A new report from WalletHub ranked the best and worst states to raise a family — and Utah ranked outside the top 10.
What happened: The WalletHub report compared all 50 states across 51 different key metrics to determine each state’s family-friendliness levels.
- The states were compared by factors such as annual family income, housing affordability and unemployment.
Best states: Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Minnesota and Nebraska ranked as the top five states.
Worst states: Mississippi, New Mexico, Louisiana, South Carolina and Oklahoma were ranked as the worst states.
Utah’s ranking: Utah ranked 13th on the list, sitting behind Iowa, Rhode Island and New Jersey.
By the numbers: Here’s a look at some other rankings for Utah, according to the report.
- 15.74: Utah had the lowest separation and divorce rate in the country with 15.74%.
- 4: Utah ranked fourth in the country for lowest child care costs.
- 3: Utah had the third-highest ranking for socioeconomic factors
- 1: Utah ranked first in the country for most families with young kids.
Flashback: Utah hasn’t historically ranked as the best state for families. Back in 2017, I reported that Utah ranked 12th on the WalletHub list. North Dakota topped the list that year.
Yes, but: Utah had the first-place ranking for most families with kids and Utah had the lowest divorce rate, as I wrote for the Deseret News.