The 26 Long-Term Quality of Life Indicators Used in the State of the Commonwealth Index

The 26 Long-Term Quality of Life Indicators Used in the State of the Commonwealth Index
Name	Description
*Communities*
1. Crime Index	number of serious crimes reported to law enforcement per 100,000 persons
2. Employment Rate for Persons with Disabilities	percent of noninstitutionalized civilians with disabilities aged 25 through 61 who are employed
3. Homeownership Rate	percent of the total number of occupied households that are owner-occupied
4. Health Insurance Rate	percent of all people covered by private or government health insurance
5. Teen Birth Rate	number of births to girls aged 15 to 17 years old per 1,000 girls age 15 to 17 years old
6. Smoking Rate	percent of the population aged 18 and older who smoke
7. Charitable Contributions	average annual contributions deductions per total number of tax returns filed
*Education*
8. High School Attainment Rate	percent of adults 25 to 64 years old with at least a high school diploma or equivalent
9. College Attainment Rate	percent of adults 25 to 64 years old with at least a four-year college degree
10. ACT Average Composite Score	state-level average composite ACT scores
11. 8th Grade NAEP Math Results	percent of 8th graders who scored at or above basic level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Exam
*Economy*
12. Per Capita Income	total personal income in constant 2000 dollars divided by total state population
13. Poverty Rate	three-year moving average of the percent of people living below the federal poverty level
14. Per Capita Gross State Product	total gross state product in constant 2000 dollars divided by total state population
15. Business Formation	number of establishments per 100 people
6. U.S. Patents	average annual number of U.S. patents issued per 10,000 business establishments
17. Home Computer Access	percent of people with access to a computer in their home
18. Internet Access	percent of people with access to the Internet anywhere
*Environment*
19. Per Capita Air Emissions	total air emissions divided by total state population
20. Per Capita Surface Water Discharges	total surface water discharges divided by total state population
21. Per Capita Land Releases	total land releases divided by total state population
22. Air Quality	percent of people who live in counties that meet standards for air pollutants
23. Water Quality	percent of state population served by community water systems with no health-based violations
*Government*
24. State and Local Government Efficiency	number of state residents served per 100 state and local government employees, excluding education employees
25. Women in State Legislature	percent of total state legislature offices held by women
26. Voting Participation Rates	percent of the citizen voting-age population that voted in the most recent presidential election
Note: The final index is weighted so that each of the five thematic categories (communities, education, economy, environment, and government) are equally weighted (i.e. 20 percent each).