A spatial study of quality of life in the USA

Abstract

AbstractThis study's main goal was to develop a comprehensive Quality of Life (QoL) Index based on 31 demographic variables for the 3108 counties in the contiguous USA. Counties were ranked worst in QoL to best, and spatial cluster analysis is used to identify counties with significant low/high QoL clusters. GIS-based mapping was used to create informative heat maps with significant clusters shown. The rate of African Americans, diversity in a race within counties, and upward mobility were studied in a regression analysis in which QoL was predicted from these three covariates. The QoL Index was adjusted for the covariates, and a new spatial heat map with clusters is obtained. It was concluded that as the rate of African Americans increases in a county, the QoL decreases, while the QoL increases when diversity or upward mobility increases.