How Much Does It Cost to Win a Seat in the U.S. Senate?

Average cost of a losing campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, 2012: $540,022 (1)

Average cost of a winning campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, 2012: $1,567,379

Average cost of a losing campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate, 2012: $7,434,819

Average cost of a winning campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate, 2012: $11,474,362

Median number of paid vacations days in Germany: 30 (2)

Median number of paid vacation days in the United States: 15

Median number of paid vacation days left unused by people in Germany: 0

Median number of paid vacation days left unused by people in the United States: 4

Total miles driven in the United States, 2014: 3.136 trillion (3)

Extra hours the average American rush-hour commuter wasted due to congested traffic, 2014: 42 (4)

Cost of congestion in wasted time and fuel, 2014: $160 billion

Percentage of eighth-graders proficient in math, 2015: 33 (5)

Average pay per hour of those with bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers: $35 (6)

Average pay per hour of those with bachelor’s degrees in non-STEM careers: $28

U.S. Federal funding for The National Endowment for the Arts, 2012: $146 million (7)

Arts and cultural productions’ contribution to the U.S economy, 2012: $698 billion (8)

Average cost of normal delivery of a baby in the United States: $10,002 (9)

Average cost of normal delivery of a baby in the Netherlands: $2,824 

The United States’ ranking out of 179 countries on the 2015 Mothers’ Index, which measures the well-being of mothers and their children: 33 (10)

The Netherlands’ ranking out of 179 countries on the 2015 Mothers’ Index: 6

Number of times Geoff Barrow’s music was streamed, 2015: 34 Million (11)

Money he earned for total streams, after tax: $2,407

Age group in the United Kingdom that reports highest level of happiness: 65-79 (12)

Age group in the United Kingdom that reports lowest level of happiness: 45-59

1. Center For Responsive Politics 2. Expedia 3. U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration 4. Texas A&M Transportation Institute 5. The National Assessment of Educational Progress 6. U.S. Department of Commerce 7. National Endowment for the Arts Appropriations History 8. National Endowment for the Arts Appropriations Request For Fiscal Year 2016 9. International Federation of Health Plans 10. Save The Children 11. Geoff Barrow 12. U.K. Office of National Statistics

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Kate Stringer is a senior writer and digital producer at The 74 Media and a former editorial intern at YES!

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Keith Barbalato is a former editorial intern for YES!

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