Methodology

This page explains how MAP SO HARD chooses metrics, sources data, computes rankings, and keeps maps current. It is the standard every map on this site must meet before it is published. If a map cannot meet it, the map does not ship.

The one rule everything else serves

No fabricated or estimated numbers, ever. Every value comes from a named, authoritative source. We never interpolate, average, "reason out," or otherwise invent a value to fill a gap. If a statistic cannot be sourced cleanly for all 50 states, we do not publish that metric — we choose a different metric or a different period instead. A missing value is treated as missing, not patched.

Choosing sources

We prioritize primary, official data:

• Tier 1 — government and official statistical agencies are the default: agencies such as the CDC, U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, EIA, BEA, IRS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, and DOT.
• Tier 2 — a recognized industry standard is used only when it is the de-facto measure for an all-50 metric. The clearest example on this site is AAA for daily fuel prices.
• Never blogs, listicles, content farms, SEO pages, or AI-generated statistics. These are not sources.

Every source is recorded in an internal allowlist with its organization, URL, tier, and (for Tier-2 sources) the required attribution text and reuse terms. Tier-2 attribution is rendered on the relevant pages.

One source, one metric, one period, all 50 states

A valid ranking pulls every state's value from the same underlying table, using:

• one source,
• one metric definition, and
• one time period.

Mixed-year or mixed-source rankings are rejected. The only permitted exception is a single-state gap that is explicitly disclosed on the map and noted on that state's row (see the Tennessee note below).

Provenance on every value

Every individual state value carries its own provenance, stored alongside the number:

• source_id — which allowlisted source it came from,
• source_url — the link to that source,
• data_period — the period the value represents,
• retrieved_at — the date we pulled it, and
• note — a locator pointing to the exact table, figure, or measure.

Because of this, the provenance travels with the data, not just the picture. Every public map shows "Source: X · Year" and a "Last updated" date.

How we rank: ordinal, with an alphabetical tie-break

Ranks are ordinal and distinct from 1 to 50 — there are no shared ranks and no skipped numbers. When two or more states have the same underlying value, we break the tie alphabetically by state name, and we disclose that this is what we did. We never silently re-order tied states or hide that a tie occurred. Each map also states plainly what "#1" means for that metric (for example, #1 = the highest price, or #1 = the highest rate).

Validation gates before publishing

A map cannot reach "published" until all of the following pass:

• Exactly 50 states are present (the District of Columbia and territories are handled explicitly, never silently dropped).
• All values come from one source, one metric definition, and one period — or a single, disclosed, per-row-noted exception.
• The national aggregate is cross-checked against a second authoritative figure to catch parsing or units errors.
• Ranks are monotonic with the values, the meaning of "#1" is stated, and the ordinal / alphabetical tie-break rule is disclosed.
• The rendered image is placement-verified so each number sits on the correct state.
• The source is on the allowlist, its URL resolves, and any Tier-2 attribution and reuse terms are satisfied.

If any gate fails, we stop and report. We do not guess our way past a failed gate.

The Tennessee (2023) exception

Four of our current maps are built on the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the related Nutrition, Physical Activity & Obesity (DNPAO) data: adult obesity, adult smoking, binge drinking, and physical inactivity. These maps use 2024 data for every state — except Tennessee, where the most recent BRFSS value available is from 2023. Because no 2024 figure was reported for Tennessee, we use its 2023 value rather than leave the state blank or estimate a number. This single-state, single-year exception is disclosed on the affected maps and recorded in that row's provenance note. It does not apply to the gas-price (AAA) or electric-bill (EIA) maps.

Keeping maps current

Each map has a refresh cadence that matches the real release schedule of its source:

• Daily for AAA gasoline prices, which update every day.
• Annual for the EIA electricity and CDC BRFSS/DNPAO health metrics, which are released on an annual cycle.

"Current" always means the latest official release, clearly dated. When a newer period becomes available, we add new rows for that period rather than overwriting the old ones, record the change in an internal update log, re-verify, and only then update the published map. This keeps a full, auditable history of every value change.

Sources currently in use

• AAA Fuel Prices (Tier 2) — gasprices.aaa.com — daily state average price of regular unleaded gasoline.
• U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) (Tier 1) — eia.gov/electricity — average residential monthly electricity bill by state.
• CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (Tier 1) — chronicdata.cdc.gov — adult smoking and binge-drinking prevalence.
• CDC Nutrition, Physical Activity & Obesity (DNPAO) (Tier 1) — chronicdata.cdc.gov — adult obesity and physical-inactivity prevalence.

MAP SO HARD is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by these organizations; their public data is credited on every map that uses it.

Corrections

Spotted something off? Sourced corrections are welcome. See Contact to reach us, and About for what this project is.