February 2014 DIVER Geo Scores Released
Proprietary Score Shines Spotlight on Economic Well-Being of U.S. States, Counties and Cities
News Release from DIVER Geo Score
STAMFORD, Conn., Mar 04, 2014 -- The DIVER Geo Score results are in for February. The DIVER Geo Score represents a relative score of the economic health of a U.S. State, county or city. Based on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the best, this data is updated monthly and is calculated from multiple economic and demographic factors related to three primary data categories—employment, income and housing.
Here are the latest results through February 28, 2014:
GEO SCORE: BY STATE
Highlights: Familiar Names with Top Scores; Largest Changes (Most Improved) Marked by New Entrants
The top 10 scoring States stayed the same but several States saw relatively significant increases and decreases since last month with New Hampshire and Virginia declining 1 and .6, respectively. Hawaii, amongst the group, was the big winner, month on month, rising .8. The top Geo Score increases all shared common characteristics seeing a decline in Unemployment and increases in Labor Force Participation and Housing Prices while nine of the top ten also saw a decline in Poverty. Noticeably absent from the top score increases is California (a rising star over the past months).
| Best Locations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Score |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Locations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Score Changes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| North Dakota |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Utah |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+1.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| District of Columbia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Indiana |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+1.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Vermont |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arizona |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+1.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wyoming |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Washington |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hawaii |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nebraska |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+0.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nebraska |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
South Dakota |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+0.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Virginia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Minnesota |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+0.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| South Dakota |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Iowa |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+0.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Minnesota |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+0.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| New Hampshire |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
West Virginia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+0.6 |
Mississippi and Nevada continue at the bottom of our Geo Scores with Florida falling to third worst. Arizona, showing some improvement, no longer is in the group with New Mexico (-1.4) taking its place and Tennessee (-1.4) barely staying out of the bottom ten. Nine of ten States suffering the most significant declines in their Geo Scores saw declines in their Labor Force and all but four saw an increase in Foreclosures.
| Worst Locations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Score |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Worst Locations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Score Changes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mississippi |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Mexico |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-1.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nevada |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tennessee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-1.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Florida |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maryland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-1.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| South Carolina |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Delaware |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-1.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Georgia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rhode Island |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Michigan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maine |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Arkansas |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Jersey |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Kentucky |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Connecticut |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-0.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| New Mexico |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mississippi |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-0.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Illinois |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Florida |
|
|
|
|
|
|
-0.6 |
read ... County and City Results
On The Other Hand ... Honolulu 4th Worst City to Find a Job
|