Arizona ranks among bottom 10 U.S. states for childhood well-being in new report

Arizona ranks 40th among U.S. states in an annual report on childhood well-being.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Book ranks states in categories of health, family and community, education, and economic well-being. This year’s report reflects data from 2024.

Arizona’s 40th-place overall ranking in the new report was a slight improvement from last year, when the state ranked 42nd overall for childhood well-being.

This year’s report also shows about 15% of Arizona children lived in poverty as of 2024, which was an improvement from 2019 when 19% of the state’s children lived in poverty.

But the report shows Arizona continues to lag behind national averages on several indicators.

Arizona’s lowest score was in the education category — the state ranked 47th out of 50 states.

The state’s high school graduation rate, preschool enrollment rate, and reading and math scores were all below national averages.

As of 2024, 74% of Arizona fourth graders were not proficient in reading, according to the report. Only five states scored worse for fourth grade reading proficiency.

“Fourth grade reading matters because, before that you’re learning to read, after that you’re reading to learn,” said Lisa Lawson is CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “If young people aren’t reading on grade-level they’re really going to struggle beyond that in school.”

Lawson said Arizona is also an outlier when it comes to healthcare. While 6% of children nationwide do not have health insurance, 9% of Arizona children lack coverage, according to the report. Only one state had a higher uninsured rate.

“If kids don’t have access to healthcare, many things can go untreated, early developmental delays might not be addressed, if they’ve got a chronic condition like asthma or diabetes, that can lead to many days of missed school,” Lawson said.

Lawson said policy changes and spending can make impacts to improve childhood well-being.

“There are things states can do to improve these scores,” Lawson said. “More investments in early childhood education so that kids show up in kindergarten ready to learn, in the healthcare domain, really focusing on insurance and making sure kids are covered.”