Government Dependent? Colorado Is Actually Pretty Independent
Self-sufficiency is one way to describe independence. Not needing the help of others to live your life is the idea.
With the Independence Day holiday that just passed, and high inflation threatening Americans’ financial independence, the personal finance website WalletHub put together a report on 2023’s Most Independent States.
To determine the most self-sufficient states, WalletHub says they "compared the 50 states across 39 metrics, which measure how dependent Americans are on the government and other people for finances, their jobs and personal vices."
What they found in Colorado is pretty cool. Here are the highlights:
Independence in Colorado (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
9th – Share of Adults Saving for Children’s College Education
11th – Share of Households Receiving Public Assistance
18th – Share of Federal-, State- & Local-Government Employees
2nd – Share of Jobs Supported by Exported Goods
9th – Share of Current Adult Smokers
A neat thing that WalletHub does when they do these kinds of studies is provide expert commentary on the subject as to better understand what it all means.
When asked "Is it fair that some states are more dependent on the Federal Government than others?? Associate Professor at St. Cloud State University, James Cottrill said, "Different states have different populations that have different needs, and that is not inherently fair or unfair – e.g., my own state of Minnesota is going to have a greater need for transportation funds because the brutal winters wreak havoc on our roads and infrastructure, and that need does not reflect any kind of moral failing or unfair demand for transportation grants and programs."
So perhaps Coloradoans are in a better state to need less government help and it's not necessarily something we are doing better than anyone else.