Compassion Benchmark

As of 2026, Hawaii is the most compassionate U.S. state (95.9/100, Exemplary) and Mississippi the least (12.5/100, Critical) on the Compassion Benchmark U.S. States Index, which scores 21 U.S. states across 8 dimensions.

United States Compassion Benchmark · 2026

United States Compassion Benchmark Index 2026

Comparative benchmark of all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia across policy, equity, healthcare, social protection, accountability, and structural care capacity.

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21States ranked
46.9Mean score
25Median score
8Dimensions
2026Publication year

Band distribution

419%943%838%Critical 0–20Developing 20–40Functional 40–60Established 60–80Exemplary 80–100
United States Compassion Benchmark · 2026 · Source: Compassion Benchmark · CC-BY

Most and least compassionate

Top 5 and bottom 5 entities in the U.S. States by composite score, with position relative to the field median.

Most and least compassionate — U.S. States

Most compassionate

Hawaii
Hawaii score: 95.9 — in the Exemplary band (80–100). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). Already in the top band.median 25.095.9
95.9
Massachusetts
Massachusetts score: 94.4 — in the Exemplary band (80–100). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). Already in the top band.median 25.094.4
94.4
Washington
Washington score: 94.4 — in the Exemplary band (80–100). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). Already in the top band.median 25.094.4
94.4
Washington DC
Washington DC score: 92.8 — in the Exemplary band (80–100). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). Already in the top band.median 25.092.8
92.8
California
California score: 87.7 — in the Exemplary band (80–100). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). Already in the top band.median 25.087.7
87.7

Least compassionate

Mississippi
Mississippi score: 12.5 — in the Critical band (0–20). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). 7.5 points to the Developing band.median 25.012.57.5 pts to Developing
12.5
Arkansas
Arkansas score: 12.5 — in the Critical band (0–20). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). 7.5 points to the Developing band.median 25.012.57.5 pts to Developing
12.5
Alabama
Alabama score: 12.5 — in the Critical band (0–20). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). 7.5 points to the Developing band.median 25.012.57.5 pts to Developing
12.5
Texas
Texas score: 14.1 — in the Critical band (0–20). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). 5.9 points to the Developing band.median 25.014.15.9 pts to Developing
14.1
Florida
Florida score: 20.3 — in the Developing band (20–40). Field median: 25.0 (Developing). 19.7 points to the Functional band.median 25.020.319.7 pts to Functional
20.3

Source: Compassion Benchmark · CC-BY

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Citation

Compassion Benchmark — Most and least compassionate — U.S. States. compassionbenchmark.com/us-states. CC-BY 4.0.

By Region: mean composite breakdown

Mean composite by Region — U.S. States

Ranked highest to lowest. Reference line at index mean (46.9).

Mid-Atlantic92.8n=1New England88.3n=3West75.8n=4Midwest36.9n=5Southwest18.8n=2Southeast17.2n=6mean 46.9

Source: Compassion Benchmark · CC-BY

Cite this chart

Citation

Compassion Benchmark — Mean composite by Region — U.S. States. compassionbenchmark.com/us-states. CC-BY 4.0.

Full rankings

Search, filter by region, and sort the complete U.S. states benchmark index.

AWR Awareness ·EMP Empathy ·ACT Action ·EQU Equity ·BND Boundaries ·ACC Accountability ·SYS Systems ·INT Integrity

How to read the scores

The 0–100 scale — five bands

Every entity — state, corporation, AI lab, robotics lab, or city — is scored 0–100 across 8 dimensions and 40 subdimensions. The composite score places the entity in one of five bands:

Critical0–20Foundational compassion practices are absent or documented active harm is present.
Developing20–40Some practices are emerging but remain inconsistent, reactive, or unevenly applied.
Functional40–60Core practices exist and meet a basic bar, with significant gaps remaining.
Established60–80Practices are systematic, documented, and supported by consistent evidence.
Exemplary80–100Practices are independently verified, consistent, and sustained under pressure.

The 8 dimensions

Each dimension is scored 1–5 across 5 subdimensions (40 subdimensions total), then converted to a 0–100 composite. A score of 1.0 on a subdimension represents the minimum anchor; 5.0 is exemplary conduct.

AWRAwarenessDoes this entity reliably detect when others are in pain or need — before they name it?
EMPEmpathyDoes this entity genuinely connect with the inner experience of those it serves?
ACTActionDoes compassionate understanding translate into real, proportional, effective help?
EQUEquityIs care distributed fairly — especially toward those with greatest need and least power?
BNDBoundariesIs helping sustainable, ethical, and autonomy-preserving — not dependency-creating?
ACCAccountabilityDoes this entity own its failures, correct course, and make genuine repair?
SYSSystemic ThinkingDoes compassion extend to root causes and structural change — not only symptom relief?
INTIntegrityIs compassion genuine, consistent, and non-performative — especially when it costs something?

Scores are based on public evidence — government reports, regulatory filings, independent audits, judicial findings, and verifiable third-party records. Entities never pay for inclusion, score changes, or suppression of findings. Full methodology

RankStateRegionAWREMPACTEQUBNDACCSYSINTScoreBand
1HawaiiWest4.54.54.544.54.54.54.595.9exemplary
2MassachusettsNew England4.54.54.544.544.54.594.4exemplary
3WashingtonWest4.54.54.544.544.54.594.4exemplary
4Washington DCMid-Atlantic4.54.54.544.544.5492.8exemplary
5CaliforniaWest4.54.54.5443.54.5487.7exemplary
6VermontNew England4.44.74.44.14.44.44.44.487.5exemplary
7MinnesotaMidwest4.44.44.43.84.44.44.43.884.4exemplary
8ConnecticutNew England4443.54.544483exemplary
9IdahoWest2221.52.522225developing
10IndianaMidwest2221.52.522225developing
11MissouriMidwest2221.52.522225developing
12North DakotaMidwest2221.52.522225developing
13South DakotaMidwest2221.52.522225developing
14OklahomaSouthwest2221.5222223.4developing
15TennesseeSoutheast2221.5222223.4developing
16LouisianaSoutheast2221.52221.521.9developing
17FloridaSoutheast2221.521.521.520.3developing
18TexasSouthwest1.81.81.81.31.81.31.81.314.1critical
19AlabamaSoutheast1.51.51.5121.51.51.512.5critical
20ArkansasSoutheast1.51.51.5121.51.51.512.5critical
21MississippiSoutheast1.51.51.5121.51.51.512.5critical

Showing 21 of 21 entities

U.S. States Compassion Benchmark Index 2026 — Complete Rankings

U.S. States Compassion Benchmark Index 2026 — 21 entities ranked by composite compassion score
RankStateComposite ScoreBandAWREMPACTEQUBNDACCSYSINT
1Hawaii95.9exemplary4.54.54.544.54.54.54.5
2Massachusetts94.4exemplary4.54.54.544.544.54.5
3Washington94.4exemplary4.54.54.544.544.54.5
4Washington DC92.8exemplary4.54.54.544.544.54
5California87.7exemplary4.54.54.5443.54.54
6Vermont87.5exemplary4.44.74.44.14.44.44.44.4
7Minnesota84.4exemplary4.44.44.43.84.44.44.43.8
8Connecticut83exemplary4443.54.5444
9Idaho25developing2221.52.5222
10Indiana25developing2221.52.5222
11Missouri25developing2221.52.5222
12North Dakota25developing2221.52.5222
13South Dakota25developing2221.52.5222
14Oklahoma23.4developing2221.52222
15Tennessee23.4developing2221.52222
16Louisiana21.9developing2221.52221.5
17Florida20.3developing2221.521.521.5
18Texas14.1critical1.81.81.81.31.81.31.81.3
19Alabama12.5critical1.51.51.5121.51.51.5
20Arkansas12.5critical1.51.51.5121.51.51.5
21Mississippi12.5critical1.51.51.5121.51.51.5

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Frequently asked questions

What is the most compassionate U.S. state in 2026?
As of 2026, Hawaii is the most compassionate U.S. state on the Compassion Benchmark, with a composite score of 95.9/100 (Exemplary).
What is the least compassionate U.S. state in 2026?
As of 2026, Mississippi ranks last in the Compassion Benchmark U.S. States Index, with a composite score of 12.5/100 (Critical).
How many U.S. states are scored?
The Compassion Benchmark U.S. States Index scores 21 states and territories across 8 dimensions of institutional compassion.
How is the compassion score calculated?
The score is a composite across 8 dimensions (Awareness, Empathy, Action, Equity, Boundaries, Accountability, Systemic Impact, and Integrity), each scored 0–5 from behavioral evidence, then converted to a 0–100 scale with an integration premium for balanced profiles. See compassionbenchmark.com/methodology for the full framework.