The Best States to Raise a Child 

• press release of 27 July
• state rankings
• individual ranking, by state, of the ten factors used in the overall ranking
• comparison of state rankings, 1995-1999
• sources of the ten factors

   Washington, D.C.---Maine is the best state in which to raise a child, according to the most recent ranking compiled by the Children's Rights Council, a national child advocacy organization.

   Maine has advanced from 8th place in 1998's ranking. Maine  replaces Iowa, 1998's number one state. This is primarily due to an increase in the graduation rate, a decrease of the children in poverty rate, and a decrease in the teen birth rate in Maine.

   CRC's 1999 fifth annual report, ranking all fifty states and Washington, D.C., will be released at a press conference Tuesday, July 27th, in the Senate Dirksen Building, room 562,  at 11 AM.

   The 50 states and the District of Columbia were categorically  measured and then ranked in relation to each other based on ten different criteria. The ten criteria used in 1999 were  the following:

• the percentage of children referred for investigation of alleged abuse and neglect,
• the percentage of children not immunized by age two,
• the high school dropout  rate, the child death rate,
• the infant mortality rate,
• the percentage of mothers not receiving prenatal care in the first trimester,
• the percentage of juvenile arrests,
• the  percentage of teen births, and
• the percentage of divorces.

The average of all ten factors was calculated for each state,  and the states were ranked from lowest to highest percentage from 1 to 51. The CRC modified some of the criteria from  previous years to include statistics that are more directly related to children. The method of calculation was also modified to be more mathematically accurate.

   The top ten states in which to raise a child are: Maine (1),  Massachusetts (2), Connecticut (3), Vermont (4), New Hampshire (5), North Dakota (6), Maryland (7), Kansas (8), Wisconsin (9), and Iowa (10).

 Questions? Contact: Ellen, Stephanie, Maryellen 202 547 6227

Sources for 1999 report The Best States to Raise a Child

1. Abuse/Neglect-

Source: ACF Press Room-US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
Figure: Number of Children Referred for Investigation of Alleged Abuse and Neglect 1997
Calculation: (number of children subject of a report referred for investigation) divided by population of the state

2. Not Immunized at Age 2-

Source: 1999 Kids Count Data Book, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Figure: Percent of 2-year-olds who were immunized: 1997
Calculation: 100 minus (percent of 2-year-olds who were immunized). Converted to decimal form

3. High School Drop-Out Rate-

Source: 1999 Kids Count Data Book, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Figure: Percent of Teens who are high school dropouts (ages 16-19): 1996
Calculation: Percent of Teens who are high school dropouts. Converted to decimal form

4. Children in Poverty-

Source: 1999 Kids Count Data Book, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Figure: Percent of children in poverty: 1996
Calculation: Percent of children who live in poverty. Converted to decimal form

5. Child Death Rate-

Source: 1999 Kids Count Data Book, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Figure: Child death rate (deaths per 100,000 children ages 1-14): 1996
Calculation: (child death rate) divided by 100,000

6. Infant Mortality-

Source: 1999 Kids Count Data Book, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Figure: Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births): 1996
Calculation: (Infant mortality rate) divided by 1,000

7. Mothers Not Receiving Prenatal Care-

Source: National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 47 No. 4 October 7,1998: Table 9
Figure: Percent of mothers receiving prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy, all races: 1997
Calculation: 100 minus (percent of mothers receiving prenatal care). Converted to decimal form

8. Juvenile Arrests

All states except Kansas, Florida, and Washington D. C:

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Reports for the United States: 1997. Section IV-Persons arrested. Table 69
Figure: Total Arrests all classes, under 18.
Calculation: (total arrests all classes, under 18) divided by population of state

Kansas:

Source: Kansas Bureau of Investigation. 1997 Arrests by Age Group Press Release.
Figure: Total Arrests, Total Juvenile
Calculation: (total arrests, total juvenile) divided by population of state

Florida:

Source: Florida Department of Law Enforcement. 1997 Juvenile Arrests for Florida.
Figure: Juvenile arrests for Florida, total offense
Calculation: (total offense) divided by population of state.

Washington D. C.:

Source: Metropolitan Police Department, Tactical Crime Analysis Unit. Juvenile Arrests Statistics: 1997
Figure: Juvenile arrests, total, all classes
Calculation: (Juvenile arrests, total, all classes) divided by population of district

9. Birth Rate-

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention. National Vital Statistics Report. Vol. 47 No. 12 December 17, 2020
Figure: Birth rates for teenagers aged 15-19 years, by age group and state, all classes: 1996 (rate per 1,000 births)
Calculation: (Birth rate for teenagers aged 15-19 years, ; all classes) divided by 1,000

10. Divorce Rate-

Source: National Center for Disease Control. Division of Vital Statistics. Report 47M17. Table 3.
Figure: Divorces (January-November): 1998
Calculation: (Divotees for January-November 1998) divided by population of state