Diverse America … and not necessarily in a good way

A look at how you're doing based on where you vote

by David Brancaccio, MARKETPLACE
Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 05:30

One useful way to answer the question of how America is doing is to consult a new statistical analysis out Wednesday called "Geographies of Opportunity."

It looks at statistics on health, education, and what we earn and produce what's called a Human Development Index. As the campaign gears up, the report offers a breakdown by congressional district in the U.S., compiled by an outfit called Measure of America.

The report also allows for comparison between congressional districts on everything from median earnings, to level of education, to life expectancy.

Especially interesting among the findings: The higher the proportion of foreign-born residents in a congressional district, the longer people live. For example, data shows foreign-born Latinos live much longer than native-born Latinos.

Measure of America co-director Kristen Lewis says one possible theory points to social cohesion and family support buffering the effects of poverty to create better outcomes.

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