FARGO – Minnesota and North Dakota retained their titles as two of the top 10 states in the nation for child health and well-being, according to recent rankings from the Annie E. Casey 2013 KIDS COUNT Data Book.
Thanks to a still-surging economy, North Dakota stayed at its No. 6 spot from last year. Minnesota moved up one spot to No. 4, reversing a steady decline since its No. 1 ranking in 2007.
The annual surveys weigh a number of different metrics, from economic factors to education, community and health. With few exceptions, North Dakota and Minnesota outperformed much of the rest of the nation in the 2013 KIDS COUNT data. New Hampshire took the top spot, followed by Vermont and Massachusetts. New Mexico was the worst state in child and health well-being in 2013.
