NCoC logo Civic Health Measurement Dashboard

State x Indicator Matrix

Heatmap showing 51 states across 30 indicators for 2025.

Matrix Methodology

What This Visualization Shows

The State x Indicator Matrix displays a comprehensive heatmap where each row represents a U.S. state and each column represents a civic engagement indicator from the Current Population Survey's Civic Engagement Volunteer Supplement (CEV).

Each cell shows either the raw participation rate (percentage of respondents in that state who reported engaging in that activity) or the z-score (how many standard deviations that state's rate is from the national mean for that indicator).

Understanding Z-Scores

A z-score standardizes values to make indicators comparable regardless of their natural scales. The formula is:

z = (x - μ) / σ

Where: x = state's rate, μ = mean across all states, σ = standard deviation

Positive Z-Score

State performs above the national average. A z-score of +1.0 means the state is one standard deviation above average.

Negative Z-Score

State performs below the national average. A z-score of -1.5 means the state is 1.5 standard deviations below average.

Example: If the national average for "Attended public meeting" is 10% with a standard deviation of 3%, and Vermont has a rate of 16%, Vermont's z-score would be (16 - 10) / 3 = +2.0, indicating Vermont is 2 standard deviations above average.

Color Scale Interpretation

The heatmap uses a diverging color scale centered on the average:

Below Average Average Above Average

Rates mode: Colors are scaled from 0-100%, centered at 50%.
Z-scores mode: Colors are scaled from -2 to +2, centered at 0.

Mean Z-Score (State Summary)

The rightmost column shows each state's mean z-score across all displayed indicators. This provides a single summary measure of overall civic engagement relative to other states.

  • A positive mean z-score suggests the state tends to perform above average across indicators
  • A negative mean z-score suggests the state tends to perform below average
  • Values near zero indicate average overall performance

What This Data DOES Tell You

  • Relative standing: How states compare to each other on each indicator
  • Patterns: Which states consistently perform above or below average across multiple indicators
  • Indicator variation: Which indicators show the most variation across states
  • Cross-indicator comparison: Z-scores allow meaningful comparison across indicators with different scales

What This Data Does NOT Tell You

  • Causation: High or low scores don't explain why a state performs that way
  • Absolute quality: A negative z-score doesn't mean "bad" — just below the current U.S. average
  • Individual behavior: State-level data doesn't predict individual participation
  • Temporal trends: This is a snapshot; it doesn't show whether states are improving or declining
  • Demographic factors: Differences may reflect demographic composition, not policy or culture

Data Source & Limitations

Data comes from the Current Population Survey Civic Engagement Supplement (CEV), conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

  • Survey response: Based on self-reported behavior, which may be subject to social desirability bias
  • Sample size: Smaller states have larger margins of error
  • Question wording: Responses depend on how questions are phrased and interpreted
  • Timing: Survey is conducted in November of odd years, which may affect responses
  • Non-response: Survey non-response may introduce systematic biases

Questions about methodology? Contact the NCoC research team.

Display:
Sort states by:
State
action
boycott
contact
donate
favors
favors_detailed
ffissues
ffissues_detailed
fftalk
fftalk_detailed
meeting
news
news_detailed
nissues
nissues_detailed
ntalk
ntalk_detailed
org
politicaldonor
views
views_detailed
volfreq
volfreq_detailed
volunteer
voterstatus
workcont
workicont
workpride
worksat
workvol
Mean Z
AK
33
23
26
43
16
5
43
13
77
48
18
62
40
11
4
25
7
28
15
19
7
23
3
39
51
49
30
47
16
36
+0.08
AL
30
25
13
46
15
4
43
15
72
46
11
64
36
11
2
28
7
21
15
18
9
15
2
33
42
36
24
43
15
44
-0.68
AR
29
21
16
40
15
4
43
11
78
54
13
61
37
13
1
28
7
22
14
16
4
14
2
39
38
39
29
51
13
42
-0.64
AZ
31
32
17
45
14
3
46
14
78
52
15
67
41
13
3
27
6
24
17
20
9
16
3
39
45
40
33
47
19
45
+0.01
CA
34
27
19
38
15
4
44
13
72
43
18
65
39
15
3
28
7
24
17
21
9
22
5
36
43
42
35
47
22
41
-0.05
CO
38
33
23
47
17
4
48
16
76
51
17
71
43
17
4
31
8
30
19
23
10
17
3
43
57
45
32
46
20
46
+0.77
CT
32
32
20
43
13
3
47
14
73
49
19
68
43
14
3
31
8
29
15
18
7
17
4
43
48
38
28
40
16
47
+0.02
DC
59
36
27
55
26
5
56
20
77
49
36
74
44
29
7
44
12
39
30
35
13
23
4
54
53
46
39
51
27
54
+2.77
DE
44
27
20
43
16
4
45
13
75
47
17
66
42
17
4
33
7
31
18
22
9
15
4
45
42
44
31
55
23
57
+0.60
FL
34
25
17
39
14
3
45
15
74
44
15
67
41
13
3
31
6
24
18
21
7
20
3
34
45
37
32
48
19
51
-0.16
GA
38
24
21
45
18
6
44
14
74
47
18
66
37
15
3
27
7
25
20
24
9
20
5
42
45
43
33
50
21
50
+0.40
HI
31
22
19
46
11
2
41
13
79
49
11
67
40
9
1
23
6
19
12
15
6
12
2
40
38
45
30
42
12
47
-0.71
IA
30
25
18
41
13
4
39
12
75
47
13
63
41
8
2
25
7
22
11
16
6
11
4
39
42
40
24
39
12
43
-0.80
ID
29
32
21
47
15
3
46
13
77
51
16
65
37
11
1
27
7
28
13
19
7
16
1
41
46
41
30
46
16
50
-0.12
IL
34
27
23
42
15
4
43
12
73
44
22
68
43
14
3
31
6
27
18
23
10
20
4
41
47
43
32
46
18
44
+0.18
IN
27
25
16
40
13
2
41
10
72
46
12
61
36
10
1
26
5
24
13
16
7
18
4
38
42
37
26
43
13
42
-0.98
KS
30
30
19
44
14
4
41
14
77
48
15
64
39
9
2
23
5
27
11
18
8
15
3
39
43
38
25
43
14
44
-0.48
KY
31
25
20
43
16
4
46
14
77
47
12
63
34
14
4
29
8
23
14
20
7
17
3
40
43
38
31
46
12
44
-0.29
LA
35
24
21
41
20
5
41
14
74
43
16
65
38
14
4
32
9
24
15
18
8
16
4
44
48
43
34
50
19
44
+0.14
MA
37
35
25
51
16
4
53
17
80
50
24
74
47
15
3
31
6
32
19
20
8
17
3
44
52
42
33
50
18
54
+0.98
MD
41
28
23
45
16
3
45
14
75
46
21
68
40
16
2
32
6
30
18
23
7
20
5
46
46
44
34
46
19
47
+0.38
ME
32
30
23
44
13
3
49
16
79
53
23
69
44
12
2
28
6
27
19
22
10
20
3
36
54
41
33
41
12
47
+0.30
MI
32
27
17
42
13
3
41
13
76
46
14
66
42
11
2
29
6
26
12
19
8
18
4
38
54
36
25
42
16
41
-0.43
MN
31
30
21
48
14
2
47
15
76
46
15
68
42
11
2
28
4
28
15
16
7
13
2
43
55
44
31
44
18
43
-0.13
MO
34
26
20
46
15
4
41
11
76
48
16
64
39
13
2
30
6
27
12
18
6
20
5
40
49
45
32
53
14
44
-0.02
MS
35
22
18
44
20
7
44
16
77
52
16
64
37
17
4
32
11
22
16
21
11
21
7
37
42
44
32
54
19
45
+0.58
MT
31
28
21
47
15
5
48
17
82
55
17
67
44
10
3
27
6
26
14
16
7
20
4
42
57
42
28
45
11
41
+0.25
NC
34
26
18
43
15
5
43
14
73
46
14
67
40
15
3
30
7
23
15
20
8
17
3
40
46
40
33
45
17
48
-0.08
ND
28
24
21
44
13
2
42
12
78
49
16
66
36
9
2
24
5
28
11
13
4
14
3
45
42
46
27
39
12
44
-0.65
NE
31
28
22
43
12
3
42
14
72
49
13
60
37
12
3
26
5
26
14
15
6
19
4
38
48
41
28
43
11
43
-0.52
NH
33
31
21
46
11
3
46
14
79
49
18
72
43
8
2
24
5
28
16
13
5
15
3
38
53
38
25
40
9
44
-0.32
NJ
38
26
17
45
16
4
49
16
77
48
19
71
43
18
4
33
7
26
16
21
9
16
3
38
53
39
27
44
16
51
+0.35
NM
30
27
16
44
14
5
40
11
75
49
16
67
39
12
3
25
6
22
17
18
7
23
7
38
37
41
28
51
20
46
-0.11
NV
30
30
20
41
15
4
43
12
74
47
15
66
40
13
4
27
7
21
15
23
8
22
4
38
42
39
29
48
19
45
-0.14
NY
37
26
21
42
18
5
45
13
74
42
18
68
42
16
4
33
7
23
18
22
9
20
3
35
40
39
30
46
21
47
+0.10
OH
30
28
18
41
16
4
43
14
78
50
14
65
41
12
3
30
5
27
16
20
10
16
4
36
52
38
33
44
15
50
-0.03
OK
31
25
18
44
15
4
45
13
75
49
15
66
39
15
3
29
7
21
10
20
8
16
4
38
38
40
29
48
17
41
-0.34
OR
33
33
20
44
12
3
46
13
76
48
16
68
39
12
3
30
7
30
16
21
7
19
3
41
55
40
31
46
12
42
+0.02
PA
33
29
22
42
14
4
40
11
72
42
17
66
42
13
4
29
7
32
17
19
9
21
7
38
52
38
26
45
16
48
-0.00
RI
37
32
25
45
15
3
49
16
79
50
16
72
48
13
3
30
8
26
16
24
10
21
2
40
50
45
27
45
17
51
+0.53
SC
34
27
21
42
15
4
47
16
76
51
14
64
40
13
2
30
7
23
13
18
6
20
2
37
44
45
34
47
17
44
-0.06
SD
33
22
19
45
16
4
40
14
82
50
16
63
38
13
3
26
6
26
11
12
6
15
4
41
45
40
25
44
12
47
-0.38
TN
33
24
16
45
16
4
42
11
77
48
13
66
37
12
2
28
5
24
14
18
7
15
3
40
40
40
32
50
19
47
-0.35
TX
36
26
16
42
16
4
43
12
74
43
18
65
36
15
3
28
6
23
16
23
9
17
3
39
38
43
32
47
22
46
-0.18
UT
41
29
20
47
10
2
48
15
77
53
16
64
34
10
1
25
4
29
13
13
5
12
1
44
47
47
28
45
13
44
-0.38
VA
38
29
20
52
16
3
49
15
74
46
21
69
43
16
3
32
6
30
20
23
9
19
5
45
51
44
33
52
22
50
+0.70
VT
31
35
20
43
11
2
48
17
81
52
20
68
45
8
0
25
6
31
14
15
4
13
3
42
52
45
28
46
8
42
-0.13
WA
35
31
23
46
17
5
44
15
73
45
16
68
40
14
3
28
7
31
18
18
8
19
2
43
57
45
35
53
22
46
+0.42
WI
29
29
21
48
12
2
45
16
77
49
14
70
42
12
2
28
5
25
16
20
7
17
3
40
56
37
24
40
11
46
-0.23
WV
27
22
17
36
15
5
40
13
77
53
12
55
34
11
2
28
8
20
9
17
8
17
6
34
39
39
29
44
13
41
-0.70
WY
31
30
22
48
15
3
50
15
82
55
15
66
36
18
3
32
6
30
17
21
6
26
3
42
52
46
28
54
13
44
+0.51

Color Legend

Low
High

Top States (by Mean Z-score)

1. DC +2.77
2. MA +0.98
3. CO +0.77
4. VA +0.70
5. DE +0.60

Bottom States (by Mean Z-score)

1. IN -0.98
2. IA -0.80
3. HI -0.71
4. WV -0.70
5. AL -0.68