How Oregon Ranks www.TheCitizensWhoCare.org 1st - tied with Alabama, Montana and New Hampshire for having no sales tax. Washington has 8.5% and California 8.25% (Highest) (7/09 State Revenue Departments) 1st - Smallest growth in State Police compared with the population growth 1995-2008 (-31%). Only 10 states had a decline. Next closest was South Carolina -19% (FBI Uniform Crime Reports, Census Bureau) 1st - tied with Hawaii for the highest personal tax (11%) for the wealthiest group for two years. After that time, Oregon would drop to 9.9% while Hawaii would remain at 11%, New Jersey at 10.75, California at 10.55, and Rhode Island at 9.9%. (Tax Foundation, 7/09) 2nd highest minimum wage ($8.40). Washington is highest at 8.55 and California is 4th with 8.00. 3rd - highest retailer violation rates on tobacco sales to minors. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 4th for illicit drug dependence among 18-25 year olds. (NSDUH, 2002) 4th with most students (3,142) per school nurse. Washington is 25th with 1,060 and California 40th with 2,240. Hawaii has no RNs, Utah 4,893 students per and Michigan 4,204 students per. (Low number is better.) (National Association of School Nurses) 7th lowest state beer tax (.0839 per gallon.) California is 29th at .20, Washington is 34th lowest at .261 and Alaska is the highest at $1.07/gallon. (As of 1/04 CSPI and the Federation of Tax Administrators.) 7th for illicit drug abuse in persons 12 and older. (NSDUH, 2002) 8th lowest job loss 4th Quarter 2008 to 4th Qtr 2009 at -1.0% or 17,737 jobs. Washington was 2nd with -0.2% and California at -1.9%. (Moody's economy.com) 8th highest level of foreclosures in 2009 vs. 2008. Washington17th and California 24th. In regard to total disclusures, Oregon ranked 21st with 34,121 closures, Washington 19th with 35,268 and California 1st 632,573 closures. (Ideal is largest ranking number.) (Source:RealtyTrac. in UST Today 1/14/10.) 9th highest shortfall of the 50 states - 14.5% 10th. Oregon is tied with Illinois with the largest percentage of workers who were members of a union in 2008. (16.6%) California had 18.4% and Washington had 19.8%. Yet Oregon has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. (Bureau of Labor Statistics) 12th smallest decrease (-8%) in traffic fatalities 2008 vs 2007. Washington down 11%, California no data. 13th lowest obesity rate at 24.2% of Oregonians. Washington tied at 24th with 25.4% obese and california ranked 10th with 23.7% obese. (CDC 2008) 14th highest percent (76.6%) of foreclosure 3rd Quarter 2009 vs. 3rd Quarter 2008. Washington at 33% and California at 18.6%. (Low percent better.) 15th largest population growth from 2008 to 2009 adding 42,666 new people. California was 18th and Washington was 7th. Percent change 2000-2009 was up 11.8% or 404,220 people representing the 13th best growth during that period. (Census Bureau) 18th in percentage with fewer than two inspections of school cafeterias during 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years. Federal law requires two inspections a year. Washington was 28th with 24.4% not in compliance and California was 45th with 57.2% not complying. Average in the U.S. was 29.5%. (USA Today analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture data.) 20th highest % of low-income children (41% of the children in the state.) (Annie V. Casey Foundation) 22nd state with "America's Best High Schools" Of 299 high schools, 31 or 10.4% achieved a Bronze or better award and 7, or 2.3% received a Silver or Gold, Washington was 21st and California 4th. Low number is better. US News and World Report 23rd most obese state with 26.3% of our people rated obese. We are tied with Maryland. California has 23.3% obesity and Washington at 25.9%. (CDC 2007) 29th lowest gas tax at .25. California is .399 and Washington is .375.(American Petroleum Institute 38th of 42 States Tap Water Quality Base. High number is good. 44th highest unemployment (11/09) at 11.1%. California 47th at 12.3% and Washington is 32 at 9.2%. Oregon had the 39th highest unemployment for 2007 and 2008. (www.bls.gov/web/laumstrk.htmat) 45th for access to Addiction Treatment. (OMHAS, 2004) 49th for access to Addiction Treatment among 18-25 year olds. (OMHAS, 2004)   ©2010-2023, www.TheCitizensWhoCare.org/oregonranks.html