The Midwest Is A Good Place To Be A Working Dad
Just in time for Father's Day, a new study lists the best and worst states to be a working dad.
Time has a way of changing the dynamics of life. For example, in 1960, 75% 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. Today, two-thirds of family households depend on two incomes.
Regardless of the changing identity and priorities of the modern dad, a father’s ability to provide for his family is central to his role. In fact, nearly 93 percent of dads with kids younger than 18 are employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The folks at WalletHub, who study and compare the 50 states in all kinds of categories, have taken a look at "2018’s Best & Worst States for Working Dads." Here's what they looked at to come up with their findings:
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 20 key indicators of friendliness toward working fathers. Our data set ranges from average length of work day for males to child-care costs to share of men in good or better health.
As I mentioned, the Midwest shows up pretty well on this list, with Minnesota coming in at #2 overall, and Wisconsin lands in the #8 spot.
The 5 best states for working dads:
1) Connecticut
2) Minnesota
3) Massachussetts
4) Washington, DC
5) Vermont
Next the 5 worst:
47) Idaho
48) New Mexico
49) Nevada
50) Mississippi
51) West Virginia
As for Illinois, we're holding the #12 spot, with Iowa at #11, and Wisconsin is #8.
Life as a Working Dad in Illinois (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
- 27th – Male Life Expectancy
- 26th – % of Kids Younger than 18 with Dad Present Living in Poverty
- 24th – Male Uninsured Rate
- 16th – Avg. Length of Work Day (in Hours) for Males
- 30th – % of Physically Active Men
- 27th – Child-Care Costs (Adjusted for Median Family* Income)
- 7th – Day-Care Quality
*Refers to families with kids aged 0 to 17 and in which the father is present