Every problem gets two scores: how severe it actually is, from government statistics, and how severely news coverage portrays it. The Perception Gap is the distance between them. A big gap means what you hear and what is measured have come apart.
Hidden Crisis
The data says the problem is severe, but coverage is quiet. The problem is real and under-discussed.
Inflated Narrative
Coverage runs hot, but the state’s underlying conditions are not unusually severe compared with the rest of the country.
The 25 largest gaps right now. 17 of 25 are Hidden Crises. Each row rests on at least 15 articles — below that we do not make this claim. Tap a state to see its full ledger.
| # | State | Problem | Problem Intensity | Media Focus | Perception Gap | Type | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | Energy Costs | 78.5 | 0.0 | 78.5 | Hidden Crisis | 17 articles |
| 2 | Mississippi | Grid Reliability | 70.3 | 0.0 | 70.3 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 3 | Alaska | Corporate Influence in Politics | 100.0 | 32.9 | 67.1 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 4 | Georgia | Water Scarcity | 100.0 | 33.0 | 67.0 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 5 | Oklahoma | Grid Reliability | 89.2 | 22.4 | 66.8 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 6 | New Hampshire | AI Displacement Risk | 84.9 | 18.6 | 66.3 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 7 | Louisiana | Education Quality | 70.0 | 7.8 | 62.2 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 8 | South Dakota | AI Displacement Risk | 70.4 | 9.1 | 61.3 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 9 | Arizona | Political Polarization | 20.3 | 80.8 | 60.5 | Inflated Narrative | 50 articles |
| 10 | Texas | Healthcare Access | 98.6 | 39.4 | 59.3 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 11 | Alabama | Education Quality | 67.0 | 8.4 | 58.6 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 12 | Texas | Water Scarcity | 100.0 | 41.4 | 58.6 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 13 | New Hampshire | Grid Reliability | 58.6 | 1.2 | 57.4 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 14 | Georgia | Political Polarization | 21.9 | 79.0 | 57.1 | Inflated Narrative | 50 articles |
| 15 | Utah | Climate Vulnerability | 23.7 | 80.7 | 57.0 | Inflated Narrative | 50 articles |
| 16 | Wyoming | Climate Vulnerability | 25.2 | 81.6 | 56.4 | Inflated Narrative | 50 articles |
| 17 | Delaware | AI Displacement Risk | 58.8 | 3.0 | 55.8 | Hidden Crisis | 45 articles |
| 18 | Nevada | Education Quality | 68.9 | 13.8 | 55.1 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 19 | North Dakota | Housing Affordability | 10.1 | 64.8 | 54.7 | Inflated Narrative | 50 articles |
| 20 | Nebraska | Mental Health & Addiction Crisis | 20.8 | 75.3 | 54.6 | Inflated Narrative | 50 articles |
| 21 | North Carolina | Water Scarcity | 61.2 | 6.8 | 54.4 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 22 | Michigan | Political Polarization | 16.8 | 71.1 | 54.3 | Inflated Narrative | 50 articles |
| 23 | Nebraska | AI Displacement Risk | 67.9 | 13.8 | 54.1 | Hidden Crisis | 50 articles |
| 24 | Nevada | Climate Vulnerability | 16.5 | 69.8 | 53.3 | Inflated Narrative | 50 articles |
| 25 | Maryland | Energy Costs | 56.1 | 2.9 | 53.3 | Hidden Crisis | 31 articles |
Recalculated as new data arrives — this page is always current. Problem Intensity moves only when a government source updates; Media Focus is refreshed monthly.
How we score →