Frequently Asked Questions
50 questions about life in America — answered with data from the U.S. Census Bureau, CDC, BLS, and more.
AI & Technology
How many Americans use AI?
24.45% of Americans reported using AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot, according to the Census HTOPS survey from March 2026. Learn more →
Which state has the highest AI usage?
Connecticut leads the nation at 33.79% AI adoption. Learn more →
Does AI usage vary by income?
Yes — higher-income households adopt AI at significantly higher rates than lower-income households. Learn more →
What is the Census HTOPS survey?
The Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS) is a Census Bureau survey measuring household experiences across topics like AI, food, housing, employment, health, and trust. Learn more →
How does US AI adoption compare globally?
The US sits at 24.45%, compared to roughly 35% in China and 25% in the UK. Learn more →
Food Security
What is the food insecurity rate in America?
7.01% of households report food insufficiency — meaning they sometimes or often don't have enough to eat. Learn more →
How does food insecurity vary by state?
State-level food insufficiency ranges from about 3% to 12%. Learn more →
What is food insufficiency?
Food insufficiency is when a household sometimes or often does not have enough food to eat. It's a more severe measure than general food insecurity. Learn more →
Is food insecurity worse for low-income families?
Yes — households earning under $25K experience food insufficiency at roughly 3× the national rate. Learn more →
Which states have the highest food insecurity?
See our full state rankings for food insufficiency rates across all 50 states and DC. Learn more →
Housing
What percentage of Americans are behind on rent?
8.6% of renters reported being behind on rent payments. Learn more →
What is housing cost burden?
A household is cost-burdened when it spends more than 30% of its income on housing costs (rent or mortgage). Learn more →
What is the median rent in America?
Median rent varies significantly by state. Explore our housing data for ACS-based rent figures by state. Learn more →
How does housing affordability vary by state?
Housing affordability varies dramatically — from highly affordable states in the Midwest to severe cost burden on the coasts. Learn more →
What percentage of renters are cost-burdened?
Roughly 50% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Learn more →
Trust & Institutions
Do Americans trust Congress?
Only 17.9% of Americans express high trust in Congress — the lowest of any institution surveyed. Learn more →
What is the most trusted institution?
The Census Bureau tops the list at 70.7% high trust. Learn more →
Do Americans trust the police?
Trust in police falls in the middle of institutional rankings. See the full trust breakdown. Learn more →
Does trust vary by income?
Yes — trust in institutions varies significantly by income level. Learn more →
What is the least trusted institution?
Congress, at just 17.9% high trust. Learn more →
Employment & Income
What is the employment rate?
56.85% of survey respondents report being currently employed for pay. Learn more →
How many Americans struggle with expenses?
80.39% of respondents report some level of difficulty paying usual household expenses. Learn more →
What is the national unemployment rate?
See the latest BLS unemployment data on our employment page. Learn more →
Does employment vary by state?
Yes — state employment rates range from roughly 48% to 62%. Learn more →
What is the median household income?
Median household income varies widely by state. Explore our income data for full rankings. Learn more →
Health
What percentage of Americans are uninsured?
7.67% of the population lacks health insurance coverage. Learn more →
Which state has the highest uninsured rate?
Arkansas has the highest uninsured rate at 16.1%. Learn more →
What is the obesity rate in America?
Obesity rates vary by state. See CDC PLACES data on our health page for state-level breakdowns. Learn more →
How does health vary by state?
We calculate a composite Health Score (0–100) for each state using CDC PLACES indicators. Learn more →
What is the diabetes rate?
Diabetes rates vary by state and are sourced from CDC PLACES data. See our health rankings. Learn more →
Wellbeing & Quality of Life
What is the Wellbeing Index?
A composite score from 0 to 100 measuring overall quality of life based on income, employment, health, food security, housing affordability, and education. Learn more →
What is the Squeeze Index?
A letter grade (A through F) measuring financial pressure on households, based on expense difficulty, rent burden, food insufficiency, and uninsured rate. Learn more →
Which states rank highest for wellbeing?
See our full wellbeing rankings to compare all 50 states. Learn more →
How is cost of living measured?
Cost of living incorporates multiple factors including housing, food, healthcare, and transportation costs. Learn more →
Do rural areas differ from metro?
Yes — rural and metro areas differ on many metrics including employment, health outcomes, and AI adoption. Learn more →
Demographics
How does AI usage differ by age?
Younger adults adopt AI at significantly higher rates than older adults. Learn more →
Does education affect AI adoption?
Yes — higher education levels correlate with higher AI adoption rates. Learn more →
How does race affect food insecurity?
There are significant racial disparities in food insufficiency rates. Learn more →
Are there regional differences?
Yes — the Census divides states into regions and divisions, each with distinct patterns. See our regional analysis. Learn more →
How does the survey work?
The HTOPS survey uses a random sample of households, with responses weighted using PWEIGHT to produce nationally representative estimates. Learn more →
State Comparisons
How does California compare nationally?
See California's full data profile across AI, food, housing, health, and more. Learn more →
How does Texas compare nationally?
See Texas's full data profile across AI, food, housing, health, and more. Learn more →
Which state has the lowest uninsured rate?
See our full state rankings for uninsured rates. Learn more →
Which states are most affordable?
See our cost of living rankings for affordability comparisons. Learn more →
How do states rank overall?
Our Wellbeing Index ranks all 50 states on a composite score from 0 to 100. Learn more →
Data & Methodology
Where does this data come from?
Primary data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), supplemented by ACS, CDC PLACES, BLS, and FRED. Learn more →
How current is the data?
HTOPS data is from the March 2026 survey wave. Learn more →
Can I download the data?
Yes — we provide downloadable datasets on our downloads page. Learn more →
How are the estimates calculated?
All estimates are weighted using PWEIGHT, the person-level survey weight, to produce nationally representative figures. Learn more →
Is this site affiliated with the Census Bureau?
No — How Is America is an independent analysis project. We use publicly available Census data but have no official affiliation. Learn more →