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Concerns about the state of U.S. education have been discussed in communities across the country for decades, and the COVID-19 pandemic only thrust these conversations—and their urgency–further into the spotlight. A shift to at-home learning combined with other problems such as teacher shortages and a fraught political landscape have affected students’ basic proficiencies—and it is […]

Chicago has deep-dish pizza, and New York has the foldable slice, but does that make either the best American big city to live in? We’re not so sure. In fact, as this list will detail, it takes much more than a delectable pie to set a city apart from burgeoning places in Ohio, the picturesque […]

Presidential approval ratings are constantly monitored—from the inauguration and transfer of power between administrations to each chief executive’s last day in office—in order to gauge popularity. Job approval ratings are a simple metric on how Americans judge the commander in chief at any given time. Approval numbers can vary widely throughout a president’s term. Polling […]

Modern U.S. currency is sadly lacking in diversity, and until recently, women and people of color were almost entirely absent. The nation’s money has traditionally depicted a static set of Founding Fathers, presidents, national memorials, and government buildings. But as Smithsonian Institution curator Ellen Feingold pointed out in an op-ed for Politico, who shows up […]

With tax season fast approaching, many Americans are wondering where all the revenue collected by the federal government goes. A good portion of that money will be put toward national defense, which in the popular consciousness usually pertains to weapons and military programs, but in our present era also includes elements such as cybersecurity and […]

Over the past 10 years, solar energy has experienced growth of 33% on average every year in the United States. As of 2021, there is enough solar capacity installed in the country to power 23 million American homes. To get a bead on this clean energy trend, Stacker investigated how solar home energy has grown […]

The U.S. stock market is a complicated beast, and with recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen some volatility in the last few years. Stocks dipped quite a bit during the pandemic but have recovered since. To get an idea of how the stock market has fared in the last 10 years, watch trends […]

Millions of Americans buy lottery tickets each year, even though most people know their chances of winning are slim at best. Why do they bother when taking home the grand prize is less likely than dying in a plane crash or being struck by lightning? Humans often struggle to grasp probability, especially when guessing the odds […]

There are 29.2 million registered anglers in the United States, with more than 52 million anglers of all ages taking to water bodies around the country in 2021, according to the Outdoor Foundation’s 2022 Special Report on Fishing. In an effort to learn more about one of Americans’ favorite pastimes, Stacker compiled a list of […]

Hunting is one of the oldest forms of human activity. Over the centuries, hunting has largely evolved from necessity to sport—although many hunters in the U.S. do process hunted animals for food. As hunting gained popularity as a leisure activity, ecosystems suffered, which led to various regulations in order to help preserve and conserve wildlife […]

To determine which states are most and least healthy for senior populations, Stacker consulted America’s Health Rankings’ 2022 Senior Report, where public health researchers analyzed metrics of senior health for every state, ranging from nursing home quality to preventable hospitalizations. The report was released in 2023. Although the numbers in certain categories changed drastically in […]

It is no secret that millennials and many Americans are forgoing homeownership in favor of renting—but whether that saves money or wastes it largely depends on how long a household intends to stay there. Since 1981 the government has defined people spending more than 30% of their income on housing as “cost-burdened,” while those spending […]

Many schools tout their high average GPAs, beautiful campuses, or competitive admission rates. However, few can boast a rich campus social life as a truly distinguishing feature. While academic rigor is arguably one of the most important facets of college life, four years of all work and no play can take a tremendous toll on […]

It is conventional wisdom that having a college education can be an enormous advantage in terms of furthering your career. With a college degree, you’re likely to make more money, get improved health and retirement benefits, and may find better career opportunities. Going to a selective school is considered by many to be an even […]

Millennials are more diverse and better educated than the generations before them. But while this group makes up a large portion of today’s American workforce, their entry into it came at a time of economic turmoil. And that has created a generation of workers paying attention to where jobs are available—and lucrative. Even with remote […]

From Shirley Temple to the “Stranger Thing” kids, child stars have been a much-discussed fixture of Hollywood since its earliest days, and the 1960s were no exception. These tykes appeared in movies as the conservative Hays Code was abolished and were regular presences in TV shows just a decade after television became a mainstay of […]

In 1934, Congress ratified the National Firearms Act, legislation requiring guns to be registered and taxed. On the surface, the act’s goal was to take a cut of the money the burgeoning industry was bringing in. But there was also a secondary motive: to restrict the sale of guns, subsequently being used in crimes, by […]

For many people, retirement is the reward after decades of working and raising a family. The coronavirus pandemic also helped many realize that time could be fleeting. About 2.6 million more people decided to retire during the pandemic for various reasons, including safety issues and increases in the value of assets, according to an analysis […]

Although debates on gun control laws—which differ substantially from one state to another—are weakening as the November 2022 electoral hype fades away, gun sales continue to rise. According to the number of firearm-related background checks performed by the FBI, Black Friday 2022 was the third-highest day for gun sales ever, surpassing the amounts sold on […]

Anyone who has filed an insurance claim is familiar with accepted standards of liability in certain situations: When a car is rear-ended, who was in the driver’s seat? When a house has fire damage, who left the stovetop on? While matters of individual liability can be more straightforward, larger-scale societal issues are often inextricable from […]

Scientists, environmental advocacy organizations, and concerned citizens have long made a case for transitioning from a reliance on fossil fuels to clean energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower to mediate the impacts of climate change. The negative effects of fossil fuels on the environment have been widely documented and occur at every phase of […]

Americans are increasingly borrowing money to cover their expenses as inflation continues to hit household budgets nationwide. Experian analyzed how credit card usage has changed in every state and compared it to regional inflation using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional credit card usage was calculated by summing population-weighted state averages. Regions that […]

UFO sightings date back to biblical times. In the Bible’s Book of Ezekiel, a mysterious ship is described as appearing from the sky in Chaldea (modern-day Kuwait). Strange sightings were recorded around Rome in 218 B.C. A wave of mysterious apparitions showed up in fourth-century China when a “moon boat” was documented floating overhead once […]

In 2022, for the first time in history, the number of refugees worldwide reached more than 100 million people. Millions of people are fleeing violence, persecution, and economic instability, and attempting to start a new life in a more tolerant and secure country. Recognizing this global issue, the Biden administration has agreed to accept up […]

The year 2022 was an exciting one for science. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope yielded two major breakthroughs: new infrared images of the universe and the first evidence of carbon dioxide outside of the solar system. The ongoing pandemic spurred the innovative development of a nasal vaccine for the latest variants of the coronavirus and […]

From issues concerning freedom of speech to college admission, many Supreme Court cases that shape the daily lives of U.S. citizens were not decided by a landslide but rather by a single vote. The Supreme Court can decide appeals on all federal or state court rulings dealing with federal law. The Supreme Court hears less […]

2022 was a lavender ceiling-shattering year for LGBTQ+ politicians, athletes, artists, and actors. Queer pop stars topped the charts. LGBTQ+ candidates won their midterms races in record numbers. And historically large swaths of trans and nonbinary people graced the covers of magazines, dominated game shows and reality TV competitions, and won prestigious acting awards, increasing […]

The holidays are on their way, which means gatherings, mountains of food, and other joyful things you’ve been waiting for all year. It’s a temporary yet merry shift in the schedule that your pets will no doubt sense. The extra people in the house might unsettle them, and they may wonder why their family is […]

On Christmas Day in 1914, British and German troops emerged from the trenches of World War I as weeks of bad weather cleared and called a truce. It was spontaneous and not approved by any higher-ups, but many soldiers on both sides ended up taking part. Soccer games were played between the British and German […]

chayanuphol // Shutterstock States that have increased taxes the most in the last four decades Depending on where you live in the U.S., your state and local taxes may have shifted over the last year. The feared decline in American spending at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic never fully materialized as stimulus and pandemic […]

Canva How much do Americans spend on entertainment? From Beyoncé to Netflix to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the United States has long provided the world with entertainment of all kinds. But what role does the average American have as a consumer of entertainment? The act of consuming—enjoying music, movies, books, and other forms of entertainment—has […]

The holiday season is quickly approaching, which heralds a number of enjoyable events and time off for travel. As people make vacation plans, the 7 in 10 U.S. households with pets have to decide whether to take their furry family members along or leave them in the hands of a sitter. Fortunately, there are solutions […]

The number of active hate groups in the U.S. has been declining since 2018, a trend that may be surprising considering the fact that hate crimes are on the rise, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Furthermore, the actions of extremist groups—including those that instigated and participated in the Jan. 6 capitol insurrection—seem more […]