New Survey Shows Missouri Ranking In The Middle When It Comes To Underprivileged Children
The State of Missouri ranks pretty much right in the middle when it comes to having the most underprivileged children.
That’s according to WalletHub.com study which considered the numbers of kids living in below-poverty households to the child food-insecurity rate and maltreated children.
In the rankings, Missouri is #25 just behind Michigan and ahead of New York. Missouri is also identified as having the 5th most children in foster care.
Overall, New Jersey ranks at the bottom having the most underprivileged kids while Alaska ranks at the top with the fewest.
Figures show nearly one in six children, nationwide, live in poverty with a child being abused or neglected every 48 seconds.
Full Report:
With August being Child Support Awareness Month and 1 in 6 children in the U.S. living in poverty, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s States with the Most Underprivileged Children, as well as expert commentary. In order to bring awareness to the condition of underprivileged children throughout the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 26 key measures of neediness. The data set ranges from share of children in households with below-poverty income to child food-insecurity rate to share of maltreated children.
| States with the Most Underprivileged Kids | |
| 1. Alaska | 11. Nevada |
| 2. Mississippi | 12. South Carolina |
| 3. New Mexico | 13. Kentucky |
| 4. West Virginia | 14. Ohio |
| 5. District of Columbia | 15. Alabama |
| 6. Arkansas | 16. South Dakota |
| 7. Louisiana | 17. Maine |
| 8. Arizona | 18. Indiana |
| 9. Oklahoma | 19. Wyoming |
| 10. Montana | 20. California |
Key Stats
- Louisiana has the highest child food-insecurity rate, 21.60 percent, which is 2.9 times higher than in North Dakota, the state with the lowest at 7.50 percent.
- Mississippi has the most infant deaths (per 1,000 live births), nine, which is three times more than in North Dakota, the state with the fewest at three.
- West Virginia has the highest share of children in foster care, 1.95 percent, which is 12.2 times higher than in New Jersey, the state with the lowest at 0.16 percent.
- Texas has the highest share of uninsured children aged 0 to 18, 11.50 percent, which is 7.7 times higher than in Massachusetts, the state with the lowest at 1.50 percent.
- Maine has the highest share of maltreated children, 1.66 percent, which is 10.4 times higher than in New Jersey, the state with the lowest at 0.16 percent.
To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-underprivileged-children/5403
Reporter Mike Anthony
