There has been much debate as to which states (Ds or Rs) are handling/leading/managing COVID-19 better. Here's a comparison of the 10 most and least restrictive states based on sourced data.

1. Lockdowns began approx 3/14/20 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13
Least Restrictive
(As of 5/4) Check
Source for
Methodology
State Governing Party
State
Population
(rounded)
Citie(s) with more than 200K,
or most populated city if none
are over 200k
Combined
Population of listed
cities (rounded)
Tests
Administered in
State with
Reuslts
% State
Population
Tested with
Results
Total COVID
Confirmed
Cases
% of Tests
with
Positive
Result
% of population
confirmed
infected by state
Total COVID
Deaths*
Death rate by
state
Unemployment
rate in March (%)
July PROJECTED
Unemployment
rate (%)
% Increase in
unemployment
rate
1 South Dakota Republican 880,000 Sioux Falls 190,000 25,844 2.94% 3,732 14.44% 0.42% 39 0.004% 3.3 15.8 478.79%
2 Utah Republican 3,200,000 Salt Lake City 210,000 156,786 4.90% 6,620 4.22% 0.21% 75 0.002% 3.6 14.8 411.11%
3 North Dakota Republican 750,000 Fargo 130,000 48,945 6.53% 1,647 3.37% 0.22% 40 0.005% 2.2 15.6 709.09%
4 Missouri Republican 6,100,000 St. Louis, Kansas City 800,000 124,142 2.04% 10,355 8.34% 0.17% 548 0.009% 4.5 15.7 348.89%
5 Idaho Republican 1,800,000 Boise 230,000 33,128 1.84% 2,324 7.02% 0.13% 70 0.004% 2.6 14 538.46%
6 Tennessee Republican 6,800,000 Nashville, Memphis 132,000 292,917 4.31% 16,370 5.59% 0.24% 273 0.004% 3.5 15.8 451.43%
7 Montana Democrat 1,100,000 Billings 110,000 23,852 2.17% 462 1.94% 0.04% 16 0.001% 3.5 16.3 465.71%
8 Texas Republican 29,000,000
Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio,
Houston, El Paso, Austin,
Arlington, Corpus Christie,
Plano, Laredo, Lubbock,
Garland, Irving, Frisco,
Mckinney, Amarillo
10,570,000 587,431 2.03% 43,502 7.41% 0.15% 1,217 0.004% 4.7 15.2 323.40%
9 Florida Republican 21,500,000
Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa,
Orlando, St. Petersburg, Hialeah,
Port St. Lucie, Cape Coral
3,000,000 594,763 2.77% 42,402 7.13% 0.20% 1,875 0.009% 4.3 15.5 360.47%
10 Iowa Republican 3,200,000 Des Moines 210,000 85,719 2.68% 13,289 15.50% 0.42% 306 0.010% 3.7 14.2 383.78%
74,330,000 15,582,000 1,973,527 2.66% 140,703 7.13% 0.19% 4,459 0.006% 3.59 15.29 425.91%
Lockdowns began approx 3/14/20 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13 As of 5/13
Most Restrictive
(As of 5/4) Check
Source for
Methodology
State Governing Party
State
Population
(rounded)
Citie(s) with more than 200K or
most populated city under
100k
Combined
Population of listed
cities (rounded)
Tests
Administered in
State with
Reuslts
% State
Population
Tested with
Results
Total COVID
Confirmed
Cases
% of Tests
with
Positive
Result
% of population
confirmed
infected by state
Total COVID
Deaths*
Death rate by
state
Unemployment
rate in March (%)
July PROJECTED
Unemployment
rate (%)
% Increase in
unemployment
rate
1 Hawaii Democrat 1,420,000 Honolulu 340,000 38,365 2.70% 640 1.67% 0.05% 17 0.001% 2.6 17.8 684.62%
2 Rhode Island Democrat 1,100,000 Providence 180,000 97,922 8.90% 11,835 12.09% 1.08% 462 0.042% 4.6 15.4 334.78%
3 Illinois Democrat 12,670,000 Chicago 2,690,000 489,359 3.86% 84,698 17.31% 0.67% 3,792 0.030% 4.6 15.6 339.13%
4 Pennsylvania Democrat 12,800,000 Philadelphia, Pittsburgh 1,880,000 302,869 2.37% 62,213 20.54% 0.49% 4,147 0.032% 6 16.6 276.67%
5 New Jersey Democrat 8,900,000 Newark, Jersey City 550,000 441,450 4.96% 142,861 32.36% 1.61% 9,727 0.109% 3.8 15.6 410.53%
6 New York Democrat 8,400,000 New York, Buffalo, Rochester 8,780,000 1,258,907 14.99% 350,848 27.87% 4.18% 27,290 0.325% 4.5 16.4 364.44%
7 Massachusettes Republican 6,900,000 Boston 710,000 410,032 5.94% 80,497 19.63% 1.17% 5,315 0.077% 2.9 15.1 520.69%
8 Ohio Republican 11,700,000
Columbus, Cleveland,
Cincinnati,Toldeo
1,880,000 225,854 1.93% 25,729 11.39% 0.22% 1,485 0.013% 5.5 16.4 298.18%
9 Connecticut Democrat 3,600,000 Bridgeport 140,000 142,943 3.97% 34,855 24.38% 0.97% 3,125 0.087% 3.7 14.8 400.00%
10 Maryland Republican 6,000,000 Baltimore 590,000 173,574 2.89% 35,903 20.68% 0.60% 1,866 0.031% 3.3 13.9 421.21%
73,490,000 17,740,000 3,581,275 4.87% 830,079 23.18% 1.13% 57,226 0.078% 4.15 15.76 379.76%
https://www.wall
ethub.com/edu/s
tates-with-the-
fewest-
coronavirus-
restrictions/7381
8/
Google Search
Google Search,
World
Population
Review
Google Search, World
Population Review
Google Search,
World Population
Review
https://www.kf
f.org/other/stat
e-
indicator/covid-
19-
testing/?current
Timeframe=0&s
ortModel=%7B
%22colId%22:%
22Location%22,
%22sort%22:%2
2asc%22%7D
https://ww
w.worldom
eters.info/c
oronavirus/
country/us/
https://ww
w.worldom
eters.info/c
oronavirus/
country/us/
https://www.bls.g
ov/web/laus/laum
strk.htm#laumstrk.
f.p
https://www.usa
today.com/story
/money/2020/05
/08/state-
economies-most-
likely-to-be-
crippled-by-covid-
19/111645576/
*Not all confirmed cases are closed so number of deaths is likely to change, therefore affecting the death rate.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Restrictions have not helped. States with the most restrictions have seen a far greater amount of confirmed cases, while unemployment has risen at approximately the same rate for both types of states at
each end of the restriction spectrum. WHO DID IT BETTER? Based on the 10 most and 10 least restricive states, mostly, Republican goverened states have done a better job at managing this pandemic.
OVERALL CONCLUSION
States with the most restrictions saw the
most of a negative impact to life/health
(COVID related) while administering more
tests and a rate of positive results nearly 4
times greater than the least restrictive
group of states, but less impact to
livelihood, though by a slim margin when
compared to the least restrictive states
probably due to the higher unemployment
numbers when the restrictions went into
effect.
Totals
Totals
States with the least restrictions saw less
of a negative impact to life/health (COVID
related) and admistered less tests with a
lower rate of positive results, but the
greatest impact to livelihood, though by a
slim margin when compared to the most
restrictive states probably due to the
lower unemployment numbers when
restrictions into effect.
Who Did It Better?