The quality of life among US states

Categories of Schwartz and Mukherjee are used to select twelve measures wit h direct or indirect influence on QoL of the 50 States and the D.C. Include d are such recognized indicators as health, housing, longevity, a toxic-fre e environment, crime, etc. From a factor analysis of these data, four facto rs emerge, identified as Security, Mastery, Harmony and Autonomy. Three par tially-independent measures provide verification of the QoL measures: the K IDS COUNT Index, the Southern Regional Council QoL of workers Index and a s tate-by-state Stress Index. I then test hypotheses relating to QoL: the eco nomic hypothesis that the production of wealth enhances welfare (QoL), a de mographic hypotheses concerning migration and urbanization, an hypothesis t hat religious adherents influence QoL, and psychological hypothesis that a better QoL generates less stress, and others.