KIDS COUNT State Rankings
The 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book tracks the well-being of the nation's children state by state using a comprehensive index. In addition to the publication, an interactive look at the Data Book also is available.
The KIDS COUNT index includes child-level indicators across four domains:
Overall
Economic Well-Being
- Economic Well-Being Rank
- Children in poverty
- Children whose parents lack secure employment
- Children living in households with a high housing cost burden
- Teens not in school and not working
Education
- Education Rank
- Young children (ages 3 and 4) not in school
- Fourth-graders not proficient in reading
- Eighth-graders not proficient in math
- High school students not graduating on time
Health
- Health Rank
- Low birth-weight babies
- Children without health insurance
- Child and teen deaths per 100,000
- Children and teens (ages 10 to 17) who are overweight or obese
Family & Community
- Family and Community Rank
- Children in single-parent families
- Children in families where the household head lacks a high school diploma
- Children living in high-poverty areas
- Teen births per 1,000
States are ranked in the four areas which are combined to calculate how states rank overall on child well-being.