The MAP SO HARD blog
Stories behind the maps
Deeper analysis on how the 50 states stack up — what the rankings mean, where the data comes from, and why it matters. Every figure is cited and dated.
gas-priceselectricitycost-of-livingThe Cost of Energy: What Gas Prices and Electric Bills Reveal
Two maps of what Americans pay to fuel a car and power a home — and why geography, not the price of oil, does most of the sorting.
MAP SO HARD · June 29, 2026
smokingvapinghealthAmerica's Two Nicotine Maps: Where It Smokes vs. Where It Vapes
Cigarettes and e-cigarettes map onto America differently — and the states where they diverge tell the story of a habit in transition.
MAP SO HARD · June 29, 2026
healthcareinsurancepolicyThe Uninsured Map Is Really a Policy Map
No health ranking we publish has a wider gap between top and bottom — and the reason is less about health than about state policy choices.
MAP SO HARD · June 29, 2026
alcoholhealthanalysisThe Drinking Map Paradox: Why Heavy and Binge Don't Match
We publish two maps about alcohol, and they look almost nothing alike. Here's what the gap between them reveals.
MAP SO HARD · June 29, 2026
healthappalachiaanalysisWhy West Virginia Ranks Worst on Almost Every Health Map
Across six different CDC health rankings, one state keeps landing at #1 — and the overlap says more than any single map can.
MAP SO HARD · June 29, 2026
- healthdiabetesanalysis
The Diabetes Belt Is Real — And It Overlaps With Almost Everything Else
West Virginia ranks #1 in the country for diabetes, smoking, and obesity all at once. Here is what our maps show about how America's health problems cluster.
MAP SO HARD · June 2, 2026
- aboutmethodology
How We Rank All 50 States — And Why Every Number Has a Source
A look under the hood at MAP SO HARD: where the data comes from, how we handle ties and missing years, and why we will never make a number up.
MAP SO HARD · June 2, 2026
- moneygasanalysis
Where Gas Costs the Most in 2026 — and Why It Is Not Where You Think
California drivers pay nearly $2.30 more per gallon than drivers in the cheapest state. We break down what our gas-price map actually shows.
MAP SO HARD · June 2, 2026