Americans value independence. We fought hard for it during the American Revolutionary War. Today, however, we celebrate not only our freedom from the British crown but also our strong ability to rely upon ourselves as individuals. It’s a virtue we bring up in our children, employees and organizations.
But what does it mean for whole populations to be “independent” in the modern sense of the word?
In this report, WalletHub’s data team addressed that question by comparing the 50 states based on five sources of dependency: consumer finances, the government, the job market, international trade and personal vices. We broke down these categories into 39 key indicators of independence in order to determine which states are most self-sustaining. Read on for our findings, methodology and expert advice on overcoming our reliance on others.
To get a sense of just how free Americans are feeling financially, check out WalletHub’s nationally representative Fourth of July Credit Card Survey.
