflect the well-being of Santa Barbara County residents.

Promising Gains, Persistent Gaps

Since Measure of America first wrote about youth disconnection half a decade ago, public awareness of both the plight and the promise of young people who are not in either school or the workforce has grown by leaps and bounds. This report takes a look at the disconnected youth population, what particular challenges they face, and what strategies have been shown to work.

Measure of America at the Smithsonian

Measure of America work was featured in the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum's third exhibition in a series about socially responsible design, "By the People: Designing a Better America."

Retail and Opportunity

Past research on workers in the retail sector showed that individuals face many obstacles on the path to economic success. This research investigated how retail employment relates to broader community conditions and individual-level characteristics with the aim to answer three questions.

Geographies of Opportunity

Geographies of Opportunity: Ranking Well-Being by Congressional District is an in-depth look at how residents of America's 436 congressional districts are faring in three fundamental areas of life: health, access to knowledge, and living standards.

A Portrait of California 2014–2015

This 2014–2015 update of the 2011 California report allows us to compare outcomes from one place to another and to look at changes over time. The result is a comprehensive reference tool and a critical starting point for informed discussions on policy solutions.

A Portrait of Sonoma County

A Portrait of Sonoma County: 2021 Update, a follow-up to our 2014 report, paints a picture of well-being and access to opportunity in Sonoma County today, identifies areas of positive change, and draws attention to both new and persistent challenges.

HALVE THE GAP BY 2030: Youth Disconnection in America’s Cities

In this report we imagine, in very specific terms, a different, better tomorrow. We lay out an ambitious but attainable goal: to halve the gaps between the most- and least-connected neighborhoods and between racial groups in half by 2030.

One in Seven

An astonishing one in every seven Americans ages 16 to 24 is neither working nor in school—5.8 million young people in all. This brief ranks the country’s 25 largest metropolitan areas as well as the nation’s largest racial and ethnic groups in terms of youth disconnection.

A Portrait of Marin 2012

A Portrait of Marin highlights actions that Marinites can take to lock in human development successes today while setting the stage for significant budget savings and improved well-being tomorrow.

A Portrait of California 2011

A Portrait of California goes beyond the state’s fiscal and budgetary woes to examine the well-being of its people using the American Human Development Index, a measure based on official government data in health, education, and living standards.

A Portrait of Louisiana 2009

This study examines disparities by parish, race, and gender in Louisiana, and calls for action to address the acute human vulnerability that persist four years after Hurricane Katrina.

Common Good Forecaster

The Common Good Forecaster is a tool that shows how vital economic and social issues in your community might change if educational outcomes were better.

A Portrait of Mississippi 2009

A Portrait of Mississippi: Mississippi Human Development Report 2009 examines well being and access to opportunity for different geographies and demographic groups in the state of Mississippi.

The Measure of America 2008–2009

The Measure of America is the first-ever human development report for a wealthy, developed nation. It introduces the American Human Development Index, which provides a single measure of well-being for all Americans, disaggregated by state and congressional district, as well as by gender, race, and ethnicity.