KIDS COUNT® indicators capture what children and youth need most across four domains:
Each domain includes four indicators for a total of 16.
New this year, the enhanced KIDS COUNT index includes both rankings and scores, offering a more complete picture of child well-being. While rankings show how states compare with one another, scores (ranging from 0 to 1,000) show how far apart states are and offer a way to track progress since 2019 — the last full year before the pandemic.
Because state policies and conditions shape children’s opportunities, a child’s future still depends in large part on where they grow up.
This year’s Data Book shows a mixed and uneven picture of child well-being across the country.
Since 2019, seven of the 16 key indicators have improved, seven have worsened and two remain unchanged.
Bright spots include:
These gains reflect a combination of economic recovery, effective public policies and sustained public health efforts.
Education outcomes remain the most concerning area, with three of the four indicators worsening since 2019.
Nearly every state (47) experienced declines in education, underscoring how deeply the pandemic impacted students and schools.
While some progress has been made, serious challenges remain:
In the Economic Well-Being domain, more states showed improvements than declines, but the gains were uneven and fragile.
The Family and Community domain stands out as the strongest area of progress:
These trends demonstrate that targeted investments and policies can produce meaningful gains.
Where a child lives continues to shape their opportunities and outcomes.
State scores range widely — from 271 in Mississippi to 838 in New Hampshire — revealing substantial gaps in child well-being across the country. Even top-ranked states have room to improve.
Regional patterns persist:
Differences also exist within states and across both communities and neighborhoods.
The new index scores reveal how children’s well-being has changed since 2019:
Education losses drove many of the declines while improvements in economic conditions and family stability supported gains in other areas.
Some lower-ranked states — including Louisiana and South Carolina — made notable progress, showing that improvement is possible regardless of a state's starting point.
The enhanced index makes clear that progress and challenges exist in every state.
Some states improved outcomes without changing rank, while others' scores declined despite relatively strong rankings. Scores provide important context, showing both the pace and depth of change.
Even the highest-performing states still have gaps to close.
Reliable, high-quality data — especially from federal sources — are essential to understanding and improving children’s lives.
The KIDS COUNT Data Book depends on these data to:
However, recent cuts to federal data collection, funding and staffing threaten the quality and availability of these critical resources.
Without strong data systems, leaders are left making decisions without a clear picture of children’s needs — risking missed opportunities to improve lives.
The 2026 Data Book reinforces what children need to thrive: stable families, strong schools, access to healthcare, economic security and supportive communities.
The enhanced KIDS COUNT index offers a clearer, more actionable tool to guide leaders in making decisions that improve children’s lives.
With better data — and a commitment to act on it — systems can direct resources where they are needed most, strengthen policies, and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.
View the national data profile or download your state's data profile as a PDF below:
View the 2026 national data profile in Spanish or download your state's data profile as a PDF below:
Explore overall child well-being in the interactive KIDS COUNT Data Book.
To help children grow into prepared, productive adults, parents need jobs with family-sustaining pay as well as affordable housing and the ability to invest in their children’s future. Explore economic well-being in the interactive KIDS COUNT Data Book.
The early years of a child’s life create a foundation for lifelong success. Establishing the conditions that promote educational achievement for children is critical. Explore educational well-being in the interactive KIDS COUNT Data Book.
Children’s good health is fundamental to their overall development, and ensuring kids are born healthy is the first step toward improving their life chances. Poor health in childhood affects other critical aspects of children’s lives, such as school readiness and attendance, and can have lasting consequences on their health and well-being. Explore health indicators in the interactive KIDS COUNT Data Book.
Children who live in nurturing families and supportive communities have stronger personal connections and higher academic achievement. Explore familial and community well-being in the interactive KIDS COUNT Data Book.
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