Retirement may mark the end of a career, but it's also the start of a new chapter of adulthood. Ideally, as retirees, people have fewer responsibilities and more opportunities for fulfilling activities.

Most people have an idea of when they will retire. Where to retire, however, may be a more complex decision to make.

Oklahoma ranks as the 23rd best state for a physically and socially active retirement.

States that have relatively large 65 and older populations are likely to also have plenty of retirement homes and communities. In Oklahoma, 16.1% of the population is 65 or older, the 12th lowest share in the U.S.

Plenty of hours of full sun during the day, nice weather year-round, and plenty of recreational sites such as national parks can help support an active lifestyle. There is an average of 4 hours 45 minutes of peak sunlight a day in Oklahoma, the 12th highest in the country. The National Parks Service manages a total of 3 parks, historic sites, and monuments in the state.

Volunteering can have a major impact on well-being, especially for older individuals. About 33.0% of Oklahoma residents 65 and older volunteer several times a year. This is the 18th highest share in the U.S., and compares to 28.0% of older adults nationwide.

To rank the best and worst states for people who want to stay active, both physically and socially, in retirement, 24/7 Tempo used data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We created an index of more than 20 measures of retirement-friendliness, representing four categories -- environment, health-related factors, social support, and demographics. These are the best and worst states for retirees.

RankStateShare of population 65+NPS sitesAverage peak sun time per dayAdults who volunteer1Florida20.9%115 hours 10 minutes20.3%2Maine21.3%43 hours 46 minutes33.7%3Delaware19.5%14 hours 23 minutes32.0%4West Virginia20.5%64 hours 4 minutes31.0%5South Carolina18.2%74 hours 49 minutes31.9%6Hawaii19.0%8N/A20.5%7South Dakota17.4%64 hours 12 minutes36.8%8Montana19.5%84 hours 6 minutes35.1%9Iowa17.5%24 hours 5 minutes36.9%10Vermont20.1%23 hours 45 minutes33.6%11Alabama17.4%94 hours 43 minutes25.4%12Wyoming17.1%74 hours 31 minutes32.6%13Arkansas17.4%74 hours 35 minutes28.9%14Mississippi16.4%84 hours 44 minutes20.2%15Pennsylvania18.7%193 hours 56 minutes32.8%16Arizona18.0%225 hours 27 minutes25.0%17Kansas16.4%54 hours 37 minutes36.0%18New Mexico18.0%155 hours 20 minutes30.5%19North Carolina16.7%104 hours 35 minutes32.7%20Rhode Island17.7%24 hours 11 minutes28.4%21Nebraska16.1%54 hours 23 minutes35.5%22New Jersey16.6%94 hours 14 minutes21.9%23Oklahoma16.1%34 hours 45 minutes33.0%24Missouri17.2%64 hours 20 minutes26.7%25New Hampshire18.6%23 hours 53 minutes32.3%26Kentucky16.9%54 hours 14 minutes18.9%27Tennessee16.7%124 hours 23 minutes27.6%28North Dakota15.8%34 hours 2 minutes38.7%29Oregon18.2%54 hours 29 minutes36.5%30Ohio17.5%84 hours 3 minutes30.3%31Connecticut17.6%24 hours 8 minutes30.7%32Virginia15.9%224 hours 24 minutes33.5%33Wisconsin17.5%23 hours 56 minutes37.1%34Louisiana16.0%54 hours 53 minutes22.0%35Massachusetts17.0%154 hours 6 minutes30.1%36Maryland15.9%184 hours 17 minutes38.2%37Minnesota16.3%53 hours 54 minutes43.3%38Indiana16.1%34 hours 7 minutes35.2%39Michigan17.7%53 hours 58 minutes26.1%40Illinois16.1%24 hours 10 minutes27.8%41California14.8%285 hours 21 minutes23.3%42Georgia14.3%114 hours 48 minutes19.7%43Colorado14.7%134 hours 50 minutes31.7%44Nevada16.2%45 hours 1 minutes24.1%45Washington15.9%154 hours 4 minutes36.8%46New York16.9%243 hours 52 minutes22.2%47Idaho16.2%74 hours 26 minutes30.5%48Texas12.9%145 hours 6 minutes27.5%49Alaska12.4%24N/A35.0%50Utah11.4%134 hours 52 minutes44.6%

(The Center Square) – People who own electric vehicles will likely have to pay a new tax to help support the state's transportation infrastructure.

The Oklahoma Senate approved the Driving on Road Infrastructure with Vehicles of Electricity Act of 2021. The DRIVE Act, House Bill 2234, helps to ensure that electric vehicle owners contribute to the state's transportation infrastructure just like traditional gasoline-based vehicle owners. The law would create a registration fee and a public-recharging tax.

“EV advocates, industry, and the policy community locally have opposed these in the past, but the consensus among most of us this year was that we needed to settle the issue so we can move on to other conversations to move the needle on EVs in a more positive way," Adriane Jaynes, coordinator for Tulsa Area Clean Cities, told The Center Square.

One version or another of this bill has been presented to the legislature for the past four years. Through this session, legislators expressed their intention that this is a fair tax, simply a way for EV drivers to pay into road maintenance.

“Significant improvements were made to HB 2234 via a companion bill, SB 600, which passed this week," Eric Pollard, of Central Oklahoma Clean Cities, said. "Key amendments included in SB 600 are exemption for all chargers capable of charging at 50kW or less, free charging is exempt, and charging providers are given more flexibly in how they collect and remit the tax.”

Jaynes and Pollard lead the Oklahoma EV Coalition, a statewide working group of entities with an interest in transportation electrification.

The Oklahoma EV Coalition said there are two tax mechanisms at work in the DRIVE Act – the annual registration fee and the tax at public charges. Oklahomans can deduct the tax they pay at in-state chargers on their income taxes to avoid double taxation. The legislative intent was for out-of-state EV drivers to pay the charger tax, just as they would the gas tax. Oklahomans will pay via the annual registration fee.

“Oklahoma has had a tax incentive for public charging for years," Jaynes said. "We have one of the best EV charging networks in the country with fast EV charging approximately every 50 miles on our highways and interstates. By our count late last year, Oklahoma has more fast charging per capita than all but one other state.”

(The Center Square) – Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday signed three bills further regulating abortions in Oklahoma.

One will prohibit abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. It becomes law in November.

Another requires physicians who perform abortions to be certified in obstetrics and gynecology. And a third revokes a physician's license for one year if they perform an illegal abortion, with an exception to prevent the death of a mother.

“I'm keeping my promise to sign all pro-life legislation," Stitt wrote on Twitter. "We now have three more laws protecting the lives of the unborn.”

The 465 commercial casinos operating in the United States at the end of 2019 reported a combined revenue of $43.6 billion -- an all-time high. Gambling in the United States is by no means limited to casinos, either. All but six states had lottery games in 2019, and lottery ticket sales totalled $81.6 billion that year.

Between both lotteries and commercial casinos, Americans and tourists spent $125.2 billion on gambling in 2019 -- or about $491 for every adult in the country. Of course, gambling laws, which can restrict gambling opportunities, vary by state, as does interest in gambling. And residents of some states spend far more on lottery tickets and at casinos than others.

Oklahoma is one of many states in which both lotteries and commercial casinos are legal. Many casinos in the state benefit from being located near the Texas border, as the Lone Star State does not allow casinos. Oklahoma boasts the third most electronic gaming devices of any state, trailing only Nevada and California. Casino spending in the state totalled $140.9 million in 2019.

The first state lottery ticket was sold in Oklahoma in 2005, and in 2019, the state lottery reported $242.0 million in ticket sales. Spending on lotteries and at casinos in the state, however, totals $127 a year per adult, the lowest such per capita spending rate of any state -- excluding those without commercial casinos.

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Gaming Association, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states spending the most and least on gambling. States were ranked based on total spending on lottery tickets and in commercial casino gaming per adult 18 years and over in 2019. Gaming revenue refers to the amount earned by commercial casinos after winnings have been paid out to patrons.

Exactly what constitutes commercial casino revenue can vary by state. See the AGA report for a full methodological explanation.It is important to note that while there were 524 tribal casinos in the United States in 2019, these institutions are subject to different regulations than commercial casinos, and revenue from these establishments were not included in this story. Click here to see how much people spend on the lottery in every state.

RankStateLottery and casino spending per adult; 2019 ($)Lottery ticket sales per adult ($)Commercial casino consumer spending per adult ($)1Nevada5,035N/A5,0352Rhode Island1,5948137813Delaware1,3707845864Massachusetts1,1219911305New Jersey9724735006Mississippi966N/A9667West Virginia8804404408Maryland8394663739Louisiana83714769010Iowa77216161111New York75057317712Pennsylvania74341033313Indiana67824343514Missouri65829536315Michigan63544918516Ohio55734421317Georgia525525N/A18Connecticut470470N/A19South Carolina456456N/A20Illinois43930213721South Dakota43126616522Florida4253923323Arkansas40622218424Maine40527313225New Hampshire332332N/A26Oregon326326N/A27North Carolina325325N/A28Colorado32514018529Virginia324324N/A30Kentucky307307N/A31Kansas30211418832Tennessee289289N/A33Texas274274N/A34Vermont273273N/A35California241241N/A36New Mexico2398815037Idaho199199N/A38Arizona178178N/A39Wisconsin149149N/A40Minnesota147147N/A41Washington135135N/A42Oklahoma127814743Nebraska123123N/A44Montana7676N/A45Wyoming6868N/A46North Dakota5858N/A47Alabama-N/AN/A48Alaska-N/AN/A49Hawaii-N/AN/A50Utah-N/AN/A

The U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to an education. Though the federal government has set some academic standards, education policy is set largely at the state and local levels. State governments have authority over public school curriculums, teaching methods, instructional materials, and, in conjunction with local districts, teacher pay.

Without national compensation standards, average salaries for teachers across the country vary considerably. Depending on the state, the average teacher salary varies from as little as $45,300 to more than $85,000. The disparity in average teacher salary is less stark after adjusting for cost of living, yet it is still substantial, with a nearly $25,000 difference between the state with the highest average and the state with the lowest.

Using data on elementary, middle, and high school pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 24/7 Wall St. calculated the average teacher salary in each state. Nationwide, the average annual salary for teachers stands at $65,977.

In Oklahoma, the average teacher salary is $49,175 per year, or $55,469 when accounting for the state's lower than average cost of living. Of all 50 states, Oklahoma has the ninth lowest adjusted average teacher salary. The average salary across all occupations in Oklahoma is $47,340, or $53,400 after adjusting for cost of living -- 18th lowest among states.

Teacher compensation accounts for a large portion of annual education spending, and partially as a result, the states paying their teachers the least also tend to be those spending less overall on education on a per student basis, and vice versa, though there are some exceptions. In Oklahoma, annual per pupil school spending amounts to $8,239 per year compared to the national average of $12,612.

While the relationship between education spending and student performance is complicated, some research suggests that greater spending leads to better outcomes. In Oklahoma, the high school graduation rate stands at 82.1%, compared to the 85.3% graduation rate nationwide.

24/7 Wall St. used teacher salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2020 Occupational Employment Statistics program. The calculation is based on the weighted average annual salary among elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, and secondary school teachers. We weighted the average salaries across the three teacher job types using data on total employment in each of the categories from the BLS May 2020 OES, and then adjusted the average annual salary for cost of living using 2019 regional price parity from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Special education and career or technical education teachers were excluded from the analysis.

Supplemental data on average per-pupil expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools in fiscal 2018 came from the Census Bureau's 2018 Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Data on the public high school four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate came from the National Center for Education Statistics and is for the 2017-18 school year. The ACGR measures the percentage of public school students who attain a regular high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade. The cohort is adjusted by adding students who transfer in during those four years and by subtracting students who transfer out. See how each state ranks in teacher pay.

Rank:State:Cost of living adj. avg. teacher salary:Cost of living adj. avg. salary for all occupations:Avg. annual per-pupil school spending:Public high school graduation rate:1Connecticut$75,493$62,178$20,63580.8%2Massachusetts$75,357$62,729$17,05887.1%3Rhode Island$73,410$59,457$16,12185.9%4Ohio$72,742$57,485$13,02788.1%5New York$72,722$56,790$24,04073.9%6Virginia$72,076$59,378$12,21685.1%7Alaska$72,019$58,610$17,72690.0%8Maryland$71,838$58,712$14,76286.7%9Pennsylvania$71,590$55,569$16,39578.7%10California$71,347$54,959$12,49889.2%11Illinois$71,242$59,580$15,74180.7%12Michigan$70,941$57,501$12,34587.8%13Oregon$69,748$55,629$11,92081.8%14Washington$69,180$61,253$12,99587.5%15Nebraska$68,816$55,537$12,49186.4%16Delaware$66,879$57,040$15,63988.4%17Utah$65,702$53,230$7,62890.0%18Georgia$65,586$55,472$10,81086.3%19Wyoming$65,016$54,865$16,22489.7%20Minnesota$64,767$59,894$12,97580.6%21Wisconsin$63,873$55,401$12,28590.2%22New Jersey$63,467$53,500$20,02188.8%23North Dakota$63,041$58,062$13,75886.3%24New Mexico$62,941$54,069$9,58290.9%25Iowa$62,487$54,701$11,73288.1%26Vermont$62,110$51,764$19,34087.0%27Kansas$61,365$53,860$11,65391.4%28Kentucky$60,818$51,796$11,11087.2%29Indiana$60,184$54,147$10,26286.5%30Alabama$59,579$53,491$9,69685.3%31Tennessee$59,467$52,426$9,54484.1%32Nevada$59,336$51,669$9,41788.7%33Texas$59,242$54,234$9,60690.0%34Arkansas$58,801$51,631$10,13978.7%35Florida$58,675$49,520$9,34668.5%36South Carolina$58,024$50,160$10,85684.0%37New Hampshire$57,311$53,043$16,89383.2%38Louisiana$56,780$52,082$11,45290.3%39Missouri$56,494$55,806$10,81084.0%40Maine$56,325$51,579$14,14581.4%41Colorado$55,595$59,684$10,20283.0%42Oklahoma$55,469$53,400$8,23982.1%43Idaho$55,442$50,450$7,77184.5%44Montana$55,293$50,343$11,68089.2%45West Virginia$55,002$51,234$11,33486.7%46North Carolina$54,991$55,244$9,37782.3%47Hawaii$52,876$46,959$15,24281.6%48Mississippi$52,342$48,090$8,93583.2%49Arizona$51,181$55,376$8,23978.5%50South Dakota$50,840$50,445$10,07381.0%

Americans paid in 2019 more than $3.5 trillion in taxes. Nearly half of all tax returns filed by individuals, corporations, and estates received a refund.

Altogether, the Internal Revenue Service issued nearly 122 million refunds totaling $452.1 billion, or $3,709 per refund. There are a number of variables that affect the amount that is refunded, one of which is location. The average refund can vary by state from under $2,500 to more than $8,700.

For the fiscal year 2019, the average tax refund for Oklahoma was $3,327. This ranks as the 12th highest among all 50 states and is lower than the average refund amount of $3,709 nationwide. This figure includes not just personal income tax returns, but also corporate taxes, estate taxes, and more.

Nationwide, the IRS collected $10,860 per person in 2019, but in Oklahoma, IRS collections per capita were lower, at $7,363. Nationwide, 48.2% of tax returns filed received a refund. But in Oklahoma, 48.3% of returns received a refund, which ranked 25th fewest among all states.

To determine the average tax refund in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on tax refunds from the IRS. States were ranked based on the average tax refund amount issued in the 2019 fiscal year, which includes refunds for individuals, corporate taxes, estate taxes, and more. This is how each state ranks in average tax refunds.

RankStateAverage refund ($)Median household income ($)IRS collections per capita ($)1Delaware8,76670,17620,6152New Jersey4,50285,75115,7913Connecticut4,01878,83316,0144Illinois3,72469,18712,8065Texas3,68464,03410,0826Nebraska3,65263,22913,2097Minnesota3,57174,59318,2008New York3,49572,10815,6789Massachusetts3,47885,84317,41510Washington3,35178,68713,21211Louisiana3,34951,0738,48212Oklahoma3,32754,4497,36313Kansas3,29162,0879,04114Florida3,23459,2279,77915Alabama3,20451,7345,40716Georgia3,16261,9808,88217Wyoming3,13665,0038,19718Alaska3,12275,4637,37519Tennessee3,11156,07110,21620California3,09480,44011,94621Mississippi3,08745,7923,78822Arkansas3,08148,95210,13123Nevada3,07063,2767,71724Colorado3,06777,12710,41225Pennsylvania3,05563,46311,09026South Dakota3,04159,5339,07627Arizona3,00062,0556,55928Maryland2,97986,73812,98029Michigan2,96659,5848,16930Virginia2,94076,4569,79131Missouri2,92757,40910,45232Iowa2,92261,6917,89733Utah2,91675,7807,59134North Dakota2,84064,5778,71335North Carolina2,83057,3418,36936Ohio2,82758,6421,237937Indiana2,81757,6039,00638West Virginia2,80848,8503,92839Hawaii2,79283,1026,53040Kentucky2,75152,2957,96741New Mexico2,72551,9454,42142New Hampshire2,69477,9338,97943Idaho2,66960,9996,34744South Carolina2,66056,2275,41645Wisconsin2,65564,1689,08146Rhode Island2,60571,16913,52347Vermont2,58363,0017,22048Oregon2,53767,0588,30849Maine2,48258,9246,04950Montana2,45957,1535,948

(The Center Square) – The March jobs report lends optimism to a workforce and an economy that has been through the wringer because of the pandemic in Oklahoma, and nationally.

Several factors, including increased consumer spending, relaxed restrictions on dining and entertainment and the race to vaccinate contribute to a brightening trend and hopeful outlook. The transportation industry has seen increasing numbers of people traveling through airports, though not yet what pre-pandemic levels were.

All of these signs point to employers looking to fill more permanent jobs, and Oklahoma is no exception.

"Oklahoma has been fortunate because compared to other states, our economy has generally been allowed to remain open and operating," Jerrod Shouse, Oklahoma state director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), told The Center Square. "Small business owners have not been exposed to the same state government mandates and shutdowns we've seen elsewhere, and many have been able to retain their employees and keep Oklahoma’s economy going."

Shouse said the results of an NFIB survey show that 42% of small business owners reported job openings they couldn’t fill. The industry that has the most potential for an increase in available jobs is the construction industry, and more than half, 55%, of construction firms reported few or no qualified applicants, Shouse said.

The restaurant and entertainment industries, hit most hard by the restrictions of the pandemic, are least likely to see employment gains, he added.

"Small businesses are the backbone of Oklahoma’s economy," Shouse said. "They are the entrepreneurs and the job creators, and when the small business sector does well, the entire state does well. And not only do small business owners create jobs, but they actively support and give back to their local communities."

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's signing of two bills will bring significant change to funding the state's education system.

House Bill 2078 modernizes the education funding formula by basing per-pupil funding on the most recent enrollment data. According to Aaron Cooper, deputy chief of staff for Oklahoma state Senate, the previous system gave school districts multiple enrollment figures from which to base its funding, causing some districts to receive state funds for students who are no longer enrolled.

Senate Bill 783 amends the Education Open Transfer Act to allow students the ability to transfer to another school district at any time, provided the district has space available.

"This legislation offers some of the most important education reforms we’ve seen in a decade and recognizes we need to provide needed flexibility for students and families," John Tidwell, Americans For Prosperity Oklahoma director, told The Center Square. "Education isn't one-size-fits-all, and these historic measures ensure Oklahoma students and families can receive an education that fits their unique needs."

Tidwell said this law empowers families to learn based on their needs, not their ZIP code.

“Republicans recognize and understand the importance of public education, which is why we’ve made historic investments to raise teacher pay and increase classroom funding," Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said. "These measures are solid educational reforms that build upon our investments and work in concert as part of the goal to make sure Oklahoma students are afforded the chance at a quality education.”

Changes are slated to take effect in the 2022-2023 academic year.

"By reforming the way we fund our schools, we're ensuring that taxpayer dollars are being used as intended and meeting the needs of students in real-time, not three years from now," Tidwell said.

Tidwell said school districts will benefit from a modernized funding formula that meets its needs in a timely and more efficient way. When a student transfers school districts, funding will more quickly follow that student.

"This is a big win for education freedom," Tidwell said. "Regardless of where you live in the state, families are empowered to choose the school that best fits their needs."

State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister told The Oklahoman the change could negatively impact rural school districts. Adjusting the funding formula could be a weak point for school districts that are struggling to keep students during the pandemic. Overall, districts will benefit or suffer depending on whether their enrollment is increasing or decreasing.

Others in opposition to the bills included the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools, United Suburban Schools Association, Parent Legislative Action Committee and Oklahoma Education Association.

(The Center Square) – Tribes in Oklahoma are contributing to the state's economy significantly and have been for the past few years.

"The tribes are significant employers in the state, so the state benefits directly from the jobs provided by the tribes and by other businesses who either provide services to the tribes or exist in locales where tribes have properties," Dr. Kyle Dean, director of the Native American and Urban Studies Center at Oklahoma City University, said. "When combining each activity for individual tribes, the Chickasaw Nation becomes the third-largest employer in the state followed directly by the Choctaw Nation at number four, Cherokee Nation at number six, Muscogee (Creek) Nation at number 31, and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation at number 50."

Tribal activity is the ninth-largest industry in Oklahoma. The total financial impact for Oklahoma tribes in 2017 was reported to be approximately $12.9 billion, according to The Norman Transcript.

"The most interesting, and perhaps significant benefit to the state is the permanence of tribal impact and the distribution of those impacts across the state in rural and urban communities," Dean said. "Tribes will always have significant operations within the state, particularly in rural parts of the state that would otherwise be starving for jobs because of the location and permanence of their tribal boundaries, which are fixed by treaty."

Tribal outreach includes contributions to Oklahoma's public education system, government services, infrastructure and other capital projects.

Dean said tribes will always have a presence within their tribal boundaries, and Oklahoma doesn’t have to compete with other states by giving these tribes the same tax incentives that corporations require. Their impact is significant, locally and permanently.

Tribes across the country received a total of $8 billion in C.A.R.E.S. Act funds and used them to fund programs and services that had shortfalls, meet payroll needs, invest in infrastructure and more. American Rescue Plan funds will likely be used similarly. The amount to be distributed to the state is yet to be determined.

"Different tribes offer different programs/services. Many tribes provide housing assistance, workforce development, burial assistance, healthcare, meals and other social welfare to citizens," Dean said. "Some tribes continued to employ and pay wages to their employees while shut down. In 2016, we found that 60% of gaming employees are non native. Also, tribes are providing COVID vaccinations to all Oklahomans."

(The Center Square) – Iowa, Florida, Wyoming, South Dakota and Texas have the least coronavirus restrictions and have fully reopened, according to a new analysis of state regulated coronavirus restrictions published by the personal finance site, WalletHub,

WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 13 key metrics to rank them according to restriction levels. Data analyzed is as of April 5 and includes whether restaurants are fully or partially open, if there are state mask mandates and workplace temperature screenings, among others.

The 10 states with the fewest restrictions are Iowa, Florida, Wyoming, South Dakota, Texas, Alaska, South Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Montana.

Iowa ranks first because it has the least coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub notes, is one of 24 states that have no limits on large gatherings, has reopened all “non-essential” businesses, and is one of only 13 states that neither requires nor recommends working from home.

States with the most restrictions are Vermont, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Virginia, Washington, New York, California, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Some states improved or worsened in their rankings compared to a previous analysis the site conducted.

Texas, for example, moved up 28 positions after Gov. Greg Abbott fully reopened the state and eliminated the statewide mask mandate. Texas bars and restaurants are fully reopened and restrictions on large gatherings no longer exist.

Neighboring Louisiana fell in the ranking by eight positions partially because its governor continues to impose restrictions on large gatherings, limit restaurant and bar capacity, and still recommends that individuals work from home.

California, which has had some of the most restrictive coronavirus-related regulations, ranked 7th, also reported the most coronavirus cases nationwide. It remains one of only three states to currently limit gatherings to 25 people. Bars remain closed while “non-essential” businesses are open with limits.

The analysis also found that 76% of states with fewer restrictions had lower unemployment rates. California’s high unemployment rate corresponds to having some of the strictest regulations in the country, whereas Iowa’s is the opposite.

The AARP has also listed state restrictions, while the travel site Kayak.com has listed travel restrictions by state. In 38 states, there are no quarantine or testing requirements for out-of-state travelers. In 13 states, there are either quarantine requirements or recommendations in place.

In New Jersey, for example, there is a mandatory 14-day quarantine in place for travelers arriving from high-risk states. “The CDC has urged residents of New Jersey to refrain from non-essential domestic travel,” Kayak states.

Residents and travelers arriving in California from out-of-state or another county are advised to self-quarantine for 10 days, the site states.