MAP MONDAY: Georgia Is the 10th Worst State to Raise a Family

Not all states are created equal. Some are more conducive to pleasant family life than others. Those factors can often influence where people opt to set down roots when they’re growing their family. But what factors should be considered?

Personal financial website WalletHub recently examined the 50 states across 51 key indicators of family-friendliness, including the median annual family income, housing affordability, the unemployment rate, and child care costs.

In discussing the degree to which a child’s development and a family’s quality of life is influenced by the state in which they live, Dr. Heidi Stolz, Professor and Director of Parenting Education Lab at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville said, “Overall, neighborhoods and communities have major impacts on children’s development. Neighborhood safety, school quality, air and water quality, green space, economic opportunities for parents, access to quality food, and positive social connections are the building blocks for children’s futures. Resource-rich communities can be found in all states, but states do have different cultures, and from those cultures, differing family policies have emerged.”

So, how do the states match up? And why is Georgia ranked 10th worst?

Best States for Families

Georgia ranked 41st.

Raising a Family in Georgia (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

• 16^th – Child-Care Costs (Adjusted for Median Family Income)
• 46^th – Infant-Mortality Rate
• 21^st – Median Annual Family Income (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
• 29^th – Violent Crimes per Capita
• 41^st – % of Families in Poverty
• 26^th – Housing Affordability
• 36^th – Separation & Divorce Rate
• 44^th – Percentage of Residents Aged 12+ Who Are Fully Vaccinated

You can read the full report and additional methodology here.