WalletHub released its 2025 list of Best & Worst States for Children’s Healthcare on Tuesday, April 8. The report compares all 50 states and Washington, DC, using 33 indicators of cost, access, and quality.
Metrics range from the percentage of children in excellent health to the number of pediatricians per capita.
“The quality of children’s health care should be one of the most important considerations for parents when deciding where to live,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “Having access to quality pediatric and dental care, nutritious food and good spaces for recreation from a young age can give children a much better chance of growing up healthy and forming good habits that will last into their adult life.”
Massachusetts ranked No. 1 overall, boosted by the lowest uninsured rate in the country at just 1.5% and one of the nation’s lowest infant-death rates. Bay State kids also have the best access to preventive care, with high rates of medical and dental checkups, along with ranking in the top five for children’s dental health.
Boston Children’s Hospital was one of 12 Massachusetts medical centers recognized in Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2025 list. The state also leads the nation in cancer research, according to a SmileHub study released in January.
New Jersey placed third overall, with the third-lowest rates of infant deaths and percentage of overweight children. The Garden State also ranked 20th for uninsured children and ninth for children with excellent or very good teeth.
Pennsylvania was fourth in the nation, scoring well for access to pediatricians and family doctors, placing third in the country for that metric. The state ranked fourth for infant death rates and sixth for oral health. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was also named on Newsweek’s list.
New York ranked eighth overall and tenth for health care access. The state has the third-lowest percentage of uninsured children and high rates of medical checkups.
Connecticut took ninth place, ranking seventh in access to care and fifth in children’s dental health. Constitution State children are also among the most likely to receive routine medical and dental visits.
Maryland landed just outside the top 10 at 11th overall. The Old Line State performed well in care access and dental checkups but scored lower in nutrition and obesity metrics.
Virginia ranked 21st. While it had a solid number of pediatricians, the state placed lower in nutrition and obesity categories, pulling down its overall score.
The report comes as families across the US face rising costs. Parents now pay an average of nearly $6,300 per year for employer-sponsored family health coverage.
While programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program offer relief to some families, many remain burdened by high out-of-pocket expenses — even in states with high coverage rates.
“Research shows that health insurance is linked to better health outcomes for people of all ages because it improves access to care, which in turn is linked to better health status,” said Lise Youngblade, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences at Colorado State University. “Health insurance also has an economic benefit because it serves as a long-term safeguard mechanism, dispersing health risks across larger populations and preventing families from falling into or returning to poverty due to the costs of catastrophic illness.”
You can click here to see the full WalletHub study of the Best & Worst States for Children’s Healthcare.
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