2007 KIDS COUNT Data Book Online >
Summary and Findings
Ranking States on Composite Index
Data from all 10 key indicators are used to develop a composite index of child well-being for each state. The Overall Rank Table and Map show how states rank, based on the 10-item index.
The state that ranks highest (best), based on the composite index, is Minnesota. New Hampshire ranks second, and Connecticut ranks third. The three states at the bottom of the ranking are Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
The Overall Rank Map also reflects a couple of regional overtones. The New England states and a group of states in the Northern Plains all rank relatively high. Except for Rhode Island, all of the New England states rank in the top 15. In the Northern Plains, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wisconsin are all ranked in the top 15.
At the other end of the spectrum, states in the South and Southwest dominate the lower part of the ranking. Except for West Virginia, the 10 states with the lowest Overall Rank in terms of child well-being are all located in the South or Southwest.
