With workers paying an average of nearly $6,300 per year toward employer-sponsored family coverage and Every Kid Healthy Week kicking off on April 21, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst States for Children’s Health Care, as well as expert commentary.
In order to determine which states offer the most cost-effective and highest-quality health care for children, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 33 key metrics. The data set ranges from the share of children aged 0 to 17 in excellent or very good health to pediatricians and family doctors per capita.
| Best States for Children’s Health Care | Worst States for Children’s Health Care |
| 1. Massachusetts | 42. Louisiana |
| 2. Rhode Island | 43. Maine |
| 3. New Jersey | 44. Arkansas |
| 4. Pennsylvania | 45. West Virginia |
| 5. Vermont | 46. Arizona |
| 6. District of Columbia | 47. Oklahoma |
| 7. Hawaii | 48. Alaska |
| 8. New York | 49. Wyoming |
| 9. Connecticut | 50. Texas |
| 10. California | 51. Mississippi |
Best vs. Worst
- Massachusetts has the lowest share of uninsured children aged 0 to 18, which is 7.9 times lower than in Texas, the highest.
- Rhode Island has the lowest share of children aged 0 to 17 with unaffordable medical bills, which is 2.4 times lower than in Texas, the highest.
- The District of Columbia has the most pediatricians per 100,000 residents, which is 25.5 times more than in Oklahoma, the fewest.
- New Hampshire and Vermont have the lowest share of obese children aged 10 to 17, which is 2.2 times lower than in Mississippi, the highest.
