UNDATED – With Father’s Day approaching and 94.3% of married dads working last year compared to 72.3% of married moms, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst States for Working Dads, as well as expert commentary.
In order to help dads balance their dual role as parent and provider, WalletHub compared the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia across 22 key indicators of friendliness toward working dads. The data set ranges from the average length of the work day for men to child-care costs to the share of men in good or better health.
South Dakota ranked 25th overall in the study.
| Best States for Working Dads | Worst States for Working Dads |
| 1. Massachusetts | 42. Idaho |
| 2. District of Columbia | 43. Arkansas |
| 3. Connecticut | 44. South Carolina |
| 4. Rhode Island | 45. Oklahoma |
| 5. New Jersey | 46. Alabama |
| 6. Minnesota | 47. Nevada |
| 7. Wisconsin | 48. Louisiana |
| 8. Illinois | 49. Mississippi |
| 9. New Hampshire | 50. West Virginia |
| 10. Maryland | 51. New Mexico |
Best vs. Worst
- Nebraska has the lowest unemployment rate for dads with kids aged 0 to 17 which is 3.8 times lower than in West Virginia, the highest.
- Massachusetts has the lowest male uninsured rate which is 5.5 times lower than in Texas, the highest.
- South Dakota has the lowest average annual early child-care costs (adjusted for median family income) which is 2.4 times lower than in New Mexico, the highest.
- Hawaii has the lowest share of men who couldn’t afford to see a doctor in the past year because of costs which is 2.8 times lower than in Texas, the highest.
To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-working-dads/13458
