We live in an age of rankings with lists of “best,” “worst,” and “in-between” that touch every area of life, industry, and region.
Some of those scorecards are based on surveys. Others are data-based and try and decipher government or corporate statistics. And some are simply opinions – individual or consensus.
Yes, these rankings could be discussion starters – be it for a political debate or simply for fun. Before the conversations get too intense, realize that producing these grades is much more art than statistical science.
I marvel on the wave of state-versus-state rankings that flow into my inbox at work. Most of those scorecards are usually not created to advance social conversations. Rather, they’re promoted within the hopes of generating online attention for a corporation that has likely paid someone to generate “Best/Worst State” buzz.
Not that these state grades aren't interesting in themselves. So I combed through my inbox to search out 20 rankings for California that may interest someone.
20 scorecards
no 1 Per capita spending on clothing and shoes, in accordance with purchasing statistics collected for the QR Code Generator.
No. 2 Most expensive housing gap – average wage for bachelor's degree holders vs. average rent for a one-bedroom apartment – in accordance with US Census Bureau figures collected by Sparefoot.com.
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No. 2 Young homeowners are the bottom percentage of the population, in accordance with a review of census data for Agent Advice.
No. 3 According to an evaluation of 2020-2023 small business loans by CreditDonkey, the common business borrowing is the biggest.
No. 3 The largest three-year increase in diabetes diagnoses through 2021 emerges from a have a look at government health statistics from Diabetes Strong.
No. 3 According to a study by QRFY, the very best variety of online searches per capita are for self-employment opportunities.
No. 3 He is obsessive about cryptocurrencies, in accordance with CoinLedger, which examined online search volume for crypto-related terms.
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No. 3 This is probably the most desirable work-life balance, in accordance with a rating by Plus Docs, which tracks government job statistics.
Number 4 The best place to begin a business, says a Schmidt & Clark business applications study.
No. 5 Best for overall well-being, says a rating from GayFriendly that features 14 health aspects.
No. 5 According to a study of 18 different metrics by Ahrefs, the perfect placement for a marketing degree at university.
No. 5 best for female entrepreneurs, based on a have a look at seven metrics from Lendio.
No. 6 worst at providing timely medical care, in accordance with Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality data examined for Parrish Law.
No. 8 The happiest families, as measured by the ratio of weddings to divorces, in accordance with a census evaluation for Bedbible.
No. 8 The lowest percentage of the population reporting depression is in accordance with Center for Disease Control statistics for MentalHealthRehabs.com.
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No. 8 the very best per capita searches for online courses per person, in accordance with a study by Freedom Bound Business.
No. 9 The more than likely location for a burglary to occur, in accordance with Suzuki Law crime classifications.
No. 14 Getting a driver's license is the toughest thing to do, says Zanes Law.
No. 13 Lowest risk of mold within the household, says a have a look at climate patterns for FDP Mold Remediation.
No. 16 Highest share of population age 25 or older with at the very least a bachelor's degree, in accordance with a have a look at state graduation data for Essayservice.com.
Bottom line
To be honest, let's offer a caveat: Who would send a journalist a pitch highlighting “California is ranked 25th” in blah-blah-blah? Rankings in the center are boring. So my inbox tends to gravitate toward cases where California is an outlier, good or bad.
So the conclusion, if anything meaningful could be drawn from this slightly random collection of statistics, is that California is an expensive place with each good and troubling qualities.
Did you wish 20 scorecards to let you know that?
Jonathan Lansner is a business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He could be reached at jlansner@scng.com
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