Since its inception, the internet has become an increasingly important aspect of everyday life. According to Statista, the average daily user spent around 6.4 hours online every day in 2023.
Whether it be for work, communication or entertainment, demand is growing for access to fast and reliable connections.
Newsweek has mapped which U.S. states have the fastest internet speeds, according to figures compiled by Data Pandas.
The five states with the fastest internet speeds were:
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- Florida
- Delaware
- New Hampshire
Topping the list was Connecticut, with average internet speeds of 119.13 Mbps (megabits per second) in the Constitution State. New Jersey closely followed, with 118.57 Mbps.
Florida ranked third with an average speed of 115.58. In fourth was Delaware, boasting 114.37 Mbps. New Hampshire came in fifth with an average of 113.63 Mbps.
At the other end of the spectrum, the five worst states in terms of internet speeds were:
- Alaska
- West Virginia
- Montana
- Idaho
- New Mexico
Alaska had the slowest internet in America, according to the data, with an average speed of just 35.51 Mbps.
Faring only slightly better was West Virginia. The average resident of the Mountain State can expect speeds of around 46 Mbps.
Montana, Idaho, and New Mexico had average internet speeds of 46.84 Mbps, 51.15 Mbps, and 59.13 Mbps respectively.
Interested in other ways U.S. states compare? Newsweek has mapped which states have the highest life expectancy.
Hawaii led the nation in this regard, with the highest life expectancy of 80.7 years. The state’s residents benefit from a combination of factors, including a relatively low obesity rate of 25 percent, one of the lowest in America.
Mississippi had the lowest life expectancy at 71.9 years. The state had an obesity rate of 39.1 percent, one of the highest in the nation.
Professor of medicine at Brown University, Ira Wilson, told Newsweek that there were an array of factors driving these health disparities between states.
“If you look at maps of the United States that color code states for all kinds of things, what you’ll see is a surprisingly consistent story,” he said.
“[The disparity is] driven by social and economic factors, which are far beyond healthcare. They’re driven by history, by income,” Wilson added.
Newsweek has also mapped which states boast the highest IQs.
Massachusetts came out on top here, with an average IQ in the state of 104.3, six points above the national average of 98. Conversely, Mississippi was last, with 94.2, around four points below the U.S. average.
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