Annual Kids Count report offers a wealth of information on child well-being in your community

The annual Kids Count report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation was released today. The report features county-level data in five categories: child well-being; economic well-being; education; health; and family and community. While job growth and consumer spending are up and unemployment is down, the report found warning signs that the recovery could be leaving the lowest income families behind, especially families of color. (Annie E. Casey Foundation map: States ranked by health)

States were ranked for each category. For child well-being, Minnesota was ranked No. 1, followed by New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Iowa and Vermont. Mississippi was ranked last, with New Mexico at 49, Louisiana, 48; Nevada, 47; Arizona, 46 and Alabama, 45. The top five states for economic well-being are: North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota. The bottom five are: Mississippi, California, New Mexico, Louisiana and Nevada.

When it comes to education, Massachusetts leads, followed by New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont and Connecticut. The bottom five states are: Nevada, New Mexico, Mississippi, Louisiana and West Virginia. The top five states for health are: Iowa, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Illinois. The bottom five are: Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Montana and Nevada. When it comes to family and community, the top five are: New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont, Minnesota and Maine. The bottom five are: Mississippi, New Mexico, Louisiana, Texas and Arizona.

The report provides excellent information for local stories, and we recommend checking it out. To read the report, click here.