Connecticut is the best state for working moms and Louisiana is the worst, according to WalletHub’s 2026 ranking.
The personal finance website compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three dimensions: childcare, professional opportunities and work-life balance.
WalletHub evaluated those dimensions using 17 metrics, ranging from daycare quality to women’s average commute time (in minutes).
Analysts graded each metric on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for working moms.
Each state and the district’s weighted average across all metrics was used to calculate its overall score and rank the sample. More information about the methodology is available here.
The best states for working moms, alongside their respective scores, per the analysis:
1. Connecticut — 70.28
2. Massachusetts — 69.25
3. Rhode Island — 63.69
4. New Jersey — 59.26
5. Vermont — 58.34
6. Maine — 57.49
7. Minnesota — 56.42
8. District of Columbia — 56.27
9. New York — 53.37
10. North Dakota — 53.24
The worst states for working moms, alongside their respective scores, per the analysis:
1. Louisiana — 26.39
2. Alabama — 27.39
3. New Mexico — 27.47
4. Mississippi — 29.84
5. Nevada — 30.40
6. Arizona — 32.08
7. South Carolina — 32.71
8. West Virginia — 35.62
9. Texas — 35.86
10. Idaho — 36.10
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