A recent study has shown the literacy rates in each US state. Here, it shows that California has the lowest literacy rate in the US with a score of 76.9%. In comparison, New Hampshire is the most literate state with a score of 94.2%. This marks an increase of nearly 20% which is a considerable amount.
While many tend to think of states such as Alabama and Tennesee as the lowest performing by similar metrics, this was not the case here. Interestingly, New York was also ranked as the second least literate state with a score of 77.9%. The study was performed by Think Impact and can be seen in greater detail here.
| State | Score |
|---|---|
| California | 76.9 |
| New York | 77.9 |
| Florida | 80.3 |
| Texas | 81.0 |
| New Jersey | 83.1 |
| Georgia | 83.3 |
| New Mexico | 83.5 |
| Nevada | 83.9 |
| Louisiana | 84.0 |
| Mississippi | 84.0 |
| Hawaii | 84.1 |
| Alabama | 85.2 |
| South Carolina | 85.3 |
| Arkansas | 86.3 |
| North Carolina | 86.4 |
| West Virginia | 86.6 |
| Tennessee | 86.8 |
| Arizona | 86.9 |
| Illinois | 87.1 |
| Pennsylvania | 87.4 |
| Oklahoma | 87.7 |
| Kentucky | 87.8 |
| Virginia | 88.0 |
| Maryland | 88.8 |
| Delaware | 89.3 |
| Idaho | 89.5 |
| Oregon | 89.8 |
| Colorado | 90.1 |
| Massachusetts | 90.1 |
| Washington | 90.2 |
| Utah | 90.6 |
| Alaska | 90.8 |
| Ohio | 90.9 |
| Wyoming | 91.1 |
| Montana | 91.2 |
| Connecticut | 91.4 |
| Rhode Island | 91.5 |
| Michigan | 91.7 |
| Indiana | 92.0 |
| Kansas | 92.2 |
| Iowa | 92.5 |
| Missouri | 92.5 |
| Maine | 92.6 |
| Nebraska | 92.7 |
| Wisconsin | 92.7 |
| South Dakota | 93.0 |
| Vermont | 93.4 |
| North Dakota | 93.7 |
| Minnesota | 94.0 |
| New Hampshire | 94.2 |
It is argued that one major factor for California’s high level of income inequality, which can lead to large disparities in access to quality education between wealthy and low-income communities. California’s education system has also struggled with funding issues and overcrowding in many schools, which can contribute to lower levels of literacy.