Louisiana ranks as one of the worst states for families

By Tim Meyer, Jan. 9, 2019

Louisiana isn’t just one of the worst, it’s among the worst of the worst, according to WalletHub’s 2019’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family.

Published Jan. 7, the list ranks Louisiana as the third worst state to raise a family, beating Mississippi and New Mexico.

Each state was evaluated and scored 1-100 based on different indicators of family-friendliness including its number of family attractions and pediatricians per capita. Louisiana’s total score is 36.14 compared to Minnesota’s 65.32–the best state to raise a family according to list.

States were also scored and ranked in five overall categories. Louisiana places in the top 20 for family fun, but only 38 for affordability, 48 for education/childcare, and 49 for both health/safety and socio-economics.

According to the data, Louisiana is among the states with the highest levels of infant deaths, crimes per capita, families living in poverty, and divorce rates.

But it’s not all bad news. Increase your own quality of life in New Orleans by revisiting our 2018 Family Favorite Survey, which includes locals’ favorite doughnut shops, summer camps, entertainment, and a lot more.