Live dataState analytics portal

The real problems facing West Virginia.

We parse public databases to measure issue severity, stripped of political spin. Below is the objective severity of community issues compared with active public narrative focus.

Open Crown Matcher →

Longer bar means bigger problem

Problems are ranked by objective severity (hard data) alone, ignoring media hype and political narratives. 0 means the problem does not exist (utopia). 100 means an absolute, catastrophic crisis.

1. Government Inefficiency
100.0 (Critical)Gravity (0–100)+50.5 above national
2. Mental Health & Addiction Crisis
92.8 (Critical)Gravity (0–100)+42.6 above national
3. Education Quality
74.8 (Critical)Gravity (0–100)+25.2 above national
4. Grid Reliability
65.5 (Critical)Gravity (0–100)+15.5 above national
5. Food Insecurity
63.3 (Moderate)Gravity (0–100)+15.1 above national
6. Transportation & Traffic
55.7 (Moderate)Gravity (0–100)+7.2 above national
7. Job Availability
54.0 (Moderate)Gravity (0–100)+4.2 above national
8. Water Scarcity
53.6 (Moderate)Gravity (0–100)+3.9 above national
9. Housing Affordability
52.4 (Moderate)Gravity (0–100)+2.7 above national
10. Wage Stagnation & Income Inequality
52.3 (Moderate)Gravity (0–100)+3.3 above national

Comprehensive severity ledger

Detailed breakdown of the raw data, media sentiment, and delta calculations driving the charts above.

Emerging Frictions

AI Governance & Automation
✓ Δ 5.6
Objective reality (Gravity)50.0/100
Media focus44.4/100
Objective facts and media discussion are aligned on ai governance & automation (50.0 severity). What you read in the headlines matches reality.
National average
50.0/ 100
At national avg
Gravity50.0
Sentiment44.4
Digital Divide
Insufficient coverage
Objective reality (Gravity)16.7/100
Media focus—
Insufficient media coverage for this problem in this state (2 articles). No reliable sentiment score.
National average
50.7/ 100
-34.0 below national
Gravity16.7
Sentiment—

Economic Reality

Food Insecurity
✓ Δ 2.9
Objective reality (Gravity)63.3/100
Media focus60.5/100
Objective facts and media discussion are aligned on food insecurity (63.3 severity). What you read in the headlines matches reality.
National average
48.2/ 100
+15.1 above national
Gravity63.3
Sentiment60.5
Job Availability
✓ Δ 7.7
Objective reality (Gravity)54.0/100
Media focus46.4/100
Objective facts and media discussion are aligned on job availability (54.0 severity). What you read in the headlines matches reality.
National average
49.8/ 100
+4.2 above national
Gravity54.0
Sentiment46.4
Housing Affordability
✓ Δ 6.4
Objective reality (Gravity)52.4/100
Media focus58.8/100
Objective facts and media discussion are aligned on housing affordability (52.4 severity). What you read in the headlines matches reality.
National average
49.7/ 100
+2.7 above national
Gravity52.4
Sentiment58.8
Wage Stagnation & Income Inequality
· Δ 8.2
Objective reality (Gravity)52.3/100
Media focus60.5/100
There is a modest gap on wage stagnation & income inequality between the hard data (52.3) and media coverage (60.5) — worth watching, but not a significant divergence.
National average
49.0/ 100
+3.3 above national
Gravity52.3
Sentiment60.5
Energy Costs
△ Δ 25.9
Objective reality (Gravity)42.1/100
Media focus16.2/100
West Virginia is facing a significant gap on energy costs (Severity: 42.1), but local politicians and media are receiving limited media coverage (Media: 16.2). The narrative is sleeping on a major problem.
National average
49.9/ 100
-7.8 below national
Gravity42.1
Sentiment16.2
Cost of Living & Inflation
✓ Δ 3.7
Objective reality (Gravity)33.2/100
Media focus36.9/100
Objective facts and media discussion are aligned on cost of living & inflation (33.2 severity). What you read in the headlines matches reality.
National average
50.1/ 100
-16.9 below national
Gravity33.2
Sentiment36.9

Social & Public Service Infrastructure

Mental Health & Addiction Crisis
△ Δ 81.0
Objective reality (Gravity)92.8/100
Media focus11.8/100
West Virginia is facing a significant gap on mental health & addiction crisis (Severity: 92.8), but local politicians and media are receiving limited media coverage (Media: 11.8). The narrative is sleeping on a major problem.
National average
50.2/ 100
+42.6 above national
Gravity92.8
Sentiment11.8
Education Quality
△ Δ 64.0
Objective reality (Gravity)74.8/100
Media focus10.7/100
West Virginia is facing a significant gap on education quality (Severity: 74.8), but local politicians and media are receiving limited media coverage (Media: 10.7). The narrative is sleeping on a major problem.
National average
49.6/ 100
+25.2 above national
Gravity74.8
Sentiment10.7
Transportation & Traffic
· Δ 12.6
Objective reality (Gravity)55.7/100
Media focus68.3/100
There is a modest gap on transportation & traffic between the hard data (55.7) and media coverage (68.3) — worth watching, but not a significant divergence.
National average
48.5/ 100
+7.2 above national
Gravity55.7
Sentiment68.3
Crime & Safety
· Δ 14.3
Objective reality (Gravity)43.2/100
Media focus57.5/100
There is a modest gap on crime & safety between the hard data (43.2) and media coverage (57.5) — worth watching, but not a significant divergence.
National average
49.6/ 100
-6.4 below national
Gravity43.2
Sentiment57.5
Healthcare Access
· Δ 18.5
Objective reality (Gravity)42.2/100
Media focus60.7/100
There is a modest gap on healthcare access between the hard data (42.2) and media coverage (60.7) — worth watching, but not a significant divergence.
National average
50.1/ 100
-8.0 below national
Gravity42.2
Sentiment60.7

Environmental & Resource Security

Grid Reliability
· Δ 12.0
Objective reality (Gravity)65.5/100
Media focus53.4/100
There is a modest gap on grid reliability between the hard data (65.5) and media coverage (53.4) — worth watching, but not a significant divergence.
National average
49.9/ 100
+15.5 above national
Gravity65.5
Sentiment53.4
Water Scarcity
△ Δ 25.7
Objective reality (Gravity)53.6/100
Media focus27.9/100
West Virginia is facing a significant gap on water scarcity (Severity: 53.6), but local politicians and media are receiving limited media coverage (Media: 27.9). The narrative is sleeping on a major problem.
National average
49.7/ 100
+3.9 above national
Gravity53.6
Sentiment27.9
Climate Vulnerability
△ Δ 24.1
Objective reality (Gravity)45.3/100
Media focus69.3/100
Media coverage is elevated about climate vulnerability (Media: 69.3), but hard public data reveals this is not as severe as media coverage suggests (Data: 45.3). The public perception is artificially inflated.
National average
49.2/ 100
-3.9 below national
Gravity45.3
Sentiment69.3
Pollution & Public Health
△ Δ 33.0
Objective reality (Gravity)40.8/100
Media focus73.8/100
Media coverage is elevated about pollution & public health (Media: 73.8), but hard public data reveals this is not as severe as media coverage suggests (Data: 40.8). The public perception is artificially inflated.
National average
50.2/ 100
-9.4 below national
Gravity40.8
Sentiment73.8

Systemic & Governance Frictions

Government Inefficiency
△ Δ 31.5
Objective reality (Gravity)100.0/100
Media focus68.5/100
There is a significant gap on government inefficiency between hard data (100.0) and media coverage (68.5), but it is based on limited media coverage — interpret with caution.
National average
49.5/ 100
+50.5 above national
Gravity100.0
Sentiment68.5
Political Polarization
△ Δ 40.5
Objective reality (Gravity)43.9/100
Media focus84.4/100
Media coverage is elevated about political polarization (Media: 84.4), but hard public data reveals this is not as severe as media coverage suggests (Data: 43.9). The public perception is artificially inflated.
National average
50.0/ 100
-6.1 below national
Gravity43.9
Sentiment84.4
Corporate Influence in Politics
✓ Δ 1.7
Objective reality (Gravity)40.5/100
Media focus42.2/100
Objective facts and media discussion are aligned on corporate influence in politics (40.5 severity). What you read in the headlines matches reality.
National average
49.6/ 100
-9.1 below national
Gravity40.5
Sentiment42.2