Idaho's one of the worst states in the country for working moms. What about for dads?
Analytics website WalletHub has released the follow-up to its study on best states for working moms, and the news for Idaho dads isn't promising, either.
Last month, the site declared Idaho the worst state for working mothers thanks to poor-quality child care and few professional opportunities. Similar metrics left our state at 47th in the nation for working fathers.
For its June study, WalletHub looked at 20 metrics for each of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Those statistics fell into four categories: economic and social well-being, work-life balance, child care and health.
Out of a possible 100 points, Idaho scored only 38.86 — outstripping only New Mexico (37.79), Nevada (36.62), Mississippi (36.17) and West Virginia (35.69). The best-ranked state, Connecticut, had a score of 72.58.
Idahoans fared best in the health category, ranking 28th. Idaho dads' economic and social well-being earned a 38, while work-life balance ranked 37th. But where Idaho really failed was the child care category, where our state came in dead last.
Here's what the website weighed to calculate its scores:
- Median family income (adjusted for cost of living)
- Unemployment rate for dads with kids aged 0 to 17
- Share of kids aged 0 to 17 (with dad present) living in poverty
- Average freshman graduation rate for men
- Parental leave policy
- Average length of work day for males
- Average commute time for men
- Day care quality score
- Child care costs (adjusted for median family income)
- Pediatricians per capita
- Quality of state school system
- Share of nationally accredited child care centers
- Number of child care workers per children under 14
- Male uninsured rate
- Men's life expectancy
- Male suicide rate
- Male mental health
- Share of men in good or better health
- Share of physically active men
- Unaffordability of doctor's visits
Read WalletHub's full analysis here.
This story was originally published June 12, 2018 at 9:51 AM with the headline "Idaho's one of the worst states in the country for working moms. What about for dads?."