Freedom in the 50 States 2021: How It's Calculated

The following list indicates the weighting of the relevant variables that led to the rankings of states on this website. For more on these weightings, see the book Freedom in the Fifty States which may be downloaded here.

Personal freedom: 33.2%

Incarceration and arrests: 6.7%

Crime-adjusted incarceration rate: 3.6%
Drug enforcement rate: 1.9%
Arrests for nondrug victimless crimes, % of population: 0.6%
Arrests for nondrug victimless crimes, % of all arrests: 0.6%
Driver’s license suspensions for drug offenses: 0.04%
Prison collect phone call rate: 0.01%

Gambling: 4.2%

Casino and racino win (revenue): 2.7%
Slot/video games outside casinos: 1.3%
Pari-mutuel wagering: 0.03%
Aggravated gambling felony: 0.02%
Social gambling allowed: 0.02%
Charitable gambling: 0.01%
Express prohibition on internet gambling: <0.01%

Guns: 4.1%

Concealed-carry index: 1.9%
Initial permit cost: 0.5%
Local gun ban: 0.4%
Firearms licensing index: 0.3%
Waiting period for purchases: 0.3%
Initial permit term: 0.2%
Open-carry index: 0.1%
Training or testing requirement: 0.1%
Stricter minimum age: 0.1%
Assault weapons ban: 0.05%
No duty to retreat: 0.04%
Dealer licensing: 0.02%
Built-in locking devices: 0.02%
Restrictions on multiple purchases: 0.02%
Background checks for private sales: 0.02%
Design safety standards: 0.01%
Machine guns: 0.01%
Ballistic identification: 0.01%
Retention of sales records: 0.01%
Short-barreled shotguns: 0.01%
Short-barreled rifles: 0.01%
Large-capacity magazine bans: <0.01%
Sound suppressor: <0.01%
.50 caliber ban: <0.01%

Marriage: 3.2%

Same-sex partnerships laws: 1.8%
Super-DOMAs: 0.8%
Sodomy laws: 0.3%
Cousin marriage: 0.2%
Covenant marriage: 0.1%
Blood test required: 0.01%
Waiting period: 0.01%

Education: 3.0%

Tax credit/deduction law for scholarships/expenses: 1.1%
Publicly funded voucher law: 0.7%
Mandatory licensure, private school teachers: 0.5%
Mandatory state approval, private schools: 0.2%
Compulsory school years: 0.2%
Curriculum control, private schools: 0.1%
Public school choice: 0.1%
Curriculum control, homeschools: 0.04%
Record-keeping requirements, homeschools: 0.03%
Standardized testing requirements, homeschools: 0.03%
Notification requirements, homeschools: 0.02%
Teacher qualifications, homeschools: 0.01%
Mandatory registration, private schools: <0.01%
Homeschool statute: <0.01%

Tobacco: 2.7%

Cigarette tax: 1.8%
Minimum legal sale age 21: 0.5%
Smoking ban, bars: 0.2%
Internet purchase regulations: 0.05%
Flavored vape ban: 0.04%*
Smoking ban, private workplaces: 0.02%
Smoking ban, restaurants: 0.02%
Vending machine regulations: 0.02%
Vaping ban on private property: <0.01*%

Alcohol: 2.6%

Alcohol distribution control: 1.0%
Off-premises sales in grocery stores: 0.4%
Blue law index: 0.4%
Spirits taxes: 0.3%
Wine taxes: 0.2%
Beer taxes: 0.2%
Direct wine shipment ban: 0.1%
Keg regulation/ban: 0.1%
Happy hour ban: 0.02%
Mandatory server training: <0.01%

Marijuana: 2.4%

Medical marijuana index: 1.0%
Possession decriminalization/legalization: 0.6%
Maximum marijuana penalty: 0.3%
Sales legalization: 0.2%
Marijuana misdemeanor index: 0.2%
Mandatory minimums: 0.1%
Salvia ban: 0.1%

Asset forfeiture: 2.0%

State asset forfeiture law, aggregate score: 1.0%
Moving average of equitable sharing revenue: 1.0%

Mala prohibita and civil liberties: 1.2%

Affirmative action ban: 0.7%
Prostitution legal: 0.2%
Trans-fat bans: 0.1%
Raw milk legal: 0.1%
Mixed martial arts legal: 0.05%
Fireworks laws: 0.04%
Equal Rights Amendment: 0.03%
Physician-assisted suicide legal: 0.03%
DNA database index: 0.01%
Religious Freedom Restoration Act: 0.01%

Travel: 1.1%

Automated license plate readers: 0.3%
Driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants: 0.3%
Seat belt laws: 0.1%
Fingerprint for driver’s license: 0.1%
Sobriety checkpoints: 0.1%
Motorcycle helmet law: 0.1%
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage mandate: 0.1%
Handheld cell phone ban: 0.01%

Campaign finance: 0.1%

Individual contributions to candidates: 0.03%
Individual contributions to parties: 0.02%
Grassroots political action committee contributions to candidates: 0.01%
Grassroots political action committee contributions to parties: 0.01%
Public financing: <0.01%