Iowa has moved from its rank as 5th in the 1997 report due to reductions in the following: number of children in poverty, single parents, and teen pregnancies. In 1998, Iowa replaces North Dakota, CRC’s 1997 number one state, which now ranks 6th.
CRC’s 1998 4th annual report on how the fifty states and D.C. rank in the raising of children will be released at a press conference Tuesday, July 28th, in the Russell Senate Office Building, room 385, at 11:00 am. Honored speakers will include Congressman Ganske (IA), Congressman Oberstar (MN), Congressman Sabo (MN), and Congressman Gutknecht (MN).
The 50 states and District of Columbia were categorically measured and then ranked in relation to one another based on 11 different criteria. These criteria are the highest public school graduation rate, and the lowest of the following: infant mortality rate, child death rate, children in poverty, teenage pregnancy rate, unwed births, divorce rate, single parent households, crime rate, drug induced deaths, and alcohol induced deaths. "We feel these are the best indicators of how well a state provides a child-friendly environment," said David L. Levy, President of CRC.
"The Best States to Raise a Child" are
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sherida Colvin, Melanie Woodrow, Lisa Everett, Aaron Washburn, Melissa
Gillombardo, or Denise Knipp at (202) 547-6227.
State | Rank | State | Rank | State | Rank |
Iowa | 1 | Rhode Island | 18 | Oklahoma | 35 |
Minnesota | 2 | Indiana | 19 | Illinois | 36 |
New Hamphshire | 3 | Ohio | 20 | New York | 37 |
Nebraska | 4 | Washington | 21 | Delaware | 38 |
Massachusetts | 5 | Wyoming | 22 | Arkansas | 39 |
North Dakota | 6 | Idaho | 23 | North Carolina | 40 |
South Dakota | 7 | Colorado | 24 | Alabama | 41 |
Maine | 8 | West Virginia | 25 | Georgia | 42 |
Utah | 9 | Maryland | 26 | South Carolina | 43 |
Vermont | 10 | Montana | 27 | Nevada | 44 |
Hawaii | 11 | Alaska | 28 | Florida | 45 |
Pennsylvania | 12 | Oregon | 29 | Tennessee | 46 |
Wisconsin | 13 | Michigan | 30 | Loiusiana | 47 |
Kansas | 14 | Missouri | 31 | Mississippi | 48 |
New Jersey | 15 | California | 32 | Arizona | 49 |
Virginia | 16 | Texas | 33 | New Mexico | 50 |
Connecticut | 17 | Kentucky | 34 | District of Columbia | 51 |
State | Lowest Infant Mortality Rate | Lowest Child Death Rate | Lowest Number of Children in Poverty | Lowest Teenage Pregnancy Rate | Lowest Number of Unwed Births | Lowest Divorce Rate | Lowest Number of Single Parents | Highest Graduation Rate | Lowest Crime Rate | Lowest Number of Drug Induced Deaths | Lowest Number of Alcohol Induced Deaths |
Alabama (AL) | 48 | 46 | 35 | 43 | 37 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 16 | 5 | 25 |
Alaska (AK) | 15 | 49 | 4 | 25 | 25 | 31 | 10 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 50 |
Arizona (AZ) | 45 | 35 | 48 | 48 | 46 | 46 | 31 | 44 | 38 | 46 | 42 |
Arkansas (AR) | 27 | 47 | 38 | 46 | 40 | 45 | 24 | 12 | 46 | 19 | 19 |
California (CA) | 11 | 13 | 43 | 41 | 28 | 20 | 31 | 36 | 14 | 47 | 44 |
Colorado (CO) | 34 | 9 | 8 | 27 | 6 | 33 | 5 | 23 | 28 | 41 | 7 |
Connecticut (CT) | 20 | 2 | 37 | 11 | 25 | 2 | 31 | 22 | 42 | 36 | 43 |
Delaware (DE) | 32 | 19 | 15 | 32 | 42 | 33 | 44 | 38 | 39 | 44 | 23 |
District of Columbia (DC) | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 8 | 51 | 50 | 51 | 16 | 51 |
Florida (FL) | 21 | 31 | 36 | 35 | 43 | 40 | 44 | 45 | 41 | 28 | 37 |
Georgia (GA) | 41 | 39 | 34 | 44 | 41 | 37 | 37 | 47 | 21 | 21 | 35 |
Hawaii (HI) | 5 | 5 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 37 | 1 |
Idaho (ID) | 35 | 42 | 25 | 23 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 13 | 35 | 32 | 10 |
Illinois (IL) | 35 | 31 | 29 | 34 | 38 | 6 | 37 | 19 | 50 | 34 | 22 |
Indiana (IN) | 21 | 39 | 1 | 33 | 31 | 50 | 10 | 28 | 12 | 7 | 3 |
Iowa (IA) | 5 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 6 |
Kansas (KS) | 27 | 21 | 12 | 28 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 9 |
Kentucky (KY) | 38 | 28 | 41 | 36 | 21 | 42 | 10 | 34 | 40 | 20 | 21 |
Louisiana (LA) | 45 | 43 | 49 | 42 | 49 | 20 | 49 | 51 | 34 | 27 | 13 |
Maine (ME) | 1 | 9 | 21 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 18 | 31 | 8 | 6 | 34 |
Maryland (MD) | 42 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 35 | 3 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 49 | 12 |
Massachusetts (MA) | 3 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 31 | 14 | 1 | 45 | 8 |
Michigan (MI) | 38 | 21 | 26 | 24 | 39 | 17 | 40 | 29 | 10 | 31 | 32 |
Minnesota (MN) | 17 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 15 |
Mississippi (MS) | 50 | 50 | 47 | 50 | 50 | 27 | 49 | 49 | 45 | 10 | 16 |
Missouri (MO) | 43 | 28 | 6 | 31 | 34 | 31 | 24 | 27 | 48 | 18 | 26 |
Montana (MT) | 32 | 41 | 46 | 14 | 15 | 27 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 33 | 40 |
Nebraska (NE) | 37 | 5 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 5 |
Nevada (NV) | 8 | 35 | 5 | 45 | 48 | 51 | 31 | 35 | 44 | 50 | 47 |
New Hampshire (NH) | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 37 | 6 | 4 | 28 |
New Jersey (NJ) | 21 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 15 | 48 | 30 |
New Mexico (NM) | 18 | 37 | 50 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 44 | 42 | 47 | 51 | 49 |
New York (NY) | 15 | 19 | 42 | 17 | 45 | 4 | 48 | 40 | 32 | 40 | 38 |
North Carolina (NC) | 48 | 28 | 30 | 37 | 29 | 33 | 37 | 41 | 36 | 15 | 41 |
North Dakota (ND) | 18 | 47 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 1 | 31 |
Ohio (OH) | 27 | 21 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 22 | 31 | 20 | 24 | 14 | 2 |
Oklahoma (OK) | 45 | 45 | 44 | 37 | 24 | 47 | 24 | 26 | 9 | 12 | 20 |
Oregon (OR) | 14 | 21 | 33 | 26 | 20 | 27 | 24 | 33 | 23 | 43 | 39 |
Pennsylvania (PA) | 27 | 9 | 20 | 13 | 30 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 3 | 39 | 4 |
Rhode Island (RI) | 13 | 2 | 18 | 16 | 32 | 12 | 40 | 30 | 7 | 42 | 18 |
South Carolina (SC) | 40 | 43 | 32 | 39 | 44 | 15 | 44 | 46 | 25 | 24 | 45 |
South Dakota (SD) | 10 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 2 | 46 |
Tennessee (TN) | 43 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 35 | 44 | 40 | 39 | 43 | 25 | 33 |
Texas (TX) | 12 | 26 | 40 | 49 | 23 | 38 | 18 | 48 | 30 | 29 | 17 |
Utah (UT) | 8 | 31 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 7 | 33 | 35 | 14 |
Vermont (VT) | 27 | 9 | 26 | 1 | 10 | 27 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 26 | 29 |
Virginia (VA) | 21 | 13 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 17 | 27 | 23 | 11 |
Washington (WA) | 5 | 13 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 39 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 38 | 36 |
West Virginia (WV) | 26 | 31 | 45 | 29 | 27 | 33 | 18 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 27 |
Wisconsin (WI) | 21 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 49 | 17 | 24 |
Wyoming (WY) | 2 | 26 | 17 | 18 | 12 | 47 | 18 | 10 | 37 | 22 | 48 |
State | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 |
Alabama (AL) | 41 | 48 | 46 | 40 |
Alaska (AK) | 28 | 20 | 20 | 11 |
Arizona (AZ) | 49 | 42 | 39 | 38 |
Arkansas (AR) | 39 | 38 | 41 | 37 |
California (CA) | 32 | 32 | 36 | 32 |
Colorado (CO) | 24 | 23 | 15 | 31 |
Connecticut (CT) | 17 | 13 | 17 | 8 |
Delaware (DE) | 38 | 40 | 25 | 26 |
District of Columbia (DC) | 51 | 51 | 48 | 39 |
Florida (FL) | 45 | 45 | 47 | 43 |
Georgia (GA) | 42 | 44 | 44 | 42 |
Hawaii (HI) | 11 | 14 | 10 | 17 |
Idaho (ID) | 23 | 16 | 13 | 17 |
Illinois (IL) | 36 | 33 | 31 | 30 |
Indiana (IN) | 19 | 27 | 30 | 28 |
Iowa (IA) | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
Kansas (KS) | 14 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
Kentucky (KY) | 34 | 29 | 38 | 24 |
Louisiana (LA) | 47 | 49 | 49 | 45 |
Maine (ME) | 8 | 12 | 6 | 7 |
Maryland (MD) | 26 | 31 | 28 | 23 |
Massachusetts (MA) | 5 | 10 | 11 | 15 |
Michigan (MI) | 30 | 34 | 27 | 27 |
Minnesota (MN) | 2 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
Mississippi (MS) | 48 | 50 | 50 | 44 |
Missouri (MO) | 31 | 28 | 35 | 29 |
Montana (MT) | 27 | 22 | 12 | 13 |
Nebraska (NE) | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
Nevada (NV) | 44 | 37 | 32 | 33 |
New Hampshire (NH) | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
New Jersey (NJ) | 15 | 9 | 16 | 9 |
New Mexico (NM) | 50 | 47 | 45 | 36 |
New York (NY) | 37 | 35 | 42 | 31 |
North Carolina (NC) | 40 | 43 | 36 | 35 |
North Dakota (ND) | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Ohio (OH) | 20 | 30 | 29 | 25 |
Oklahoma (OK) | 35 | 39 | 34 | 34 |
Oregon (OR) | 29 | 25 | 23 | 22 |
Pennsylvania (PA) | 11 | 15 | 21 | 12 |
Rhode Island (RI) | 18 | 24 | 14 | 16 |
South Carolina (SC) | 42 | 46 | 40 | 43 |
South Dakota (SD) | 7 | 11 | 18 | 16 |
Tennessee (TN) | 46 | 41 | 43 | 41 |
Texas (TX) | 33 | 36 | 33 | 29 |
Utah (UT) | 9 | 6 | 1 | 14 |
Vermont (VT) | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Virginia (VA) | 16 | 19 | 23 | 20 |
Washington (WA) | 21 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
West Virginia (WV) | 25 | 26 | 26 | 19 |
Wisconsin (WI) | 13 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
Wyoming (WY) | 22 | 17 | 9 | 10 |