There are an estimated 39.5 million Americans living below the poverty line, which, in the lower 48 states, is an annual income threshold of $12,880 for an individual and $26,500 for a family of four (Alaska and Hawaii have a slightly higher threshold). Living in poverty can have serious consequences and impacts nearly every aspect of life -- and those problems can be compounded for those who are facing poverty while also living in very poor neighborhoods.

Residents of poor neighborhoods often struggle with higher crime rates, limited employment opportunities, lower school quality, and poor health outcomes. For those living on poverty level income, each of these factors reduces the likelihood of upward economic mobility.

Oklahoma City has the highest concentrated poverty rate of any of Oklahoma's four metro areas. There are about 184,500 people living below the poverty line in Oklahoma City, and 9.2% of them reside in communities of concentrated poverty.

High-poverty neighborhoods are often characterized by privation of amenities many Americans likely take for granted. For example, 1.2% of households in Oklahoma City's poorest neighborhoods lack plumbing, and fewer than 70% of area households have internet access.

All data used in this story are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey. We only considered census tracts, or neighborhoods, with at least 500 people and college or graduate school enrollment below 50%. Metro areas were also excluded if over 25% of the population in tracts or neighborhoods of concentrated poverty were college or university students.

Metro area with worst extreme povertyPoor residents in high-poverty neighborhoodsOverall poverty rateOverall poverty rate, statewideAlabama: Tuscaloosa16.7%18.2%16.7%Alaska: NoneN/AN/A10.7%Arizona: Phoenix9.9%13.6%15.1%Arkansas: Little Rock7.8%15.0%17.0%California: Fresno28.5%22.5%13.4%Colorado: Pueblo5.9%18.8%10.3%Connecticut: New Haven12.7%11.7%9.9%Delaware: NoneN/AN/A11.8%Florida: Tallahassee21.5%15.8%14.0%Georgia: Albany35.3%24.2%15.1%Hawaii: NoneN/AN/A9.4%Idaho: NoneN/AN/A13.1%Illinois: Danville20.6%18.9%12.5%Indiana: Muncie18.7%17.2%13.4%Iowa: Waterloo9.6%13.4%11.5%Kansas: Wichita5.7%13.0%12.0%Kentucky: Louisville11.2%12.3%17.3%Louisiana: Monroe49.5%24.2%19.2%Maine: Lewiston13.5%11.8%11.8%Maryland: Baltimore9.3%10.0%9.2%Massachusetts: Springfield23.4%14.8%10.3%Michigan: Flint32.4%18.9%14.4%Minnesota: Duluth7.9%13.0%9.7%Mississippi: Jackson21.3%16.9%20.3%Missouri: Cape Girardeau27.9%16.4%13.7%Montana: Great Falls19.8%13.3%13.1%Nebraska: Omaha3.8%10.3%11.1%Nevada: Las Vegas5.1%13.7%13.1%New Hampshire: Manchester2.9%7.8%7.6%New Jersey: Trenton21.3%11.7%10.0%New Mexico: Las Cruces26.1%26.3%19.1%New York: Buffalo27.4%14.0%14.1%North Carolina: Goldsboro12.5%20.2%14.7%North Dakota: NoneN/AN/A10.7%Ohio: Toledo26.0%16.0%14.0%Oklahoma: Oklahoma City9.2%13.7%15.7%Oregon: Medford2.3%15.5%13.2%Pennsylvania: Reading28.8%12.0%12.4%Rhode Island: Providence4.0%12.0%12.4%South Carolina: Columbia7.9%14.4%15.2%South Dakota: NoneN/AN/A13.1%Tennessee: Memphis24.6%17.5%15.2%Texas: Laredo46.4%27.5%14.7%Utah: NoneN/AN/A9.8%Vermont: NoneN/AN/A10.9%Virginia: Roanoke15.9%12.9%10.6%Washington: Yakima8.5%17.4%10.8%West Virginia: Huntington14.8%18.8%17.6%Wisconsin: Milwaukee17.4%13.1%11.3%Wyoming: NoneN/AN/A11.0%

The share of Americans under the age of 65 without health insurance fell every year between 2010, when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, and 2016, when President Barack Obama left office. Though the U.S. uninsured rate among Americans younger than 65 has inched up over the years since, it remains well below the reported 17%+ figures in the years leading up to the ACA.

Without a universal health care program, most Americans under age 65 -- the age of eligibility for Medicare -- receive employer-based health insurance coverage. Under this system, 10.8% of Americans younger than 65, approximately 29 million people, lacked health insurance in 2019 -- and that was before the COVID-19 pandemic put over 22 million Americans out of work.

While most of those jobs have since been restored, the official uninsured rate for Americans younger than 65 for 2020 will likely be higher than the 2019 rate.

In Oklahoma, an estimated 548,515 residents lack health insurance coverage -- or 16.8% of the under 65 noninstitutionalized population, the second highest uninsured rate among states.

Across the state, 54.8% of the population under age 65 have employer-based insurance, compared to 60.0% of the same age group nationwide. Another 18.7% of the under 65 population in the state are insured through Medicaid, and 9.3% purchased their own insurance directly -- compared to the national rates of 21.0% and 9.7%, respectively.

The rankings in this story are based on one-year estimates of the percentage of Americans under 65 without health insurance from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.

RankStatePop. under 65 w/o insurancePop. under 65 with employer-based insurancePop. under 65 with directly purchased insurancePop. under 65 with Medicaid50Massachusetts3.5%68.1%10.2%23.0%49Rhode Island4.8%66.8%11.7%21.6%48Hawaii5.0%66.9%9.9%19.5%47Vermont5.6%60.6%10.3%25.8%46Minnesota5.8%69.8%8.4%18.9%45Iowa6.0%67.6%8.5%21.3%44New York6.1%60.2%10.8%26.9%43Wisconsin6.8%69.5%8.8%17.6%41 -- tiedMaryland6.9%65.6%9.3%19.6%41 -- tiedMichigan6.9%63.7%8.9%23.8%39 -- tiedPennsylvania7.0%65.1%9.2%22.0%39 -- tiedConnecticut7.0%64.2%8.5%23.2%38New Hampshire7.6%68.8%9.1%14.6%36 -- tiedKentucky7.7%57.1%7.3%28.3%36 -- tiedWashington7.7%63.7%8.3%21.4%35Ohio7.8%64.4%7.3%22.2%33 -- tiedNorth Dakota8.1%68.3%13.6%12.4%33 -- tiedDelaware8.1%63.6%8.3%23.0%32West Virginia8.3%57.4%5.7%30.0%30 -- tiedOregon8.6%61.4%9.4%23.0%30 -- tiedIllinois8.6%64.9%8.3%19.7%29California8.9%56.9%10.4%26.4%28New Jersey9.2%66.4%8.7%17.4%26 -- tiedVirginia9.3%64.4%9.3%14.5%26 -- tiedColorado9.3%62.4%10.5%18.1%25Nebraska9.8%67.2%12.1%13.4%24Maine10.1%61.4%10.5%20.2%23Montana10.2%55.0%13.6%23.6%22Indiana10.3%64.4%7.8%19.1%21Louisiana10.5%50.9%8.4%31.6%20Utah10.8%68.8%12.5%9.8%18 -- tiedKansas10.9%66.4%10.1%14.3%18 -- tiedArkansas10.9%51.4%9.1%29.1%17Alabama11.7%58.2%9.7%20.8%15 -- tiedNew Mexico12.0%46.1%7.6%37.0%15 -- tiedMissouri12.0%63.3%9.3%15.6%14Tennessee12.1%58.4%9.6%21.0%13South Dakota12.2%61.8%12.8%14.2%12Idaho12.8%58.7%12.9%17.3%11South Carolina13.2%57.0%10.1%20.2%9 -- tiedNorth Carolina13.4%56.7%10.7%19.2%9 -- tiedNevada13.4%59.4%8.7%18.9%8Arizona13.6%56.2%8.5%22.8%7Alaska13.9%55.0%6.4%22.8%6Wyoming14.8%62.6%10.8%12.3%5Mississippi15.4%50.9%8.6%25.1%4Georgia15.5%58.1%9.2%17.5%3Florida16.3%51.4%14.2%18.1%2Oklahoma16.8%54.8%9.3%18.7%1Texas20.8%54.8%8.6%16.2%

After nearly two decades of combat, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan marks the end of the longest war in American history. Since 2001, nearly 2,500 American service members have been killed in the conflict -- in addition to tens of thousands of contractors, civilians, Afghan and allied military personnel.

The servicemen and servicewomen returning home will join the more than 17 million American military veterans living across the country. Over 20% of veterans served since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2021, the catalyst for the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Here is a look at the longest wars in history.

Nationwide, veterans account for 6.9% of the adult population. In Oklahoma, 261,559 residents, or 8.8% of the 18 and older population, are military veterans -- the 11th largest share among states. Of all veterans in the state, 25.3% served after Sept. 11 2001, 35.7% served during the Vietnam War era, and 1.9% are veterans of WWII.

The human toll of American military conflicts extends far beyond those killed or missing in action. Nationwide, about 30% of veterans have a disability of some kind. That share is even higher, at 41%, among those who served since September 2001. In Oklahoma, an estimated 37.3% of all veterans are living with a disability. Disabilities connected to military service typically include missing limbs, burns, spinal cord injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss, and traumatic brain injuries.

All data used in this story is from the U.S Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.

RankStateAdults who are veteransVeteran pop. who served since Sept. 11, 2001Veteran pop. from Vietnam War eraVeteran pop. from WWII eraVeteran pop. with a disability50New York4.3%16.9%35.6%3.5%28.3%49New Jersey4.4%14.9%36.8%3.3%28.8%48California4.8%21.8%36.1%2.7%30.2%47Massachusetts5.0%16.6%36.1%3.9%29.3%46Utah5.1%27.1%36.3%2.7%27.7%45Illinois5.3%17.9%36.9%2.8%29.5%44Connecticut5.5%16.8%35.9%3.3%27.3%43Rhode Island5.8%13.7%39.3%4.5%28.7%42Minnesota6.4%16.1%40.5%3.0%28.1%41Louisiana6.5%21.6%36.5%1.4%34.1%40Texas6.5%28.3%32.2%1.5%29.3%39Michigan6.6%14.4%38.2%2.4%31.4%38Mississippi6.8%25.6%34.7%1.8%32.7%37Vermont6.9%17.4%38.0%1.9%34.0%36Wisconsin6.9%18.1%36.8%2.6%28.3%35Pennsylvania7.0%16.0%36.7%2.9%29.6%34Indiana7.1%19.3%35.8%2.6%31.4%33Kentucky7.2%19.5%37.8%2.1%34.3%32Ohio7.3%17.6%36.2%2.7%28.7%31Maryland7.5%28.3%30.1%1.9%23.0%30Kansas7.5%20.9%37.2%2.3%32.5%29Iowa7.6%18.4%36.2%2.8%28.7%28Georgia7.6%25.3%31.3%1.2%29.1%27Nebraska7.7%22.3%36.1%2.4%30.0%26Oregon7.9%17.6%37.8%2.5%34.5%25North Carolina7.9%23.4%33.8%1.9%29.8%24Tennessee8.0%22.1%36.9%1.2%33.2%23North Dakota8.0%29.8%36.1%1.7%28.3%22Arkansas8.0%21.8%38.1%1.5%36.7%21Missouri8.1%19.7%37.1%2.0%33.1%20Florida8.2%19.3%37.0%2.3%30.1%19Colorado8.2%29.2%31.6%1.8%26.6%18Alabama8.4%24.3%35.6%1.1%33.3%17New Mexico8.4%20.1%39.7%2.1%33.9%16Hawaii8.5%28.6%34.4%1.9%28.4%15West Virginia8.5%16.7%38.5%1.8%37.0%14New Hampshire8.5%17.0%37.0%2.1%28.9%13Arizona8.5%21.2%38.5%1.7%31.1%12South Dakota8.6%21.9%36.7%2.7%34.3%11Oklahoma8.8%25.3%35.7%1.9%37.3%10South Carolina8.9%21.4%36.6%1.3%30.0%9Washington8.9%24.6%35.8%1.8%29.6%8Maine8.9%16.7%40.3%2.5%32.5%7Nevada8.9%23.3%34.5%1.6%28.2%6Delaware8.9%16.0%39.5%2.2%30.0%5Idaho9.1%19.1%37.6%1.6%33.1%4Wyoming9.4%22.5%36.3%0.2%29.1%3Virginia10.0%33.1%29.8%1.4%22.4%2Montana10.3%22.6%36.9%1.6%30.6%1Alaska10.7%35.0%30.2%1.0%24.1%

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma counties have yet to see the fruits of two state questions approved in 2016 that would reclassify some crimes and expand mental health treatment access.

State Question 780 reclassified simple drug possession and low-level property crimes to misdemeanors, making them punishable by fines or jail days instead of prison time. The premise is to treat addiction as a health condition, allowing people who battle an addiction to be treated like patients instead of prisoners.

"Research shows people who engage in low-level property crime often do so to survive or to feed an addiction," Kris Steele, executive director of The Education and Employment Ministry (TEEM), told The Center Square. "Addressing root causes of anti-social activities reduces criminal activity, increases public safety and creates healthier communities."

State Question 781 builds on that by diverting the funds that would have been used to hold a 780 individual in prison to substance abuse treatment services and mental health care. Steele said even though the state's prison population has decreased from 112% capacity to 88% capacity since 2017, results from 781 funding have not been seen because the legislature has not reinvested the savings.

"Studies by independent bodies have shown anywhere from $10 [million to] $12 million per year in savings accrued as a result of the passage of SQ780," Colleen McCarty, deputy director at Oklahoma Justice Reform, told The Center Square. "The Oklahoma legislature is responsible for making these allocations to the County Community Safety Investment Fund. To date, since 2017, it has not made an allocation."

Instead, lawmakers have directed money to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, citing concerns that counties would not be able to provide adequate services, and ambiguity around how much should be allocated to the Community Safety Investment Fund.

Lack of aid in counties has meant that those who end up in the county jail with mental health or substance abuse issues will be treated by law enforcement rather than receive adequate mental health care.

"The intent of SQ781 is that counties can assess their own needs and means of local control," McCarty said. "If one county has a big meth problem, they should be able to apply funds toward evidence-based treatment for meth addiction. Others may see more prevalent issues with depression and may need to invest in bringing therapists and psychiatrists to their region. The statute was left vague so that the decision-makers on the ground can make the best choices for their populations."

McCarty said that any and all types of mental health care are needed in the criminal justice system. Many people in the system have Complex-PTSD, childhood trauma, and would benefit from ongoing therapy. Others have serious mental health diagnoses that need ongoing supervision and medications.

"There is a significant need (both inside and outside the correctional system) for increased trauma care, appropriate levels of substance abuse treatment, mental health care, and prosocial activities," Steele said. "The expectation for 781 is for counties to have buy-in and responsibility for establishing their substance abuse services and mental health care priorities. It is my hope the legislature will follow the will of the people and reinvest the savings achieved from 780 and enhance access to treatment and mental health services for all Oklahomans."

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma business owners say filling job openings remains a major concern even as national optimism in the economy is trickling upward.

“Our members say problems with the supply chain and filling jobs are making it harder for them to recover from the slowdown that began a year and a half ago,” NFIB Oklahoma Director Jerrod Shouse said in a statement.

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased to 100.1 in August, up 0.4 percentage points from July, NFIB reported Tuesday. Five of 10 index components improved, four worsened, and one remained unchanged, according to NFIB. NFIB's Uncertainty Index dropped seven points to 69, its lowest level since January 2016, NFIB reported.

“As the economy moves into the fourth quarter, small business owners are losing confidence in the strength of future business conditions,” NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a statement. “The biggest problems facing small employers right now is finding enough labor to meet their demand and for many, managing supply chain disruptions.”

According to the national survey of small businesses, 50% of owners reported trouble filling job openings. That's an increase of one percentage point from July and a 48-year high for the second consecutive month, according to NFIB.

Also, the number of owners "expecting better business conditions over the next six months decreased by eight points to a net negative 28%. This indicator has declined 16 points over the past two months to its lowest reading since January 2013," NFIB reported.

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma's Indian gaming industry paid a record $167 million in exclusivity fees to the state over the last fiscal year.

"The Indian gaming industry makes up a small part of the total Oklahoma budget," said Matthew Morgan, chairman of Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. "Indian tribes, though, make up a large portion of economic activity in Oklahoma, especially in the rural parts of Oklahoma that sometimes struggle with their economic development."

The state's 132 Indian gaming establishments were shuttered within days of each other in March 2020 as the severity of the coronavirus pandemic began to set in. Federal stimulus funds were essential to helping them reopen and stay afloat, but the facilities did their part as well.

"The gaming industry in Oklahoma, the tribal governmental gaming industry has been strong for decades now in Oklahoma," Morgan said. "Through the pandemic, I think the tribal leaders and operators, regulatory bodies working together with their health systems put together a robust reopening plan that patrons felt very comfortable with. That is shown through the numbers on the exclusivity fees that were sent to the state."

The total of exclusivity fees paid to the state in the last fiscal year, during the height of the pandemic, far exceeded the previous record of $148 million.

"I think a lot of that though is credit to the tribes and their operations," Morgan said. "But you also have to remember Oklahoma is a state of only four million people so it also shows the out-of-state visitors that the tribes are pulling into Oklahoma to frequent their properties. That probably makes up a large portion of their numbers."

Oklahoma's gaming industry falls behind Las Vegas and California.

"So tribes, in general, are very important to the economy of the state of Oklahoma," Morgan said. "As tribes are doing well, the state does well. In a way, they're tied at the hip."

(The Center Square) – Twenty-seven Republican governors or attorneys general have vowed to fight the latest executive order issued by President Joe Biden mandating that over 80 million private employees receive COVID vaccinations or undergo weekly testing, or their employer will be fined.

The executive order directs the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to require private businesses with more than 100 employees mandate that their workers receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine or undergo weekly testing. Noncompliance would result in fines of $14,000 per violation.

The governors who’ve expressed opposition include those from Arizona, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Republican attorneys general from states with Democratic governors who also vowed to fight include Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Louisiana AG Jeff Landry.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with whom Biden has sparred over mask mandates and vaccine passports, said Florida would fight back.

“When you have a president like Biden issuing unconstitutional edicts against the American people, we have a responsibility to stand up for the Constitution and to fight back, and we are doing that in the state of Florida,” he said. “This is a president who has acknowledged in the past he does not have the authority to force this on anybody, and this order would result potentially in millions of Americans losing their jobs.”

Texas, which is already embroiled in several lawsuits with the Biden administration, vowed to sue. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said after hearing Biden’s announcement that “Texas is already working to halt this power grab” and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Texas would be suing the Biden administration “very soon.”

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said, “OSHA cannot dictate personal health care decisions for Missourians. Missouri is not under an OSHA state plan, and Parson will not allow state employees to be used to enforce this unconstitutional action.”

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster vowed to fight Biden, saying, “The American Dream has turned into a nightmare under President Biden and the radical Democrats. They have declared war against capitalism, thumbed their noses at the Constitution, and empowered our enemies abroad. Rest assured, we will fight them to the gates of hell to protect the liberty and livelihood of every South Carolinian.”

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said, “Governors don’t report to Joe Biden. Governors don’t report to the federal government, the states created the federal government, and Joe Biden has stepped out of his reach,” Ducey said. “These mandates are outrageous. They will never stand up in court. We must and will push back.”

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita indicated he was working with a group of AGs to file a lawsuit. “My team and I, along with other like-minded attorneys general, are reviewing all legal action on how to stand against these authoritarian actions by the Biden administration,” he said in a statement.

The Republican National Committee also announced it was suing “to protect Americans and their liberties” if the proposed rule change were to go into effect.

In response to Republican pushback, White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond, a former Democratic congressman from Louisiana, told CNN the White House expected the opposition.

He said, “… those governors that stand in the way, I think, it was very clear from the president’s tone today that he will run over them. And it is important. It’s not for political purposes. It’s to save the lives of American people. And so, we won’t let one or two individuals stand in the way. We will always err on the side of protecting the American people.”

College enrollment has declined steadily in the United States in recent years. With rising tuition costs and surging student debt, enrollment has fallen by an average of nearly 2% a year since 2010. While four years of higher education may not be for everyone, Americans without a bachelor's degree tend to be far more limited in their career opportunities, job security, and earning potential.

Nationwide, an estimated 33.1% of American adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher. Educational attainment rates vary considerably across the country, however, and in nearly every state, there is at least one metro area where the share of adults with a bachelor's degree is well below the national average.

In the Lawton metro area, located in Oklahoma, only 20.5% of the adult population have a bachelor's degree, the smallest share of any metro area in the state. Meanwhile, across Oklahoma, 26.2% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher.

The average weekly wage for a college-educated worker in the United States is about 67% higher than it is for those with no more than a high school diploma -- and in places with lower educational attainment, incomes also tend to be lower than average. In the Lawton metro area, the typical household earns $51,332 per year, less than the median household income across Oklahoma of $54,449.

All data in this story are one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.

Least educated metro areaAdults with a bachelor's degree (%)Adults with a bachelor's degree, statewide (%)Median household income ($)Median household income, statewide ($)Alabama: Gadsden17.226.341,44751,734Alaska: Anchorage33.130.280,67675,463Arizona: Lake Havasu City-Kingman13.530.250,17962,055Arkansas: Pine Bluff16.423.341,54148,952California: Visalia13.635.057,69280,440Colorado: Pueblo23.442.751,27677,127Connecticut: Norwich-New London33.339.875,63378,833Delaware: Dover24.533.258,00170,176Florida: Sebring-Avon Park16.730.748,69859,227Georgia: Dalton15.032.551,96761,980Hawaii: Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina27.733.680,75483,102Idaho: Twin Falls20.028.756,66760,999Illinois: Danville12.135.843,11169,187Indiana: Michigan City-La Porte18.026.956,01957,603Iowa: Sioux City22.629.360,13261,691Kansas: Topeka29.134.059,56762,087Kentucky: Elizabethtown-Fort Knox21.425.155,24652,295Louisiana: Houma-Thibodaux16.325.049,87451,073Maine: Lewiston-Auburn25.133.263,81358,924Maryland: Cumberland19.140.949,72986,738Massachusetts: Pittsfield33.945.058,89585,843Michigan: Battle Creek20.230.049,05559,584Minnesota: St. Cloud26.637.366,07674,593Mississippi: Gulfport-Biloxi22.722.350,64245,792Missouri: St. Joseph20.030.250,42557,409Montana: Great Falls25.633.651,22757,153Nebraska: Grand Island21.033.255,90763,229Nevada: Carson City21.325.757,27063,276New Hampshire: Manchester-Nashua37.837.683,62677,933New Jersey: Vineland-Bridgeton16.141.254,58785,751New Mexico: Farmington14.427.744,32151,945New York: Watertown-Fort Drum22.437.853,91772,108North Carolina: Rocky Mount17.432.346,46657,341North Dakota: Bismarck33.430.470,97964,577Ohio: Springfield16.229.350,12858,642Oklahoma: Lawton20.526.251,33254,449Oregon: Grants Pass16.834.547,57367,058Pennsylvania: Johnstown20.632.349,07663,463Rhode Island: Providence-Warwick33.234.870,96771,169South Carolina: Sumter20.129.649,26356,227South Dakota: Rapid City30.829.758,36159,533Tennessee: Morristown19.328.747,32656,071Texas: Odessa15.130.867,20564,034Utah: St. George27.334.863,59575,780Vermont: Burlington-South Burlington44.638.774,90963,001Virginia: Staunton24.239.657,84476,456Washington: Longview15.337.055,49778,687West Virginia: Weirton-Steubenville17.521.149,51048,850Wisconsin: Janesville-Beloit23.231.361,24364,168Wyoming: Casper20.729.165,03465,003

From terror attacks to natural disasters, U.S. history is replete with examples of Americans of different backgrounds unifying in the face of hardship. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic will not likely be remembered as such an occasion. The virus, which originated in China, ushered in a surge of violence directed at Asian Americans at a time when hate crimes were already at their highest level in over a decade.

According to the FBI, hate crimes are those motivated by prejudice and committed against victims based on their race, color, religion, or national origin, as well as based on biases of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or gender.

In Oklahoma, there were 30 hate crimes reported in 2019, or 0.8 for every 100,000 people – the 10th lowest hate crime rate among states. Meanwhile, there were 8,559 incidents nationwide, or 2.6 for every 100,000 people. Of all reported incidents of hate in the state, 50.0% were motivated by race, ethnicity, or ancestry, 17.9% were motivated by religion, and 17.9% were motivated by sexual orientation.

Hate crime reporting in Oklahoma is more comprehensive than it is across much of the country. There are 438 agencies in the state that track and report hate crime data, covering 99.7% of the population. Nationwide, 93.0% of the population are covered by agencies tracking and reporting hate crimes.

All data used in this story is from the FBI's Uniform Crime Report. States were ranked based on the number of reported hate crimes per 100,000 residents in 2019. It is important to note that reporting practices and standards related to hate crimes vary by state, and in many parts of the country, reported hate crime figures may not be an accurate reflection of the true prevalence of hate crimes.

RankStateHate crimes per 100,000 people; 2019Total hate crimes; 2019Participating agencies reporting hate crimesPop. covered by agencies reporting hate crimes (%)1Washington8.766425399.62Massachusetts6.444136098.33Vermont5.937891004New Jersey5.447855697.35Michigan5.049563899.86Oregon4.920520496.27Colorado4.525722199.18Kentucky4.017941099.89Ohio3.742855183.210Hawaii3.651168.911Arizona3.52549287.912Kansas3.49937789.613Montana3.33510398.814New York3.261855897.415California3.11,22173710016New Mexico3.0632339.117Nebraska2.95713093.718Delaware2.8276310019North Dakota2.62010910020Connecticut2.48610294.621South Dakota2.42112895.922North Carolina2.424833283.323Alaska2.3173399.524Tennessee2.215246510025Minnesota2.212337998.126Virginia2.218541510027Idaho2.13810699.728West Virginia2.03624087.929Rhode Island2.0214899.930Texas1.95601,05999.631Maine1.82413410032Missouri1.710657199.033Nevada1.7534899.734South Carolina1.68240598.735Wisconsin1.48343799.836Indiana1.38721454.137New Hampshire1.31718896.638Georgia1.212349587.539Utah1.13412196.040Wyoming1.065588.641Oklahoma0.83043899.742Illinois0.79572895.743Louisiana0.73313776.144Florida0.613163897.345Mississippi0.5154229.646Iowa0.41324699.447Pennsylvania0.4501,42498.348Arkansas0.31027893.249Maryland0.31815310050Alabama0.0021.7

(The Center Square) – The number of suicide deaths in Oklahoma was greater than the national average in 2020, and there is still much work to be done, according to mental health professionals.

The Oklahoma Watch study shows a 62% increase in Oklahoma suicides since 2006.

"There are multiple factors that may contribute to increased risk," Jeffrey Dismukes, director of communications at Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, told The Center Square.

"Some of the more important protective factors to reduce that risk, such as connectivity and supportive relationships, access to care, are things that were disrupted for many over the past year. There have been other challenges that likely are beyond what many of us have ever experienced or expected to experience."

In addition to the financial, physical and emotional stressors of the pandemic, Oklahoma is home to many Native Americans, who have the highest suicide rate of any racial group in the country, according to Oklahoma Watch. Suicide rates are also higher in rural counties where access to care is limited.

The National Survey of Children's Health reveals that Oklahoma's children are the most traumatized in the nation. Children of incarcerated parents are at increased risk for suicide, and Oklahoma's incarceration rate is high. Still other groups, including veterans and victims of abuse, are also in high-risk categories.

For survivors and families, staying active in treatment and taking advantage of the various groups and community resources is important.

"it is so important for all of us to stay engaged, find ways to create that connection with others, and reach out for help and support," Dismukes said.

"For those who are hurting, whatever the reason, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is an incredible resource for anyone experiencing crisis. Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). The phone is answered around the clock, seven days a week. It is free. It is confidential, and they can link you to a host of resources beyond just treatment services. Food, bills, housing ... they can help and they care."