The average U.S. soldier killed in combat was 26 years old. Behind each death: an average of 2.1 children left fatherless or motherless, a spouse facing decades alone, parents who outlive their child. 20 veterans die by suicide every day — ~30,000 since 9/11, four times the combat death toll.

On a single night in January 2024, 653,100 people were experiencing homelessness in the US — the highest count ever recorded. Over 186,000 were unsheltered. Experts estimate ending homelessness would cost just $20 billion per year — about 2% of the defense budget.

Over 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023 — more than gun violence and car crashes combined. Fentanyl now drives the majority of deaths. The economic cost tops $1.5 trillion per year. Only 1 in 10 people with addiction receives any treatment.

1 in 5 Americans — over 57 million people — lives with a mental illness. More than half receive no treatment. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for Americans aged 10–34. Untreated mental illness costs the economy over $200 billion per year in lost earnings alone.

The US spends more per capita on healthcare than any nation on Earth — yet 26 million Americans remain uninsured. Medical debt is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy. The US has the lowest life expectancy among wealthy nations despite the highest spending.

36 million American adults lack basic literacy. Student loan debt exceeds $1.7 trillion. Over 300,000 teaching positions are vacant or filled by unqualified staff. Low-income students remain far less likely to complete college than their wealthy peers.

44 million Americans — including 13 million children — face food insecurity. There is not a single county in the US where a minimum-wage worker can afford a two-bedroom apartment. 1 in 6 seniors faces the threat of hunger.

Gun violence kills over 45,000 Americans every year — about 124 per day. The US gun death rate is 26× higher than other high-income nations. Gun violence costs the US economy an estimated $557 billion per year. Over 4.6 million children live with loaded, unsecured firearms.

The United States imprisons more people than any country on Earth — over 2 million currently incarcerated. Black Americans are incarcerated at 5× the rate of white Americans. The US spends over $80 billion per year on incarceration. Two-thirds of released prisoners are rearrested within three years.

Over 400,000 children are in the US foster care system. Nearly 20,000 youth age out without a family each year — many face homelessness and incarceration within years. 1 in 7 children is the victim of abuse or neglect. Early childhood investment returns $13 for every $1 spent.

The ASCE gives US infrastructure a C– grade. Over 42,000 bridges are structurally deficient. The nation needs $6 trillion in investment over the next decade. Over 6 million Americans still drink water through lead pipes.

Climate change cost the US over $175 billion in 2023 alone. The US power grid loses $150 billion annually to weather-related outages. Over 40 million Americans live with chronically unhealthy air. Current investment falls $900 billion short of what net-zero requires.