Increased spending on public health programs is associated with a decrease in mortality from preventable causes

of death, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer.

State dollars dedicated to public health and federal dollars directed to states by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources & Services Administration increased 33% nationally from $87 to $116 per person between 2017-2018 and 2019-2020 — the highest level since 2014-2015 when America’s Health Rankings began using the current sources for tracking the measure.

Public health funding increased 12% or more in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, led by 77% in Iowa ($91 to $161), 75% in the District of Columbia ($499 to $874), 67% in New Jersey ($66 to $110) and 60% in both Alaska ($281 to $449) and Vermont ($144 to $231) between 2017-2018 and 2019-2020.

In 2019-2020, public health funding was highest in the District of Columbia ($874), Alaska ($449), New Mexico ($265) and Hawaii ($241); it was lowest in both Nevada and Wisconsin ($72), Texas ($74) and Ohio ($75).

Food insecurity has broad effects on health

due to the mental and physical stress it places on the mind and body.

Nationally, the percentage of U.S. households unable to provide adequate food for one or more household members due to lack of resources significantly decreased 13% from 12.3% to 10.7% between 2015-2017 and 2018-2020, and 27% from 14.6% in 2011-2013. Food insecurity has dropped continuously since 2011-2013, reaching its lowest point in 2018-2020.

Food insecurity significantly decreased in two states: 39% in New Hampshire (9.4% to 5.7%) and 29% in Oregon (12.9% to 9.2%) between 2015-2017 and 2018-2020.

In 2018-2020, food insecurity was highest in Mississippi (15.3%), West Virginia (15.1%) and Louisiana (14.8%); it was lowest in New Hampshire (5.7%), Iowa (6.9%) and Minnesota (7.0%).

Owning a home is a way for individuals to build wealth. Addressing the racial homeownership gap can help reduce the racial wealth gap

and its associated educational and health disparities.

Nationally in 2019, the percentage of housing units owned by the occupant was 64.1%. The U.S. homeownership rate for the non-Hispanic white population was 72.1%; it was 40.1% for the Hawaiian/Pacific Islander population, the population with the lowest national rate. This is a difference of 32.0 percentage points in 2019. The homeownership rate for the Black population was 42.0%, 30.1 percentage points lower than the non-Hispanic white population rate. The rates among the Hawaiian/Pacific Islander population, Black population and population that identified as other race (40.6%), however, were not significantly different from one another, with rates well below the national rate.

In 2019, the homeownership racial disparity was highest in Minnesota with a 51.6 percentage point difference between the white population and the racial and ethnic population with the lowest rate. Both Iowa and South Dakota (50.8) and Utah (50.3) were second and third highest, respectively. Lowest were the District of Columbia (15.3), Alaska (23.1), both California and Wyoming (26.9) and Mississippi (27.2). All comparisons were between the non-Hispanic white and Black populations except for that of Wyoming, which was between the non-Hispanic white and Asian populations.