News in Numbers
The portion of high school students in Utah who smoke cigarettes -- a significant drop from 12 percent in 1999 and much lower than the national rate of 18 percent. Utah has the nation's lowest smoking rate among adults.
The cost of renovations to the presidential office at Purdue University that Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is the school's next president, put a stop to, saying he wouldn't "initiate or condone a dollar of excessive or unnecessary spending."
The number of local governments in Illinois, which is the most of any state. View state-by-state data from the Census of Governments null
The number of Americans that will turn 65 every day for the next two decades. To explore the impact of this generational shift through in-depth stories, data and interactive content, go to null
The rate of New Hampshire's workforce lost to China in the past decade, representing more than 20,000 lost jobs and the highest rate of all 50 states.
The new fuel efficiency standard that all new cars must meet by 2025. The Obama administration had already increased the standard (for the first time since 1985) to 35.5 mpg in 2010.
The number of states that have fully implemented an electronic system -- as required by a 2008 federal law -- to verify the eligibility of people applying for Medicaid long-term care. Twenty-five states were supposed to have electronic verification in place by the end of 2011.
The average number, which represents the highest rate in the nation, of narcotic prescriptions filled for every privately insured person in Alabama in 2010. The national average was 0.67.
The rise in the portion of part-time public workers in Utah from 2010 to 2011, according to census data, representing a trend among many state and local governments hiring more part-time workers to fill the void left by a gradually shrinking public workforce.
The number of days that the two people responsible for starting the largest wildfire in Arizona's history will spend in jail. The pair admitted to leaving a campfire unattended, which led to the destruction of 840 square miles and cost approximately $83 million to extinguish.
The percent of Georgia's state higher education grants that are based on need. This is partly because most money is already reaching students in the state, which has a low average income. View a map with higher education funding data for each state.
The amount that Georgia's graduation rate fell by when using a new federal formula. Part of the reason for the steep decline is that the new calculation defines a graduate as someone who earns a diploma in four years.
The number of full-time equivalent parks and recreation workers on local government payrolls in 2010. View trends and estimates for each sector of local government.
The number of University of California employees who earned more than $1 million during a time of budget cuts last year. In 2007, only six of the public university system's employees made that much.
Brian Bachmann, who was fatally shot Monday near Texas A&M University, is the sixth law enforcement official killed so far this year in Texas. View the number of police officer deaths from 1990 to 2011 null
The amount of health insurance rebates that Texans received, which is more than any other state, under the Affordable Care Act. The law requires insurance companies to return a portion of the premiums if they spend less than 80 percent on medical care.
The number of U.S. and Canadian police cars that General Motors is recalling because a part in the front suspension can crack and cause a crash. The company will fix the problem at no cost to police departments.
The amount by which state pension systems grew from 2010 to 2011, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The gains, though, still aren’t nearly enough to make a sizable dent in many states’ pension shortfalls.
The number of states that have received a waiver from key requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law. Nevada was the most recent to have their application approved.
The number of states plus the District of Columbia where minorities now account for the majority of the under-age-10 population. View updated census data for each state.
The portion of doctors in the United States who aren't accepting new Medicaid patients -- almost twice the rate of doctors who aren't accepting new Medicare or privately insured patients, according to a new government study.
The portion of new academic programs or training opportunities that focused on green careers in 2011, according to the nonprofit Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. One report predicts that 4.2 million green jobs will be added over the next 30 years.
The number of state and local government jobs that were cut in the month of July, according to data released by the Labor Department.
The number of U.S. counties spread across 32 states that have been declared disaster areas in recent months. Over 90 percent have been placed on the list due to severe drought conditions.
The number of photo-speed-van and red-light-camera tickets issued to city of Denver employees driving city cars that have gone unpaid for the last 3½ years according to the city's manager of safety records.
The portion of surveyed Americans who are tired of Congress debating the health-care reform law and want lawmakers to move onto other issues, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll.
The number of Iowa's 150 state lawmakers who have taken up Gov. Terry Branstad's call for all state workers to voluntarily pay 20 percent of their health insurance.
The record-breaking amount of money that Colorado State University raised this past fiscal year, which is a 31 percent increase from a year ago.
The cost of Amtrak's proposed plan to modernize Washington, D.C.,'s iconic Union Station, which would make it one of the country's most expensive transportation infrastructure projects.
