The Best and Worst States for Moms to Live
Motherhood can be a complex mix of fun and hardship, shaped by several factors, including location. The team at Kremp shows why this is the case with a graphic that scores states on how supportive they are of mothers. “Mom-friendly” states offer a variety of support that we can see in the team’s scoring metrics. The scoring system was based on these factors: • Women’s Median Earnings • Gender Wage Gap • Child Care Costs • Percentage of Mothers in ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’ Health • Percentage of Children in ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’ Health • Percentage of Population Under the Age of 18 • State School System Score & Nationwide Rank • Percentage of Parents Who ‘Definitely Agree’ That Their Child is Safe at School • Weeks of Parental Leave • Paid Family Leave • Job Protection Financial factors have a tremendous impact on the struggles mothers face. Not only are mothers entitled to their own goals and dreams, but childcare requires a lot of expenses like food, clothing, education, and enrichment. Health is also a significant factor. Moms and their children need reliable access to doctors to be happy and healthy. Education is also of utmost importance to Moms who want the best for their child and want them to be safe at school. Parental leave offers mothers more flexibility to balance their work, life, and duties to their children. These ten states had the best scores: • Massachusetts • Maryland • Connecticut • Kentucky • Delaware • South Dakota • New York • Rhode Island • Florida Whereas these ten states had the worst scores: • Montana • Arizona • Hawaii • Idaho • South Carolina • Oklahoma • Louisiana • Michigan • Nevada • West Virginia • New Mexico We can see the details of how and why states earned their scores and ranks. The results show us that all states could improve their support for mothers, but some have much more work to do than others.
