As of April 2025, there have been 16 measles outbreaks in the United States, a number that has jumped significantly over the past few years. A new study from PA Requirements shows this has a connection to vaccination gaps. Kindergarten vaccinations help protect citizens against diseases like measles and contribute to our population achieving herd immunity, which eradicates the threat of the disease. However, the team’s study reveals that a combination of policy, vaccine access, and community factors is hindering our progress toward this goal.

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The team found that these states had the highest percentage of children not vaccinated for measles:

• Idaho: 20.4%
• Alaska: 15.7%
• Wisconsin: 15.2%
• Minnesota: 13.0%
• Florida: 11.9%
• Oklahoma: 11.7%
• Colorado: 11.7%
• Utah: 11.2%
• Iowa: 10.9%
• Ohio: 10.8%

It can be useful to compare these numbers to the states with the lowest rates of unvaccinated children:

• West Virginia: 1.7%
• New York: 2.3%
• Connecticut: 2.3%
• Mississippi: 2.5%
• Maine: 2.5%
• Rhode Island: 2.9%
• Maryland: 3.4%
• Massachusetts: 3.7%
• California: 3.8%

We can observe some interesting regional patterns by examining the map, such as lower vaccination rates in the Midwest and Southwest.

Among the states with high rates of vaccination, we find that these five states don’t allow non-medical vaccination exemptions: Maine, New York, West Virginia, Connecticut, and California. It’s no surprise that stricter policies lead to a greater number of vaccinations. Among states with lower rates, we find more relaxed laws that allow for greater exemptions on the basis of religion, philosophy, and other personal reasons. Comparing each state to its neighbors reveals patterns and trends that might imply cultural differences affecting vaccination rates in different regions. We can look for locations with a high prevalence of religions that outlaw vaccines to identify reasons for the numbers on the map. Check the numbers on the states with the largest cities, and you might find stricter vaccination laws there to help prevent disease spread in population-dense areas.

There’s no doubt that state policies correlate directly with vaccination rates when we look at the numbers presented on the team’s graphic. Many states require certain vaccinations, like measles, in order to enroll in public school. These laws and requirements also directly impact vaccination rates. Looking at insurance costs and access to vaccine clinics in rural areas may also reveal why some areas have more unvaccinated children than others. Some states have created initiatives to encourage vaccination and provide education, leading to higher vaccination rates.

Overall, studies like these greatly benefit public health by increasing awareness and education about diseases like measles. People who shy away from vaccines often find them untrustworthy. The only way to convince them otherwise is to answer their questions and present them with transparent data that’s easy to understand, just like the information shown in this graphic, regarding the risks associated with declining vaccines. These studies provide policymakers, parents, and public health officials with more information to make informed decisions for the health of their children and communities.

A new study from Kremp examines an important aspect of motherhood. They created a scoring system to determine the best and worst locations for mothers to live in. Thanks to the multitude of details the team provided, we can see exactly how they came to their conclusions. The criteria for the scoring system examine diverse ways a community can support mothers and analyze the health and well-being of mothers and children living in each state. While something like a motherhood experience is subjective, these criteria give a fair way to compare motherhood in various locations.

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The methodology relied on these factors:

• Women’s Median Earnings
• Gender Wage Gap
• Child Care Costs
• Percentage of Mothers in Good or Excellent Health
• Percentage of Children in Good or Excellent Health
• Percentage of the Population Under 18
• State School System Scores
• Percentage of Parents Who “Definitely Agree” Their Child is Safe in School
• Weeks of Parental Leave Available
• Paid Family Leave Availability
• Job Protection

Based on these criteria, these ten states scored the highest:

• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Connecticut
• Kentucky
• Delaware
• South Dakota
• New York
• Rhode Island
• Florida

While these ten states received the lowest scores:

• Montana
• Arizona
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• South Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Nevada
• West Virginia
• New Mexico

The study and map are helpful precisely because motherhood is such a subjective experience. One mother may consider education of the utmost importance, while another may not be so concerned with this but focused on childcare costs and healthcare. While the study aimed to take all these factors together and score them as a whole, concerned moms can use this data to draw their own conclusions and judge the best location for their family’s needs.

The “best” state for moms often depends on the type of mother. A working mom might have vastly different priorities from a stay-at-home mom. A working mom would likely agree that Massachusetts is the best state for them because of a smaller wage gap and plenty of paid parental leave. In fact, Massachusetts offers the most parental leave compared to all other states. A mom of one child will have unique needs compared to a mom with four children. The age of the children also plays a role. Do the children need daycare, or are they all school-aged? A single Mom may consider Virginia the best state for their situation because of the low cost of living compared to average wages, though once again, Massachusetts has a lot to offer.

The map aspect of the study’s design gives us interesting insights, too. The color patterns show us that many of the best states for motherhood are in the Northeast, while many of the worst states are in the South. This map certainly gives parents something to think about if they are considering a move or planning a future family.

A fascinating new study from OxiFresh shows us that cities can be scored and analyzed on how clean they are. Cleanliness may seem subjective, but the team took a brilliant approach to quantifying and scoring cities with a method that issued cities a score out of 100 in seven categories.

They used these seven areas to form their scoring system:

• Population density: number of people per square mile
• Rodents: Percentage of homes with signs of mouse and rat infestations
• Cockroaches: Percentage of housing units with cockroach infestations
• Vandalism: Percentage of homes without vandalism and abandoned buildings in a half-block radius
• Litter: Percent of homes without litter surrounding the property within a half-block radius
• Air quality: Number of days in 2024 that scored “Good” or higher on the Air Quality Index
• Tap water quality: Average number of contaminants in the municipal drinking water

The strength of this graphic lies in the details. We can see exactly how each of the 25 cities analyzed scored so that we can consider them individually and as part of a whole.

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The team’s scoring system determined that these cities are the cleanest:

1. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Oregon/Washington
2. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington
3. Rochester, New York
4. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan
5. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota/Wisconsin
6. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
7. Richmond, Virginia
8. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, Colorado
9. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona
10. Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas

And at the bottom of the list, we find these ten cities:

1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York/New Jersey
2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California
3. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Delaware/Maryland
4. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas
5. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, Washington DC/Virginia/Maryland/West Virginia
6. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Illinois/Indiana
7. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
8. Birmingham, Alabama
9. Cincinnati, Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana
10. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

We can see which factors the team considered the strongest indicator of whether or not a city is clean. For example, waste management obviously has a huge influence on a city’s cleanliness. The team included population density on the list because higher populations produce more garbage and may strain the local waste management system. However, even large cities can manage waste effectively with the right investments. The Portland metro area is the cleanest on the list, and it has made a strong investment in robust recycling and waste removal, which pays off. The city’s clean streets and parks lead to lower pollution levels and fewer rodents and insects, all adding to the city’s excellent cleanliness score.

The lowest scorer, the New York City metro area, has struggled with trash removal for decades. The city is full of back alleys that tend to collect rubbish, grime, and pests. These nests of trash and garbage lead to pollution, unpleasant smells, and the city’s famous rat infestation. As the biggest metro area in the country, though, the city has a lot of challenges to overcome to get cleaner.

The way this map and graphic present information lets us draw conclusions and ask new questions. How did your city score? Do you agree with the team’s methodology?