According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, the U.S. has about 9.8 million single parents with kids under 18, and many of these parents are women. Single parenthood is an incredible challenge for many, with single parents having lower average incomes and less economic stability than two-parent households. Making ends meet may become even more difficult in 2025 as some members of Congress have proposed tax cuts that would penalize single-parent-led households.
Currently, not all regions of the country are equal for single parents. Some states present a better picture for one-parent families because of their quality education systems, strong worker protection laws, and competitive income levels.
To determine which states were better for single parents, we asked around 1,000 single parents what factors were most important to them. Then, we used their insights to score all 50 states and Washington, D.C. based on the legal and economic factors that would impact single parents and their families – such as education quality, cost of living, worker protection laws, and household income.
Here’s a look at our key findings:
- Most states earned failing grades. Nearly half of U.S. states received failing grades in our analysis, underscoring systemic challenges for single parents. Only 12 states earned grades of A or B.
- New Jersey is the highest-ranked state for single parenting; West Virginia is the lowest-ranked.
- Education quality is a decisive factor for single parents. Education was the most important factor among single parents we talked to. States like Massachusetts and New Jersey scored exceptionally well due to high math and reading proficiency, and access to quality education.
- High living costs challenge many families. Even in states with higher median incomes, the affordability of childcare and essential goods remains a key challenge. States like Minnesota and Utah earned high grades partly due to their lower cost of living.
Table of Contents
- How We Ranked the Best and Worst States for Single Parents
- The Best States for Single Parents
- The Worst States for Single Parents
- Methodology: What Is the Single Parents’ State Ranking?
How We Ranked the Best and Worst States for Single Parents
A word about our rankings: We asked single parents what was most important to them and their children. Using the opinions of more than 1,000 single parents in the U.S., we created a scoring system to compare the states based on the quality of their schools, local living costs, worker protection laws, and typical household incomes.
You can see all the details of our methodology at the bottom of the page, but here’s how the parents in our study ranked the importance of various factors in our scoring system, from most to least important:
- The quality of education and schools in the area.
- The affordability of services like childcare and everyday products like groceries.
- The typical wages or earning potential in the area.
- Access to services, such as childcare and pediatrics.
- Legal protections for single-parent families, such as paid family leave.
Of course, all of these factors are important to parents and children, but single parents particularly valued school quality in our study.
Our research reveals a troubling reality: Nearly half of states received failing grades based on the factors single parents believe are most important. Only 12 states got As or Bs.
Rank | State | Letter Grade |
|---|---|---|
1 | New Jersey | A+ |
2 | Vermont | A |
3 | Massachusetts | A |
4 | Minnesota | A |
5 | Utah | A |
6 | Colorado | B+ |
7 | New Hampshire | B+ |
8 | Rhode Island | B+ |
9 | Nebraska | B |
10 | Wisconsin | B |
11 | Maryland | B- |
12 | Iowa | B- |
13 | Illinois | C+ |
14 | Oregon | C+ |
15 | North Dakota | C+ |
16 | South Dakota | C |
17 | Connecticut | C |
18 | Washington | C |
19 | California | C |
20 | Idaho | C |
21 | Maine | C |
22 | Virginia | C |
23 | Florida | C- |
24 | New York | C- |
25 | Kansas | C- |
26 | Wyoming | D+ |
27 | Hawaii | D+ |
28 | Montana | D |
29 | Missouri | D- |
30 | Pennsylvania | F |
31 | Georgia | F |
32 | Arizona | F |
33 | Texas | F |
34 | Nevada | F |
35 | Delaware | F |
36 | Michigan | F |
37 | Indiana | F |
38 | Tennessee | F |
39 | Alaska | F |
40 | D.C. | F |
41 | Oklahoma | F |
42 | Kentucky | F |
43 | Ohio | F |
44 | South Carolina | F |
45 | North Carolina | F |
46 | Arkansas | F |
47 | New Mexico | F |
48 | Louisiana | F |
49 | Alabama | F |
50 | Mississippi | F |
51 | West Virginia | F |
The Best States for Single Parents
Let’s look closer at the five top-scoring states for single parents. New Jersey led the rankings and was the only state to earn an A+ in our analysis. It’s also worth noting that three of the top five states, including the Garden State, are in the New England region.
1. New Jersey: A+ (100%)
Like many of its neighbors in New England, New Jersey has a relatively high median income level for single-parent households ($48,225), which helps vault it to the top of this list. Of course, higher household incomes help parents balance the cost of things like childcare, food, and clothing.
Many groups in the state focus on helping single parents stabilize their income and housing. Late last year, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority announced a program for local Habitat for Humanity chapters across the state to construct apartments for single-parent families. A new law taking effect in 2025 also reforms the state’s fair housing obligations, hopefully increasing access to affordable housing for more families, including those led by single parents.
New Jersey also boasts an outstanding education system (remember, education quality is the most critical factor in our ranking). In fact, the state had the second-best education score in our analysis, with top-tier math and reading scores across both fourth and eighth grades.
The state also ranks in the top five for worker protection laws thanks to its policies guaranteeing family and sick leave and basic equal pay laws. New Jersey lawmakers have also recently proposed a new law that would expand the factors courts must consider to ensure the physical and emotional safety of children during custody decisions. This would help single parents who are hoping to protect their children from a harmful co-parent.
2. Vermont: A (97%)
Vermont came second in our ranking, boosted by the high median household income level for single parents ($47,592). This helps balance the relatively high costs associated with childcare and goods like groceries. In 2023, Vermont lawmakers overrode their governor's veto to enact a bill that injected about $170 million into the state’s childcare system, which could mean the state will reduce childcare costs in years to come.
This law also expanded the number of families qualified for no-copay health insurance and invested heavily in early childhood education. Vermont’s place on our list is mainly due to its strong educational programs. Vermont ranks second nationally in preschool access and access to programs like Early Head Start and Head Start for children experiencing poverty.
While its overall education score was 20th overall, its math and reading scores for Grades 4 and 8 are consistently above average, meaning children are set up well early to get an outstanding education in Vermont.
3. Massachusetts: A (96%)
Massachusetts came in a close third in our ranking. The state boasts the overall top score in education quality, which was the most critical metric for the parents we talked to. However, its mediocre preschool and Head Start access rate likely kept the commonwealth from an even higher score.
Still, like the rest of New England, Massachusetts has a much higher median income than the national level ($46,479), which is particularly important for single-parent homes. And while childcare costs are higher than average, they are offset by the higher income levels single parents can expect in Massachusetts.
The state tied Vermont for fifth place nationally in worker protections, which helps single-parent families protect their income. Additionally, as of January 1, 2025, the Massachusetts Parentage Act went into effect, establishing even more parental protections. The law simplifies the legal processes for establishing parentage and ensures equal rights for the children of single parents and other diverse families.
4. Minnesota: A (95.4%)
The highest-ranking Midwestern state in our analysis is Minnesota, where people enjoy a relatively high median household income ($48,641) for single parents with a low cost of living. According to our metrics, Minnesota is the 11th-most affordable state in the nation for single parents.
Minnesota ranks in the top half of states for education quality, with typical reading and math scores above the national average. However, it’s important to note that if the state had performed better here, it likely would have found itself closer to the top of this list.
Still, as one of the only states that provides parents with a paid breastmilk-pumping break, Minnesota’s legislators seem to have prioritized making its workplaces parent-friendly. After all, income protection is often more vital for households with one earner.
It’s worth noting that the African American Family Preservation Act began to take effect in Minnesota at the beginning of 2025. This groundbreaking new policy, as it rolls out over the next few years, should protect the rights and unity of families led by Black single parents.
Currently, Minnesota law grants unmarried mothers sole legal and physical custody of their children at birth. This could put single fathers at a unique disadvantage if they are hoping to gain sole or shared custody of their children. They first must prove their paternity to be considered for any custody arrangements.
5. Utah: A (95.1%)
Utah rounded out the top five states and featured the second-highest median income for single parents ($50,991) and the fourth-highest education scores among all states. Not only does Utah have a median household income for single parents that’s about 25 percent higher than the national median, but its affordability scores help parents make those dollars stretch even further. Childcare here is among the cheapest in the country. In fact, in 2025, Utah will expand its child tax credit for families with children between one and three years old.
Utah’s ranking is held back somewhat by relatively low scores in access to public preschool (only four percent of four-year-olds and two percent of three-year-olds have access) and limited Head Start programs. However, new safety regulations could soon be coming soon for parents who send their children to home-based daycares. This would give single parents more affordable and safer options for early childhood care.
The state ranked in the bottom half for worker protections, meaning that while single parents have higher incomes here, they might not have the accommodations or job security they could get elsewhere.
The Worst States for Single Parents
Just as New England was well-represented among the top five, the South is unfortunately well-represented here, accounting for four of the bottom five states. All five of the following states got failing grades regarding the policies and costs that impact single parents.
51. West Virginia: F (0%)
West Virginia’s dubious distinction as the worst-ranked state for single parents is due primarily to two factors: The state ranks 49th out of 51 for educational performance, and its median single-parent income ($28,820) is 30 percent lower than the national median of $40,917.
If the median income were slightly higher, West Virginia could be a better place for single parents, as childcare costs and the costs of nondurable goods are low in absolute terms. But since many West Virginians bring home less money than their peers in other states, paying for these things takes a bigger chunk of their paychecks.
However, a childcare tax credit passed by the legislature late last year could help parents bridge the affordability gap. According to the state's revenue department, the credit is expected to return more than $4 million to eligible parents.
Still, West Virginia has few worker protections in place, which puts single parents in a precarious position, as they could be at a higher risk of job loss and income instability compared to parents in other states.
50. Mississippi: F (6%)
Like in West Virginia, single parents in Mississippi are squeezed by the difficulty of making ends meet. The median single-parent income here is just $28,104, the lowest in the nation, and the state ranks dead last in the ratio of nondurable goods to income. Buying everyday essentials like food and clothing takes a considerable portion of the typical parent’s income. Maintaining stable income could be challenging for single parents here, as the state currently has no laws around basic equal pay or family and sick leave.
Childcare costs also take a toll, with one report indicating that as much as seven percent of the potential workforce in Mississippi left the job market because it’s cheaper for them to stay home and care for their children than to work and pay for childcare.
Mississippi’s reading and math scores for fourth- and eighth-graders are also below the national averages, which impacted its ranking near the bottom of our list. However, compared to all other states, Mississippi did have the highest percent of three- and four-year-olds in poverty served by Head Start programs (nearly 66 percent).
49. Alabama: F (9%)
Alabama’s 49th position in our ranking is due to its below-average math and reading scores and low access to public preschools. Only 24 percent of four-year-olds are served by public preschool, and low numbers have access to programs like Early Head Start and Head Start.
The state’s low education scores are exacerbated by a low median income for single parents ($30,806), about 25 percent lower than the national median.
Plus, its limited worker protections mean that single parents may find themselves struggling to keep those relatively low-paying jobs, which could place their children in precarious economic situations.
However, part of the situation could be improving for single dads in the state: In 2024, legislators proposed the “Good Dad Act,” which would grant unmarried fathers equal parental rights and joint custody if the mother consents.
48. Louisiana: F (11%)
Louisiana is one of the worst states in the nation for affordability for single parents. Its $29,226 median income is about 29 percent below the national median. This means that people here not only make less, but they also pay more for essential goods and childcare.
It also ranks among the 10 worst states for its math and reading scores and is among the bottom half for access to public preschool. Lackluster worker protections keep single parents in tricky situations regarding their jobs, as they may not be able to take time off when they are sick or to care for a sick child.
Louisiana’s child support payment schedule improved for single parents receiving child support payments as of January 1, 2025. The new schedule ensures more equity in payments, which could improve the economic standing of single-parent-led households.
47. New Mexico: F (20%)
New Mexico is the only state outside the Southeast to rank in the bottom five. It earns its place in this ranking for one major factor: It has the worst math and reading scores of any state. On the positive side, though, New Mexico students have better access to Head Start programs than other states in the bottom five, which helps keep it from having the worst overall score.
New Mexico's median income for single-parent-led households ($34,049) is below the national average but better than that of other states in the bottom five, which also helps keep its score from falling further.
It also ranks 16th overall for worker protections, which means single parents may have certain fundamental rights in the workplace, helping keep their income and access to housing stable. In addition, state legislators recently proposed a paid family and medical leave act. If passed, it could provide nine to 12 weeks of paid leave for family reasons, benefiting single parents.
Methodology: What Is the Single Parents’ State Ranking?
We surveyed 1,000 single parents about the factors most important to them when considering moving to a new place. These factors were income and earning potential, affordability of services and goods, access to programs, local legal protections, and the quality of education or schools.
These five factors constituted the categories of the state scoring system, and the proportion of respondents who rated a category as ‘Very’ or ‘Extremely Important’ relative to the other categories was used to determine the category weights. The methods for calculating the category sub-scores and their respective weights are as follows:
Education (24%):
We gathered the average scores per state in 2022 on the 4th and 8th grade math and reading assessments from The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). These four scores were averaged for each state and normalized from 0 to 100.
Affordability (23%):
Three indices were created for each state to measure the local cost of childcare, local cost of goods and groceries, and local income relative to other states.
The price of nondurable goods in each state, based on theBureau of Economic Analysis 2023 per capita personal consumption expenditures by major type of product relative to other states, was used to create an index for local goods and grocery prices.
We aggregated county-level childcare price data in every state (excluding Indiana and New Mexico, for which no data were available) from theU.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices 2022 to create an index for local childcare costs relative to other states. This data included average costs per county of 11 age ranges from birth to five months up to school age for center-based care and family childcare. Those 22 total prices were then averaged and used to create the index. The figures for each county were weighted according to the population of that county for aggregation. Partial age ranges or care settings data from D.C., Hawaii, Mississippi, and New Hampshire were missing.
Data fromthe Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) USA American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimate were used to calculate the median household incomes for single-parent households with at least one child under 18 in each state. Those median incomes were then used to create an index for single-parent income in each state relative to other states.
The ratio between the childcare and income indexes was averaged with the ratio between the goods and income indexes to create a single affordability index, which was then normalized from 0 to 100.
Income (19%):
We used theIPUMS USA ACS 5-Year estimate demographic data to analyze specific single-parent median household incomes in every state and data fromThe Department of Housing and Human Services (HHS) Poverty Guidelines for 2024 to determine the individual poverty levels for each household based on size and location. An aggregate single-parent poverty penalty was calculated based on whether household income was below 200 percent of their poverty level, and the penalty scaled linearly with how far below the threshold each household was. The ratio between each state’s aggregate and national penalty was then normalized from 0 to 100.
Education Access (18%):
TheCenter for American Progress Childcare and Early Learning data for the percent of 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds served by public preschool, as well as the percent of infants and toddlers, as well as 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds in poverty served by (Early) Head Start and American Indian and Alaska Native (Early) Head Start programs, were averaged to create an access index by state, which was then normalized from 0 to 100.
Worker Protections (15%):
Oxfam America’s 2024 Best States for Working Women Report includes a worker's protection index based on numerous factors such as equal pay indicators, paid family and sick leave, paid pumping breaks, and more. Our report normalized the worker protection dimension score from 0 to 100.