For women and children in 2025, Massachusetts is the healthiest state in the nation while Louisiana is the least healthy, according to the “America’s Health Rankings 2025 Health of Women and Children Report” from the United Health Foundation.
The December report from UnitedHealth’s philanthropic arm ranked the states using 34 data sources and 125 measures across five categories of health: social and economic factors, physical environment, behaviors, clinical care, and health outcomes. In 2024, New Hampshire was the healthiest state for women and children, while Arkansas was the least healthy. The 2024 ranking is here.
Massachusetts is the healthiest state in 2025 in part because it has a low prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among children, high percentage of women who are college graduates and high reading proficiency among fourth grade public school students. The state struggles with a high prevalence of alcohol use among young people, high prevalence of multiple chronic conditions among women and high percentage of low-risk cesarean deliveries.
Louisiana is the unhealthiest state in 2025 in part because it has a high child mortality rate, high percentage of children in poverty and high incidence of chlamydia among women. The state succeeds in having high enrollment in early childhood education, a high prevalence of women with a dedicated provider and a high percentage of children with adequate and continuous health insurance coverage.
State health ranking in 2025 for women and children:
1. Massachusetts
2. Vermont
3. Minnesota
4. New Hampshire
5. Utah
6. New Jersey
7. Connecticut
8. Colorado
9. Maryland
10. Washington
11. Rhode Island
12. Hawaii
13. Nebraska
T-14. Iowa
T-14. North Dakota
16. Virginia
17. New York
18. Wisconsin
19. California
20. Oregon
21. Maine
22. Illinois
23. Idaho
24. South Dakota
25. Delaware
26. Pennsylvania
T-27. North Carolina
T-27. Kansas
29. Michigan
30. Florida
31. Wyoming
32. Montana
33. Indiana
34. Arizona
35. Alaska
36. Texas
37. Georgia
38. Ohio
39. South Carolina
40. Kentucky
41. Missouri
42. New Mexico
43. Nevada
44. Tennessee
45. Alabama
46. West Virginia
47. Oklahoma
48. Mississippi
49. Arkansas
50. Louisiana
