A Pew Research Center survey indicates that 57% of Americans are finding it difficult to keep up financially. But the struggle is not distributed evenly, SmartAsset finds.
The advisor referral service analyzed the following metrics to determine how financial pressure is distributed across the United States:
— Real per capita personal income for 2024
— 2024 housing cost burden data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau
— Preliminary SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) participation for November 2025
— Non-business bankruptcy filings for the 12 months ending Dec. 31, 2025
— Seasonally adjusted unemployment for February 2026
Researchers assigned each state a composite score and ranked them from most struggling to most thriving.
See the accompanying gallery for the 12 states where Americans are thriving most.
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