For women and children, Minnesota is the healthiest state in the nation while Mississippi is the least healthy, according to the "2023 Health of Women and Children Report" from the United Health Foundation.
The October report ranked the states using 83 measures across five categories of health: social and economic factors, physical environment, behaviors, clinical care, and health outcomes. In 2022, Minnesota was the healthiest state for women and children, while Louisiana was the least healthy.
Minnesota is still the healthiest state in 2023 in part because it has a low infant mortality rate, high completion of high school rate, and high voter turnout among women. However, the state has an excessive drinking rate among women, high racial disparity among women in poverty, and low usage of wellness care among women.
Louisiana is the unhealthiest state in 2023 in part because it has a high infant mortality rate, high mortality rate among women ages 20 to 44, and a high percentage of children living in poverty. The state succeeds in high early childhood education enrollment, high usage of wellness care among women, and low excessive drinking rates among women.
State rankings:
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Hawaii
- Utah
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- Colorado
- Washington
- Maryland
- Nebraska
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Illinois
- Iowa
- California
- New York
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- Maine
- Wisconsin
- Pennsylvania
- Idaho
- Kansas
- South Dakota
- Florida
- Michigan
- Delaware
- North Carolina
- Montana
- Alaska
- Wyoming
- Arizona
- Georgia
- Texas
- Ohio
- Missouri
- Indiana
- Nevada
- Tennessee
- South Carolina
- New Mexico
- Kentucky
- Alabama
- West Virginia
- Oklahoma
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Mississippi