BALTIMORE, MD—With Father’s Day approaching and around 94.1% of married dads working compared to 72.7% of married moms, the personal-finance website WalletHub this week released its report on Best & Worst States for Working Dads in 2024.
In order to help dads balance their dual roles as parent and provider, WalletHub compared the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia across 21 key indicators of friendliness toward working dads. The data set ranges from the average length of the work day for men to child care costs to the share of men in good or better health.
Massachusetts came in at No. 1 on the list followed by Washington D.C. at No. 2. Maryland came in at No. 13 on the list.
| Best States for Working Dads | Worst States for Working Dads | |
| 1. Massachusetts | 42. South Carolina | |
| 2. District of Columbia | 43. Arizona | |
| 3. Connecticut | 44. Arkansas | |
| 4. New Jersey | 45. Alabama | |
| 5. Minnesota | 46. Louisiana | |
| 6. Rhode Island | 47. Oklahoma | |
| 7. Wisconsin | 48. Nevada | |
| 8. New Hampshire | 49. Mississippi | |
| 9. Illinois | 50. West Virginia | |
| 10. Virginia | 51. New Mexico |
South Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate for dads with kids aged 0 to 17 which is 3.5 times lower than in West Virginia, the highest. Massachusetts has the lowest male uninsured rate which is 5.6 times lower than in Texas, the highest. South Dakota has the lowest average annual early child-care costs (adjusted for median family income) which is 2.5 times lower than in New York, the highest. Vermont has the lowest share of men who couldn’t afford to see a doctor in the past year because of costs which is 2.4 times lower than in Arkansas, the highest.
“Working dads have to worry about much more than just how much income they’re bringing home to support their kids,” said WalletHub Analyst Cassandra Happe. “They also have to make sure that their children’s childcare and education are adequate, their health is properly looked after, and they get enough quality time with their father. The best states for working dads provide the conditions for all these needs to be met, while also helping dads maintain their own physical and mental health.”
“Massachusetts is the best state for working dads, boasting one of the lowest unemployment rates for dads at just 2.8%, along with the second-lowest poverty rate for kids, at 5%,” Happe added. “In addition, Massachusetts has the best parental leave policies of any state, the best school systems in the country and a high number of child care workers per capita.”
The full list can be viewed online here at WalletHub.
More in the video below.
Image via Pixabay
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