NAEP Math vs Reading Scores by State 2026: Chart Analysis
State mathematics and reading results are compared for Grade 4 and Grade 8 using the latest complete Main NAEP state assessment, administered in 2024. The comparison covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The central measure is relative state position across the two subjects. Raw mathematics and reading scale scores are not subtracted or combined because NAEP develops each subject scale independently.
Math and Reading Move Together Across States
Pearson correlation measures the linear association between each state's published mathematics and reading averages within the same grade. National-public profile counts use the displayed 2024 averages for each subject.
State Math–Reading Relationship
Each state is plotted by its reading average on the horizontal axis and mathematics average on the vertical axis. The fitted line summarizes the state pattern; it is not an equality line between the two subject scales.
Grade 4 Reading vs Mathematics
2024 Main NAEP public-school average scale scores, 50 states + DC
The fitted state line has R² = 0.739. Dashed reference lines mark the national-public averages: Reading 214 and Mathematics 237.
Grade 8 Reading vs Mathematics
2024 Main NAEP public-school average scale scores, 50 states + DC
The fitted state line has R² = 0.727. Dashed reference lines mark the national-public averages: Reading 257 and Mathematics 272.
Data analysis
- Texas sits about 5.9 mathematics points above the Grade 4 fitted state line for its reading score; Maryland sits about 4.1 points below it.
- Nebraska sits about 8.3 mathematics points above the Grade 8 fitted state line, the largest positive residual in the 51-jurisdiction set.
- Georgia has the largest negative Grade 8 residual at about 6.1 mathematics points below the fitted line. Residuals describe position around the fitted relationship, not a cross-subject achievement gap.
Full State Math and Reading Crosswalk
Published average scale scores are shown side by side for both assessed grades. Relative rank measures are kept separate from the source-score table because mathematics and reading scales are independently developed.
| State | G4 Reading | G4 Math | G8 Reading | G8 Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 213 | 236 | 250 | 262 |
| Alaska | 202 | 226 | 246 | 264 |
| Arizona | 208 | 232 | 254 | 270 |
| Arkansas | 210 | 230 | 255 | 266 |
| California | 212 | 233 | 254 | 269 |
| Colorado | 221 | 239 | 265 | 278 |
| Connecticut | 219 | 239 | 263 | 277 |
| Delaware | 210 | 233 | 249 | 263 |
| District of Columbia | 209 | 231 | 251 | 262 |
| Florida | 218 | 243 | 253 | 267 |
| Georgia | 214 | 236 | 259 | 269 |
| Hawaii | 216 | 239 | 257 | 270 |
| Idaho | 216 | 238 | 261 | 278 |
| Illinois | 214 | 236 | 262 | 277 |
| Indiana | 220 | 240 | 262 | 278 |
| Iowa | 215 | 237 | 261 | 275 |
| Kansas | 213 | 237 | 256 | 274 |
| Kentucky | 218 | 238 | 258 | 271 |
| Louisiana | 216 | 235 | 257 | 267 |
| Maine | 210 | 233 | 255 | 273 |
| Maryland | 216 | 234 | 258 | 268 |
| Massachusetts | 225 | 246 | 268 | 283 |
| Michigan | 209 | 235 | 255 | 270 |
| Minnesota | 214 | 241 | 260 | 282 |
| Mississippi | 219 | 239 | 253 | 269 |
| Missouri | 212 | 235 | 255 | 270 |
| Montana | 217 | 238 | 260 | 279 |
| Nebraska | 212 | 238 | 256 | 280 |
| Nevada | 213 | 233 | 253 | 265 |
| New Hampshire | 221 | 242 | 264 | 280 |
| New Jersey | 222 | 240 | 266 | 282 |
| New Mexico | 201 | 224 | 245 | 256 |
| New York | 215 | 234 | 257 | 271 |
| North Carolina | 213 | 239 | 255 | 276 |
| North Dakota | 216 | 241 | 257 | 280 |
| Ohio | 216 | 239 | 260 | 279 |
| Oklahoma | 207 | 233 | 249 | 264 |
| Oregon | 207 | 229 | 255 | 268 |
| Pennsylvania | 216 | 238 | 259 | 276 |
| Rhode Island | 216 | 237 | 258 | 270 |
| South Carolina | 215 | 238 | 254 | 268 |
| South Dakota | 214 | 240 | 260 | 281 |
| Tennessee | 215 | 240 | 259 | 276 |
| Texas | 212 | 241 | 252 | 269 |
| Utah | 219 | 242 | 261 | 282 |
| Vermont | 213 | 235 | 257 | 276 |
| Virginia | 214 | 238 | 256 | 275 |
| Washington | 216 | 238 | 259 | 274 |
| West Virginia | 206 | 232 | 247 | 261 |
| Wisconsin | 215 | 239 | 260 | 283 |
| Wyoming | 222 | 243 | 260 | 278 |
States That Split Across National Public Averages
Mixed profiles identify states whose published rounded average is at or above the national-public average in one subject but below it in the other.
Grade 4: Math only
4 states: Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Texas.
Grade 4: Reading only
5 states: Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, and New York.
Grade 8: Math only
5 states: Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Grade 8: Reading only
7 states: Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island.
Data analysis
- Kansas, Nebraska, and North Carolina remain in the math-only group at both grades.
- Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, and New York remain in the reading-only group at both grades.
Grade-Level Profiles That Change
Eleven jurisdictions move to a different national-public profile between Grade 4 and Grade 8. The two grades assess different student groups, so these changes describe grade-level state profiles rather than student growth.
| State | Grade 4 Profile | Grade 8 Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | At/above both | Below both |
| Hawaii | At/above both | Reading only |
| Illinois | Reading only | At/above both |
| Kentucky | At/above both | Reading only |
| Maine | Below both | Math only |
| Mississippi | At/above both | Below both |
| Rhode Island | At/above both | Reading only |
| South Carolina | At/above both | Below both |
| Texas | Math only | Below both |
| Vermont | Below both | At/above both |
| Virginia | At/above both | Math only |
Data analysis
- 40 of 51 jurisdictions remain in the same profile across the two assessed grades; 11 change profile.
- Among the stable profiles, 19 are at/above both displayed national-public averages in both grades, while 14 are below both in both grades.
Where the Two Subject Rankings Separate
State averages are closely related, but rank order and recent subject trends add information that a single correlation coefficient does not capture.
Rank-order agreement
Spearman rank correlation is 0.768 in Grade 4 and 0.839 in Grade 8. Grade 8 therefore has closer rank-order alignment even though its Pearson correlation is slightly lower.
Rank spread is not a score gap
Texas has a 31-place Grade 4 spread between its reading and mathematics ranks, with mathematics occupying the stronger relative position. Maryland has a 25-place spread in the opposite direction. These are rank-position differences, not NAEP score gaps.
Grade 8 math-relative separation
Nebraska has the largest Grade 8 math-relative rank spread at 22 places. North Dakota follows at 17 places, while North Carolina has a 14-place math-relative spread.
Recent national direction differs by subject
From 2022 to 2024, the national Grade 4 mathematics average rose by 2 points, while the national Grade 4 reading average fell by 2 points. The 2024 state cross-section therefore sits within different recent subject trends.
Data Sources, Measurement, and Comparability
The 2025 NAEP Long-Term Trend assessment is not used in the state table. LTT reports age-based national results, while the state comparison requires the Main NAEP Grade 4 and Grade 8 state series.
NAEP develops mathematics and reading scales independently. A mathematics score of 240 is not equivalent to a reading score of 240, even though both Grade 4 and Grade 8 subject scales run from 0 to 500.
For that reason, no raw Mathematics minus Reading score gap and no combined math-reading score is reported. Rank gaps compare separate state positions only.
Published rounded rankings are descriptive. Formal comparisons between jurisdictions should use NAEP sampling uncertainty and the official comparison tools rather than rank alone.
Correlation describes association among state averages and does not establish causation. Grade 4 and Grade 8 results also represent different assessed student groups rather than a longitudinal student cohort.