The best (and worst) states for working mothers

More than 70% of moms with young children work today – but they labor in unequal conditions, earning only 80 cents to each man’s dollar and shouldering much of the burden for childcare.

Some states, however, have infrastructure and programs in place that make it easier for working mothers than others.


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Personal-finance site WalletHub released a report ranking the best and worst states for working moms, based on 16 key metrics including child-care costs, pediatricians per capita, day-care quality and number, median women’s salary, the width of the gender pay gap, work-life balance factors, and more.

Top 10 best states for working moms

1.Massachusetts

2. Rhode Island

3. Connecticut

4 Vermont

5. District of Columbia

6. New Jersey

7. Minnesota

8. Wisconsin

9. New Hampshire

10. Washington

Certain states that didn’t rank had stand-outs – New York is #1 for the best day-care systems, and New Mexico has the lowest gender pay gap.

Bottom 10 worst states for working moms

42. Arizona

43. Texas

44. West Virginia

45. Georgia

46. Nevada

47. Mississippi

48. Idaho

49. South Caroline

50. Alabama

51. Louisiana

To add insult to injury, Alabama also ranked as having the worst day-care system, and South Carolina had the highest gender pay gap. Colorado, while not on the “worst” list, ranked as having an undesirable factor of the highest cost of childcare.


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