Rankings

The 2023 KIDS COUNT® Data Book tracks the well-being of the nation's children state by state using a comprehensive index. In addition to the publication, an interactive look at the Data Book also is available.

The KIDS COUNT index includes child-level indicators across four domains:

Overall

• KIDS COUNT overall rank

Economic Well-Being

• Economic Well-Being Rank
• Children in poverty
• Children whose parents lack secure employment
• Children living in households with a high housing cost burden
• Teens not in school and not working

Education

• Education Rank
• Young children (ages 3 and 4) not in school
• Fourth-graders not proficient in reading
• Eighth-graders not proficient in math
• High school students not graduating on time

Health

• Health Rank
• Low birth-weight babies
• Children without health insurance
• Child and teen deaths per 100,000
• Children and teens (ages 10 to 17) who are overweight or obese

Family & Community

• Family and Community Rank
• Children in single-parent families
• Children in families where the household head lacks a high school diploma
• Children living in high-poverty areas
• Teen births per 1,000

States are ranked in the four areas which are combined to calculate how states rank overall on child well-being.