Best & Worst States for Working Dads in 2024 (2024)

The burden on working dads has evolved over time. Back in 1972, 85% of American families relied on a single income, that of the dad, who spent much of his week at work while mom stayed home with the kids. Now, around 72.7% of married mothers work, and while that’s still quite a bit lower than the 94.1% of married fathers who do, the gap is closing.

The contemporary dad no longer fits neatly into the standard of the married breadwinner and disciplinarian. That’s been especially true in recent years when many fathers have temporarily or permanently switched to working from home and have taken on more childcare duties as a result.

In order to determine the best states for men who play a dual role of parent and provider, WalletHub compared the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia across 21 key indicators of friendliness toward working fathers. Our 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.

“Working dads have to worry about much more than just how much income they’re bringing home to support their kids. 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.”

Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main FindingsIn-Depth Look at the Best States for Working DadsAsk the ExpertsMethodology

Main Findings

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Best States for Working Dads

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Economic & Social Well-Being Rank	Work-Life Balance Rank	Child Care Rank	Health Rank
1	Massachusetts	76.54	6	1	2	2
2	District of Columbia	76.22	1	4	1	4
3	Connecticut	69.08	8	8	3	5
4	New Jersey	68.02	7	3	10	15
5	Minnesota	64.22	2	15	6	3
6	Rhode Island	63.15	29	5	7	8
7	Wisconsin	60.16	11	13	16	13
8	New Hampshire	60.12	3	40	5	11
9	Illinois	59.10	10	16	9	23
10	Virginia	58.98	4	24	13	21
11	Nebraska	58.71	15	26	4	9
12	Washington	57.21	20	2	37	12
13	Maryland	56.86	13	17	20	10
14	Maine	56.60	36	12	8	27
15	Vermont	55.68	31	11	24	6
16	Iowa	54.57	12	32	23	7
17	New York	54.14	41	9	25	17
18	Pennsylvania	53.41	9	28	26	19
19	Delaware	53.29	25	31	14	14
20	Indiana	52.68	23	35	11	36
21	Hawaii	52.13	49	10	22	1
22	Kansas	52.05	19	14	28	30
23	North Dakota	52.00	14	51	15	18
24	South Dakota	51.68	18	43	18	25
25	Utah	50.78	24	22	27	20
26	Ohio	49.76	5	18	41	35
27	Wyoming	48.99	22	49	19	31
28	Oregon	47.95	45	7	39	24
29	Colorado	47.92	21	20	36	26
30	Kentucky	47.70	35	30	17	42
31	Florida	47.56	46	29	12	34
32	California	47.34	50	6	35	16
33	Michigan	47.03	16	34	38	22
34	Tennessee	46.80	27	41	21	46
35	Missouri	46.30	17	37	33	38
36	Georgia	44.30	26	39	30	39
37	Texas	43.94	32	36	29	43
38	Montana	43.71	40	21	31	33
39	North Carolina	43.63	28	27	40	29
40	Alaska	41.12	37	25	46	32
41	Idaho	40.29	39	44	34	28
42	South Carolina	39.46	34	42	42	40
43	Arizona	39.15	42	19	47	37
44	Arkansas	38.33	43	33	32	50
45	Alabama	37.90	30	46	45	47
46	Louisiana	37.43	33	48	44	45
47	Oklahoma	34.85	44	47	43	48
48	Nevada	34.38	48	23	51	41
49	Mississippi	33.93	38	50	48	51
50	West Virginia	31.36	47	45	50	49
51	New Mexico	30.74	51	38	49	44

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Child-Care Costs (Adjusted for Median Family Income)

Lowest

1. South Dakota
2. Missouri
3. West Virginia
4. Mississippi
5. Georgia

Highest

47. Colorado
48. Nevada
49. Rhode Island
50. New Mexico
51. New York

Best State vs. Worst State: 3x Difference

South Dakota vs. New York

% of Kids Living in Poverty

Lowest

1. New Hampshire
2. Massachusetts
3. Minnesota
4. Utah
5. Vermont

Highest

47. Mississippi
48. Kentucky
49. Arkansas
50. West Virginia
51. New Mexico

Best State vs. Worst State: 4x Difference

New Hampshire vs. New Mexico

In-Depth Look at the Best Places for Working Dads

Massachusetts

Massachusetts is the best state for working dads, largely because it has great economic conditions for dads. For example, the unemployment rate for dads with kids under 18 years old is just 2.8%. Massachusetts also has the second-lowest poverty rate for kids whose father is present, at 5%. In addition, it has the best parental leave policies of any state, allowing fathers adequate time off work when a new child joins their family.

Getting their children a solid education and good child care is naturally a big concern for working dads. Massachusetts has the best school systems in the country, along with a high number of child care workers per capita.

Finally, the Bay State is a great place for men’s health. It has the second-highest percentage of men in good or better health, plus the lowest percentage of men who don’t have health insurance.

District of Columbia

The District of Columbia ranks as the second-best place for working dads to live. It has the highest median income for families with the father present, at nearly $140,000, and the unemployment rate for dads with kids under 18 years old is only around 2.2%.

D.C. is a place where both dads and their kids are able to stay healthy. The District has the highest share of men in good or better health and the highest share of physically-active men. It also leads the country when it comes to the number of pediatricians per capita.

To top things off, D.C. has resources that help fathers spend more time with their kids. It has the second-best parental leave policies in the nation, for example, and it is among the best places for working from home.

Connecticut

Connecticut is the third-best state for working dads, with the second-best school system in the country and a relatively high percentage of child care centers that are nationally accredited. This ensures kids are well taken care of while their dad is at work.

In addition, the Constitution State has the third-highest percentage of working men who are economically secure, at 76%. Economic security means being able to meet all their basic monthly expenses while also growing their assets modestly.

Finally, Connecticut is a good place for men to stay healthy in body and mind, with nearly 87% of men in good or better health and one of the lowest suicide rates for men in the country.

Ask the Experts

As the contemporary working dad faces increasing challenges in his role as parent and provider, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in on the most important issues. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

What are the biggest issues facing working dads today?
How likely is it that men will take advantage of family leave policies adopted in New York State and elsewhere?
How can young fathers strike the right balance between career and family?
With many fathers still working from home, what will be the impact on their role in caring for children and housework?
Almost 1 in 5 stay-at-home parents are dads. What are, in your opinion, the main reasons why dads choose to stay at home?

Ask the Experts

Ray Petren
Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies – Pennsylvania State University Scranton
Read More

Rob Weisskirch
MSW, Ph.D., Human Development and Family Science, Professor of Human Development; Department Chair – California State University Monterey Bay
Read More

Sharon Belden Castonguay
Executive Director, Gordon Career Center – Wesleyan University
Read More

Laura Bloom
Ph.D., CFLE – Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies; Faculty Director- Child Study Center; Director- Certified Family Life Education Program, Dept. of Health & Human Sciences – University of Montevallo
Read More

Methodology

To determine the best and worst states for working dads, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across four key dimensions: 1) Economic & Social Well-Being, 2) Work-Life Balance, 3) Child Care and 4) Health.

We evaluated those dimensions using 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for working dads.

We then determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Economic & Social Well-Being – Total Points: 30

Median Family Income (Adjusted for Cost of Living): Double Weight (~12.00 Points)
Note: “Family” refers to those with kids aged 0 to 17 and in which the father is present.
Share of Working Men Living with Economic Security: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on the Basic Economic Security Tables (BEST) Index, which measures how much income working adults of different family types need to be economically secure. Economic security means having “enough income to meet…basic monthly expenses—such as housing, food, transportation and child care expenses—and save for emergencies and retirement.”
Unemployment Rate for Dads with Kids Aged 0 to 17: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
Share of Kids Aged 0 to 17 (with Dad Present) Living in Poverty: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)

Work-Life Balance – Total Points: 30

WalletHub "Best States for Working from Home" Score: Double Weight (~6.67 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best States for Working from Home” ranking.
Parental-Leave Policy Score: Quadruple Weight (~13.33 Points)
Average Time Spent on Child Care for Men: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Average Length of Work Day (in Hours) for Men: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Average Commute Time for Men: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)

Child Care – Total Points: 30

Child-Care Costs (Adjusted for Median Family Income): Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: “Family” refers to those with kids aged 0 to 17 and in which the father is present.
Pediatricians per Capita: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Quality of State School System: Double Weight (~10.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “” ranking.
Share of Nationally Accredited Child Care Centers: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Number of Childcare Workers per Children Under Age 14: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)

Health – Total Points: 10

Male Uninsured Rate: Double Weight (~2.22 Points)
Men’s Life Expectancy: Double Weight (~2.22 Points)
Male Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Male Mental Health: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Share of Men in Good or Better Health: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of men who reported having good or better health as part of a public health survey, data for which are collected and maintained by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
Share of Physically Active Men: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of men who reported engaging in adequate or any physical activity as part of a public health survey, data for which are collected and maintained by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
Unaffordability of Doctor’s Visits: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of men who could not afford to visit a doctor in the past 12 months due to unaffordable costs.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of May 13, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Partnership for Women & Families, Institute for Women's Policy Research, Child Care Aware of America, United States Mortality Database and WalletHub research.

Best & Worst States for Working Dads in 2024 (2024)

Main Findings

Best States for Working Dads

In-Depth Look at the Best Places for Working Dads

Massachusetts

District of Columbia

Connecticut

Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

Methodology

Economic & Social Well-Being – Total Points: 30

Work-Life Balance – Total Points: 30

Child Care – Total Points: 30

Health – Total Points: 10

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