Children's Well-Being Declines Across 29 U.S. States, Report Shows
The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2026 Kids Count Data Book found that children's overall well-being in the United States fell from a score of 553 to 547 on a 1,000-point scale between 2019 and 2024, with 29 states performing worse than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Education drove the broadest decline, with 47 states posting worse scores, while child and teen deaths rose 8% and the share of children in cost-burdened households increased for the first time since 2010. The findings raise concerns about the long-term effects on workforce participation and economic growth, particularly as safety-net programs face potential reductions.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kids Count Data Book, released in 2026 and covering data from 2019 to 2024, found that national child well-being declined across four key domains: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. The overall U.S. score dropped from 553 to 547 out of 1,000, with 29 states faring worse than pre-pandemic levels, 15 states improving, and six remaining unchanged. Education showed the steepest and most widespread decline, with 47 states posting worse outcomes; approximately 70% of fourth-graders are not reading at a proficient level, and 73% of eighth-graders failed to reach math proficiency. Health scores also fell nationally, child and teen deaths rose 8%, and the share of children in cost-burdened households climbed to 31%—affecting 22.4 million kids—marking the first such increase since 2010. On the positive side, family and community scores rose from 518 to 608, economic well-being scores ticked up, and the teen birth rate fell 24% over the period. New Hampshire ranked first overall with a score of 838, while Mississippi ranked last at 271; five of the top seven states were in the Northeast, and 11 of the 15 lowest-ranked states were in the South, though eight Southern states improved. Researchers and foundation officials warned that recent reductions in Medicaid enrollment and rising costs for food and housing could further erode gains made during the study period.
What's missing
The report does not detail the specific methodology used to weight the 16 indicators across the four categories into a single composite score, which could affect how state-level rankings are interpreted.
What different sources said
- Medical XpressCenter
Children's well-being plummets across 29 states, report finds
- AxiosCenter
Children's wellbeing slips across the U.S.
- NewsweekCenter
Where Life Is Getting Better and Worse For Children Across America
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