KIDS COUNT National Rank (1990–2014)

Definition

The national rank is an assessment of child well-being in the 50 states based on ten indicators. The state ranking 1st has the best child well-being and the state ranking 50th has the worst. The Annie E. Casey Foundation began ranking states in 1990. Over the years, they have dropped some indicators and added others. From 1999 to 2011, however, the ten indicators of child well-being have been:

• Low-birth weight babies

• Infant mortality rate

• Child death rate

• Teen death rate

• Teen birth rate

• High school dropout rate

• Teens not working or in school

• Underemployed parents

• Children living in poverty

• Children in single-parent families

In 2012, the Casey Foundation began basing the rankings on 16 indicators. Therefore, rankings since 2012 are not comparable to earlier rankings. The 16 indicators are:

• Children living in poverty

• Children whose parents lack secure employment

• Children in households with a high housing cost burden

• Teens not working or in school

• Children not attending preschool

• Fourth graders not proficient in reading

• Eighth graders not proficient in math

• High school students not graduating on time

• Low-birth weight babies

• Children without health insurance

• Child and teen death rates

• Teens who abuse alcohol or drugs

• Children in single-parent families

• Children in families where the household head lacks a high school diploma

• Children living in high-poverty areas

• Teen birth rate

Data Source

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Last Updated

2015-06