Assessing the American Dream: A 250-Year Reflection

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Newsweek has embarked on a project to evaluate the core promise of the nation: the American Dream. This initiative aims to identify where this dream prospers, where challenges exist, and where it is being redefined, often in unexpected locales.

The Newsweek American Dream Index assesses 33,772 U.S. ZIP codes, rating them from 0 to 100 based on six opportunity pillars: economic mobility, employment quality, education and skills, housing access, new business formation, and cost of living. More than anything, the focus is on ordinary people’s ability to advance. While a single number can’t encapsulate an entire life, these scores aim to spark discussion on where and how America’s promises hold true.

The American Dream suggests that one’s origins should not dictate their destination. It represents upward and forward movement, an ideal that has seldom been consistently fulfilled.

The Index highlights this reality. The highest scores don’t necessarily belong to the wealthiest areas; instead, they reflect places where modest earnings still ensure stability and where disadvantaged children can rise. Regions like North Dakota, Utah, and the farm counties of the Great Plains rank alongside affluent suburbs like those in Washington and Denver. Conversely, some of the nation’s wealthiest cities face challenges due to high living costs.

This is the real depiction of opportunity at 250 years: not continuous progress, but a map illustrating where the American Dream flourishes, where it struggles, and where it is being reimagined, such as in Huntsville, Bentonville, and the less publicized Bakken oil towns.