Posted by: Richie Bernardo

Raising a healthy, stable family sometimes requires moving to a new state. And the reasons are often similar: career transitions, better schools, financial challenges or perhaps a general desire to change settings.

But wants and needs don’t always align in a particular state, which might offer, for instance, a low income-tax rate yet subpar education system. Consequently, a family must make unnecessary sacrifices — the kinds that are easily avoided by knowing which states offer the best combination of qualities that matter most to parents and their kids.

To help with the evaluation process, WalletHub’s data team compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 40 key indicators of family-friendliness. Our data set ranges from “median family salary” to “housing affordability” to “unemployment rate.” Read on for the complete ranking, relocation advice from experts and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/31065/geochart-state-families.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2ja5C9j;  

Best States to Raise a Family

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	‘Family Fun’ Rank	‘Health & Safety’ Rank	‘Education & Child Care’ Rank	‘Affordability’ Rank	‘Socioeconomics’ Rank
1	North Dakota	65.81	13	7	7	6	2
2	New Hampshire	65.59	8	6	6	12	3
3	Vermont	65.24	35	1	2	15	16
4	Minnesota	65.22	30	5	10	2	4
5	Nebraska	64.18	5	13	20	5	5
6	Massachusetts	63.98	12	2	5	10	22
7	New Jersey	63.84	26	8	1	7	17
8	Iowa	63.25	9	15	13	1	8
9	Connecticut	62.93	15	3	4	4	34
10	South Dakota	62.70	1	14	30	13	6
11	Wisconsin	62.49	19	16	9	3	11
12	Utah	60.25	4	31	22	26	1
13	Kansas	58.89	14	18	24	8	13
14	Wyoming	58.14	17	11	32	21	10
15	Colorado	57.95	6	12	37	29	7
16	Delaware	57.54	10	30	8	25	21
17	Virginia	57.27	48	9	18	22	14
18	Rhode Island	57.15	43	4	16	20	27
19	Illinois	56.87	27	24	11	9	36
20	Maine	56.75	44	10	3	23	39
21	Montana	56.32	21	28	14	30	12
22	Washington	55.86	29	19	21	14	29
23	Indiana	54.00	39	43	17	19	20
24	New York	53.95	24	22	12	16	47
25	Missouri	53.92	22	38	27	24	18
26	Maryland	53.45	42	34	15	28	23
27	Pennsylvania	53.41	40	35	31	11	26
28	California	53.16	3	23	33	48	19
29	Texas	52.50	7	40	19	40	25
30	Ohio	52.31	33	27	36	17	33
31	North Carolina	51.21	23	29	23	36	32
32	Michigan	51.17	45	17	45	18	28
33	Hawaii	50.70	41	36	29	41	15
34	Idaho	50.20	11	21	49	42	9
35	Oregon	49.41	28	26	38	35	35
36	Kentucky	49.11	46	20	26	31	44
37	Tennessee	48.61	49	32	28	33	38
38	Arkansas	47.57	36	44	34	43	30
39	Oklahoma	47.50	38	51	25	32	24
40	Florida	46.64	34	33	35	44	42
41	South Carolina	44.64	25	37	44	49	41
42	Alabama	44.32	47	42	39	34	45
43	West Virginia	44.27	51	25	42	27	46
44	Georgia	44.13	37	46	41	45	40
45	Arizona	43.56	31	41	48	46	37
46	Alaska	43.37	32	50	47	37	31
47	Nevada	42.39	2	47	51	47	43
48	Louisiana	42.00	16	48	46	39	49
49	District of Columbia	41.13	20	49	40	38	51
50	Mississippi	39.85	50	45	43	50	48
51	New Mexico	38.58	18	39	50	51	50

 

Ask the Experts

Not all states are created equal. Some are more conducive to family life than others. With those differences in mind — as well as the implications of a new presidential administration — we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on certain family matters. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and responses to the following key questions:

1. What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?
2. To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How?
3. How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families?
4. How might Trump administration policies related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being?

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• Elaine Leeder Dean Emerita and Professor of Sociology at Sonoma State University
• Shelley K. White Assistant Professor of Public Health and Sociology and Program Director of the Master of Public Health Program at Simmons College
• Deborah M. Merrill Professor of Sociology at Clark University

Elaine Leeder Dean Emerita and Professor of Sociology at Sonoma State University What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots? In order to set down roots, families must choose a place that has good schools for their children, one in which the schools provide adequate education as well as after school activities that enhance a child’s development. If a family wants to cultivate their children for future growth, the parents should look at the per capita income of the area (will they be comfortable and fit with the folks who live there?), the cultural activities available in the area and the availability of child care programs as well. How diverse is the area? It is important that families live among many types of people so their children will learn to get along with all kinds of folks. Weather is also important when considering where to move. If the family is compelled to live someplace due to work availability, it is still possible to find an area that meets everyone’s needs. Is it commutable? Is there a place for physical activity for the parents and kids? Are there libraries and sports facilities? All these are important and often not considered when moving. I urge that they all be taken into consideration so that the whole family is content in the new place. To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How? A child is highly influenced by the place in which they live. Their peers are equally important as well as the types of programming they can engage in. The quality of life is determined by many factors, not just a nice house. When moving, the parents might also consider their political affiliation to see if the neighborhood and state is consistent with their values. One can be very unhappy if one’s neighbors do not agree with their values. Weather is also important: a cold or demanding climate can lead to depression and marital problems, so take this seriously. How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families? A state can induce families to move there by providing financial incentives to young families, including housing subsidies, moving expenses, and day care availability. Families leave areas that are not supportive to their families. Thus, lawmakers should consider affordable housing programs as well as subsidized day care and after school programs. How might Trump Administration policies related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being? The Trump administration needs to embrace subsidized child care, paid family leave and family planning so that families can feel supported. Other countries like those in Scandinavia and Germany have many models that could be embraced that would encourage healthful family growth. I understand that Ivanka Trump is interested in these issues and I look forward to a step in the right direction in this area. The country sure needs some thoughtful leadership on family leave and child care. Shelley K. White Assistant Professor of Public Health and Sociology and Program Director of the Master of Public Health Program at Simmons College What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots? There are many factors that shape family and community life in important ways, socially, economically and culturally. Some of the first questions families might consider include: What is the quality of the local school system, and are there unique curricular and extracurricular services, activities and opportunities for children according to their abilities, learning styles, and interests? What kinds of job opportunities are available in various sectors, and what basic protections are available for workers, such as a progressive minimum wage package? What is the cost of living and what types of housing options and opportunities are available? Families should also consider the character and culture of the community and state, asking: Does community life reflect a high level of social cohesion and intentional co-existence? How diverse and how segregated is the community? Are community members civically engaged? What is the extent of economic and social inequality and what approaches and policies are being leveraged to address these issues? Do state and community institutions and policies reflect a proactive, inclusive, non-discriminatory approach to shaping community life? To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How? State to state, there is reasonable variability in policies that shape child development. For instance, when it comes to healthcare, low-income families may be eligible for benefits through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The Affordable Care Act aimed to increase eligibility and make it consistent state-to-state, but this piece of the policy was not upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012. Therefore, for parents, the income eligibility ranges from >50% to over 138% of Federal Policy Level (FPL). For children, it ranges from under 200% to over 300% FPL. When it comes to education, states and local communities have great sway over standards, and state tax policy has an important influence. For instance, some states provide more holistic early intervention and special education services than others. Also, according to the state young adults reside in, they will face variable quality in state higher education, as well as in the extent of tuition and debt they may carry. There is also great variability in minimum wage standards, where some municipalities and states are enacting a $15 minimum wage and others fall far behind on this measure. State practices in criminal justice also matter for our development over the life course, and states should have proactive policies oriented to community policing and non-discrimination. States also vary in how proactive they are in protecting and promoting environmental restoration and sustainability to ensure safe, clean environments and food and water systems to support development in important ways. Additionally, cultural and community opportunities certainly vary between and within states. How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families? States are constrained by the requirement of running a balanced budget and within that, legislators must make important decisions about policy priorities. Economic policies guided by an ethic of targeted universalism can ensure that all families have opportunity, while addressing the compounded barriers that face some families, such as low-income families of color. Education policy, if carefully constructed, holds the potential to be a site for enhancing opportunity and equity for future generations. Across institutions, proactive participatory planning, anti-discrimination work, and cultural development programs can help to foster social cohesion and community-based problem solving that generates positive outcomes for all. How might Trump Administration policies related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being? For the most part, Trump Administration policies have not been outlined at a level of detail that encourages clear understanding. We need to wait and see how policy proposals are shaped as he enters office. He has proposed some interesting tax deductions for families and some benefits for parental leave that could ease burdens on young families. At the same time, examining the broad stroke of his stated policy intentions and also viewing his recent nominations, families with children should be concerned about proposed cuts and changes to Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security, and the Affordable Care Act, as well as tax policies that favor the wealthy over low- and middle-income families. We also face the potential of increased privatization and deferral to Charter Schools that may shape the quality of our schools systems in important ways, especially for disadvantaged families. Finally, immigrant families, families of color, and LGBTQ families face particularly acute concerns in a climate of increased discrimination and marginalization. It will be important to take a broad view of the types of policies packages emerging in the new administration to understand the holistic effect on families generally, as well as families that struggle in our inequitable society. Deborah M. Merrill Professor of Sociology at Clark University What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots? The top priority for young families would be the quality of the school system. They should live in a state and town/city that has a higher percentage of students going on to four-year colleges and a higher persistence rate (the percentage of high school students that complete their high school degree in 4 to 6 years). The state and town should also have a higher dollar value spent on education per student in the school district. I would also encourage a person to pick a state that has access to quality health care. What is the availability of health care services and are they spread out? Does the state offer an affordable set of insurance options with low deductibles for those who are part of the state exchange (like Mass Health)? If the family is low income, does the state and town have community health centers spread around and Medicaid options that cover low income families and not just the poorest of the poor? To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How? It is hard to know if the town offers affordable day care until you move there or look on-line. It would help young families considerably if the country or individual states supplemented the cost of day care and monitored regulation standards more closely. Parental leave policy needs to include paid family leave like they have in European countries if families are to utilize guaranteed time off. Families are under inordinate stress trying to work multiple jobs in order to afford day care and health insurance when their children are younger. Assistance from the government would allow parents to have the time to have a meal with their children on a regular basis and not have to choose between paying for the heat that month versus buying groceries. They would not have to work double shifts and could supervise their children. The availability of state and national benefits greatly impacts the quality of life for all families, but especially the poor. How might Trump Administration policies related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being? In my opinion, the increase in the number of young families without children has much to do with the lack of a sufficient safety net for families in our country and the continued difficulty of combining work and family.

Methodology

In order to identify the best states to raise a family, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across five key dimensions: 1) Family Fun, 2) Health & Safety, 3) Education & Child Care, 4) Affordability and 4) Socioeconomics.

We evaluated these categories using 40 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 indicating the favorable conditions for parents and their children.

Finally, we calculated the overall score for each state and the District based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to rank the states and the District.

Family Fun – Total Weight: 20

• Number of Attractions: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Fitness & Recreational Sports Centers per Capita: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Weather: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s Cities with the Best & Worst Weather ranking.
• Share of Families with Young Children: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of families with children aged 0 to 17.
• Average Commute Time: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Arcades per Capita: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)

Health & Safety – Total Weight: 20

• Air Pollution: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Water Quality: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Pediatricians per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Share of Children Lacking Health Insurance: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)Note: “Children” includes individuals aged 0 to 17.
• Quality of Public Hospitals: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)Note: This metric is based on public-hospital ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
• Infant-Mortality Rate: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Violent-Crime Rate per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Property-Crime Rate per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Education & Child Care - Total Weight: 20

• Quality of Public Schools: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Best & Worst School Systems” ranking.
• Public High School Graduation Rate: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Day-Care Quality: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Child-Care Costs: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)Note: This metric was adjusted for the median family income.
• Parental Leave: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)Note: This metric is based on parental-leave policy scores from the National Partnership for Women & Families.
• Child Day-Care Services per Capita: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)

Affordability - Total Weight: 20

• Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Housing Costs / Median Annual Family Income. “Housing Costs” accounts for both rental and house prices.
• Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Credit Utilization: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)Note: This metric measures the average percentage of credit used per adult aged 18 and older.
• Debt Delinquency: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults aged 18 and older who are delinquent on their debts.
• Mortgage Debt: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)Note: This metric measures the amount of mortgage debt per adult aged 18 and older, as a percentage of median earnings.
• Non-Mortgage Debt: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)Note: This metric measures the amount of non-mortgage debt per adult aged 18 and older, as a percentage of median earnings.
• Savings: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)Note: This metric measures the average savings amount per consumer.
• Employer-Based Retirement Plans: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)Note: This metric measures access to and participation in employer-based retirement plans.
• Median Annual Family Income: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.

Socioeconomics - Total Weight: 20

• Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Share of Two-Parent Families: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Share of Families Living Below the Poverty Line: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Share of Families Receiving Food Stamps: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Paid Family Leave: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Wealth Gap: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)
• Job Security: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: (Number of Employees in 2015 – Number of Employees in 2014) / Number of Employees in 2014.
• Job Opportunities: Full Weight (~1.82 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Number of Job Openings per Number of Population in Labor Force Minus Unemployed Rate.

 

Sources: Data used to create these rankings were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics, Child Care Aware of America, County Health Rankings, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Council for Community and Economic Research, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Partnership for Women & Families, TransUnion, Pitney Bowes, National Conference of State Legislatures, The Pew Charitable Trusts, United Health Foundation, CoreLogic, Indeed and WalletHub research.

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