American Dream Index Reveals Surprising Leaders in Economic Mobility
Newsweek has released its American Dream Index, which evaluates the state of the American Dream across 33,772 U.S. ZIP codes. The index scores areas based on six pillars: economic mobility, employment quality, education and skills, housing access, new business formation, and cost of living. North Dakota, Utah, and Minnesota top the list, while Massachusetts ranks fourth due to high housing costs. The index reveals that areas traditionally not associated with prosperity, such as rural counties in South Dakota and Kansas, are thriving in terms of jobs, affordability, and mobility.