Connecticut 4th Best State To Raise A Family: New Report

CONNECTICUT — What makes a place a great location to raise a family? And does Connecticut qualify?

New parents wrestle with that question daily, and the COVID-19 pandemic only added to the anxiety while bringing many of the metrics into clear focus.

Personal finance website MoneyRates distilled a modern child's needs down into nine tent poles of well-being, and graded each state. In their new report, "10 Best States to Raise A Family 2022," their analysts ranked Connecticut No. 4, behind New Jersey, Massachusetts and Utah.

In three of the arguably most important criteria — "Safety from Violent Crime," "Academic Performance," and "Availability of Day Care" — Connecticut scored in the Top 10.

The state needed those high marks to offset its dreary Bottom 10 report cards for overall affordability, and the cost of college in the state.

COVID-19 shaped the findings, adding gravitas to categories such as the quality and availability of health care and day care. The pandemic also highlighted factors contributing to a 21st century child's development that many have overlooked or taken for granted.

"Broadband connectivity is no longer a luxury," according to the MoneyRates report. "In many parts of the country, it has been essential to allowing schools to continue."

Parents have also become more keenly aware of the number and type of neighborhood amenities that give families options for outdoor activities at a time when many formal recreational programs have been suspended.

MoneyRates used the latest available survey data compiled by the National Survey of Children’s Health from the Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health to grade states on both their child health and neighborhood amenities scores.

Here's the Connecticut MoneyRates Scorecard:

• Overall Affordability Rank: 43
• Academic Performance Rank: 9
• Access to Youth Checking Accounts Rank: 10
• College Affordability Rank: 45
• Safety from Violent Crime Rank: 3
• Availability of Day Care Rank: 5
• Child Health Rank: 15
• Neighborhood Amenities Rank: 14
• Broadband Connectivity Rank: 12

If access to youth checking accounts seems an odd criterion alongside violent crime rate and child health, consider the source: MoneyRates is a bank services-centric site that tracks CD, savings, and money market rates offered from over 400 financial institutions across the country.

Here's MoneyRates' list of the Top 10 states to raise a child in 2022:

1. New Jersey
2. (tie) Massachusetts
3. (tie) Utah
4. Connecticut
5. New Hampshire
6. Wyoming
7. (tie) Florida
8. (tie) Wisconsin
9. Ohio
10. New York

The complete report from MoneyRates is online here.