Hawaii is the only US state with no incorporated municipalities

Alaska has boroughs instead of counties, and nearly half the state has no borough-level government

Alaska's "Unorganized Borough" covers about 323,440 square miles—larger than the entire state of Texas—and lacks a borough-level government, so the state provides services that would typically be managed by counties or boroughs elsewhere.

Hawaii and New York have the highest tax burdens out of all US states, both exceeding 12% of income

The term "tax burden" in this case refers to property, income, sales, and excise taxes as a share of total personal income. Alaska and New Hampshire have the lowest total tax burdens in the US, both falling below 6%.

The most taxed states in America

Some states in the US have higher taxes than others. Hawaii, for instance, has the highest total tax burden in the country at 13.9%, whereas Alaska has the lowest overall tax burden at 4.9%. New York has the highest individual income tax burden; and eight states have no individual income tax. See a map of the most-taxed US states here.

American local government comes in five distinct forms

Counties, municipalities, townships, special districts, and school districts are each created for a different purpose, operating under different rules, and answerable to the state in different ways. Special districts, the least known of the group, are created for specific purposes, such as transit or fire protection.

Why Hawaiians live longer

Hawaii has the longest life expectancy at birth out of all 50 states, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key factors include strong healthcare, lots of sunlight, and active lifestyles.

Louisiana has parishes instead of counties

Louisiana is the only US state that uses parishes rather than counties as its primary local government unit. The distinction traces back to the state's French and Spanish Catholic colonial heritage.

Illinois has more local governments than any other state

As of 2022, there were a reported total of 90,837 local government units across the US. Illinois had the highest number with 6,930, followed by Texas with 5,533. Explore all the data from the 2022 Census of Governments, which takes place every five years.

The powers of local government are rooted in state law, not the Constitution

Unlike the federal government or the states, local governments have no constitutional standing—they exist only because state law allows them to. A state legislature can redraw a city's boundaries, strip its powers, or dissolve it entirely.

Hawaii lived under martial law for nearly three years after Pearl Harbor

After the attack, Hawaii was placed under sweeping military rule—curfews, censorship, warrantless arrests, ID papers, and mass detentions transformed everyday life. More than 2,000 people were arrested within 48 hours of the attack, and the islands remained under martial law for nearly three years.

Hawaii is the most expensive state for funding a 40-year retirement

If someone wanted to retire by the time they were 40 years old in Hawaii, they would need to save an estimated $4,557,767. See how other states meaasure up in this article.

New York City's five boroughs each function as a separate county under state law

Each of New York City's five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island—corresponds to a separate county under New York State law, forming a layered government structure that is unique among major American cities.

The US has 575 federally recognized tribal nations, each a sovereign government.

California has the highest median rent in the US at $2,104

Hawaii has the second-highest median rent in the US at roughly $1,942 per month, including utilities. That's as of 2024, based on data from the US Census Bureau.

Hawaii formed from oceanic plate movement over a hot spot in the mantle

Abnormally hot magma rose through the crust and emerged from the seafloor, where it cooled and piled onto layers that became tall enough to form an island. As the plate moved, the existing island moved away and a new one formed over the hot spot, repeating for each Hawaiian island.

In Hawaii, the median household bank account balance is $43.6K

The media household bank account balance varies widely between states. In Mississippi, for instance, the median balance is much lower than Hawaii's at just $1.9K per household.

Many local governments also struggle to rein in their spending.

Special districts are a form of local government focused on a single purpose

Unlike cities or counties, which provide a wide range of services, special districts are created to perform a single function, such as water, transit, or mosquito control. They are governed by appointed boards, have independent taxing authority, and now number nearly 40,000 across the US.

States with the most million-dollar homes

As of 2024, the US has 621 cities where a typical home costs $1M or more. California has more million-dollar cities than any other state by a long shot, with 218. New York comes in second with 76. Want to see where other states rank? Check out this map to learn more.

Some California cities outsource their public services entirely to the county

Southern California's "contract cities" incorporate as municipalities but pay Los Angeles County for police, fire, and other services rather than running their own departments—a cost-saving model common across the region.

In 1865, Hawaii's king authorized forcible removal, quarantining of those with leprosy

King Kamehameha V authorized the removal of anyone with leprosy symptoms and for them to be placed in a medical facility later maintained by the Catholic Church on Moloka'i, Hawaii's fifth largest island. Patients weren't allowed to transfer to other medical facilities until 1969.

The hardest US states to save money in, mapped

According to data from Bankrate, Tennessee ranks as the easiest state in the US to save money, while Hawaii is the most difficult for those attempting to build a savings fund. This map of the US shows where all the states rank in-between. Some may surprise you. See the map here.

Every single American state constitution references God or the divine, though the federal Constitution does not.

See the percentage of employed workers who are union members in your state.

Only 5 states have inheritance taxes

Unlike estate taxes, inheritance taxes paid by the beneficiary of the estate (the person who inherits the deceased person's financial assets). The federal government doesn't levy an inheritance tax, but five states do. They all have varying tax rates and rules.

The best US cities for entry-level jobs with livable wages

In Bakersfield, California, 100% of entry-level job ads on Indeed recently claimed to pay above the local living wage. But other cities, like Honolulu, Hawaii, aren't as livable for entry-level workers: Just 27.69% of new job posts advertise a salary in line with the city's living wage.

Local governments are responsible for more than 148,000 public water systems across the US

From large municipal utilities to small rural systems, local governments are tasked with providing clean water to almost every American community. The US operates over 148,000 public water systems.

The best beach in every US state

Not every state has coastline, but every state has a beach. This list highlights the best sandy shorelines in every US state, whether near the ocean, a lake, or a river.

The coolest ghost towns in every US state

Trying to avoid crowds? This list from Thrillist compiles various ghost towns across the United States, highlighting their unique characteristics and explaining why they were abandoned. Peruse this comprehensive list to learn more about why people left these areas and what's still there. If you're looking for additional creepiness, explore and find out which of these spots are particularly haunted!

State and local governments fund very different services

Local governments allocate 39% of their spending to K-12 education, while states allocate less than 1% directly—although much of local education funding actually comes from state and federal grants to local communities. States instead allocate their budgets to public welfare and health programs (45%) and higher education (15%).

Global CO2 levels as measured at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory, managed by the US government’s NOAA.

The Global Monitoring Laboratory conducts research on greenhouse gas and carbon cycle feedbacks, changes in clouds, aerosols, and surface radiation, and recovery of stratospheric ozone.

States with the highest (and lowest) tax rates

WalletHub researchers evaluated not just income taxes but real estate, sales, and other levies in order to rank every state by its total effective local and state tax rate (not including federal). Alaska scored the lowest total tax rate and Illinois...

Most states don't require homeschool students to take standardized tests.

More than 15 states have estate or inheritance taxes—but Maryland is the only state with both

Eighteen states, and Washington, DC, have estate or inheritance taxes in place. Tax rates and thresholds vary per state, but most are less than the federal estate tax rate and threshold. This means an estate doesn't have to be as lucrative to be subjected to the taxes.

Two doctrines of local governance determine how much power cities actually have

Under what is known as "Dillon's Rule," local governments can only exercise powers explicitly granted by the state. Under "home rule," cities have broader self-governing authority—but the balance between the two depends entirely on state law.

25% of US households had no regular income as of 2024

Some states had higher shares of no-income households than others: West Virginia, for instance, had a national high of 34% of households with no income. These states tend to have older populations, higher rates of disability, and lower median incomes overall. In such contexts, a larger portion of households rely on non-earned income sources or report no income during the survey period.

One in seven US tax dollars is collected by local governments

Local governments collect about $886B each year to support education, infrastructure, and public health. Roughly three-quarters of this funding comes from property taxes, with the rest sourced from sales, excise, and income taxes.

Hawaiian households spent 33% more on groceries than the US average in 2025

At $157 per week, Hawaiians had the highest average weekly grocery bill out of all the US states in 2025. Arkansas residents spent the least on groceries at $111 per week.

US cities where inflation is rising the most

WalletHub compared 22 major metropolitan areas to see how inflation has risen in the last year using the Consumer Price Index, which describes the average cost of a basket of goods. As of April 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii, clocked in with the greatest year-over-year change in prices, with inflation close to 5%. See the full list here.

Consolidated city-county governments merge two layers of local government into one

A city-county consolidation removes a layer of local government by merging a municipality with its surrounding county. Examples include Jacksonville-Duval County, Louisville-Jefferson County, and San Francisco, all of which operate as both cities and counties.

Read why some states are considering imposing a flat tax rate that isn't adjusted by income

Wisconsin was the first US state to impose a state income tax, close in time to when the federal income tax went into effect. Many states followed suit, but nine states to this day still don't levy wage-related taxes.

37 states today limit how long governors can serve

Most states cap governors to two consecutive four-year terms, though rules vary—Virginia is unique in allowing only one term at a time. These limits reflect a long tradition of restricting executive power at the state level.

See a visual of the US states with the most billionaires.

Fire districts and fire departments are governed differently

A fire department is usually a municipal agency under the control of city or county authorities. In contrast, a fire district functions as an independent special district with its own elected board, separate budget, and taxing authority.

See how local, state, and federal governments divide the cost of public services

Federal, state, and local governments share responsibility for funding public services. Education, roads, and social programs are funded through a complicated mix of taxes and intergovernmental transfers.

US state economies compared to entire countries

This map compares US state economies by their gross domestic product to that of a similarly sized country. For instance, California has the largest state economy in the US, with a GDP nearly equal to that of India, the fifth-largest economy in the world. Click here to see how the rest of the states compare.

Sanctuary cities limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement

Sanctuary cities limit how local agencies help ICE—such as restricting detainers, jail transfers, or data sharing—while still enforcing criminal law, leaving immigration enforcement mostly to federal authorities.

States are constitutionally mandated to draw their own congressional districts

Under Article I, Section 4 of the US Constitution, state legislatures possess the authority to determine how congressional districts are drawn. However, Congress retains the power to alter these rules if it chooses to.

Federal systems are a minority among the United Nations' 193 members

Of the United Nations' 193 member countries, roughly two dozen use a federal system, dividing power constitutionally between national and subnational governments. This group includes the United States, India, Canada, Germany, and more. The video walks through examples of how these states operate.

See the list of monarchs who have addressed a joint session of the US Congress

Only 11 monarchs have ever addressed a joint meeting of Congress, beginning with Hawaii's King Kalakaua in 1874. King Charles III of the United Kingdom became the most recent in April 2026.

Approximately 10% of American K-12 students are enrolled in private schools.