MN Beats Out Most States In New 'Family Structure Index'

ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota ranks well above average in the nation for having a strong family culture, according to a newly released national index.

The "Family Structure Index," which evaluates states on having stable and sustainable family structures, ranked Minnesota at No. 10.

The index uses demographic and fertility data to assess which states are best positioned to support the well-being of children and marriage.

Utah ranks first, while Rhode Island is last.

Minnesota’s high score is driven by factors like nearly 60 percent of prime-age adults being married, a fertility rate of 1.75, and over 55 percent of teens living with married parents.

Created by Brad Wilcox, Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia, the index examines the percentage of adults in a state who are married, have children, and raise them together through high school graduation.

"All Minnesotans thrive when our families thrive," said Jeff Evans, CEO of the conservative Minnesota Family Council. The council partnered with the study authors.

"Policy makers and church leaders should be looking at these results as a reason to redouble our efforts to promote stable marriages and strong families—it benefits our children and our society."

The index is composed of three key components:

• The percentage of adults aged 25 to 54 who are married.
• The state's average number of lifetime births per woman (Total Fertility Rate).
• The percentage of children aged 15 to 17 living with their married birth or adoptive parents.

"Right now, the American dream is out of reach for too many men, women, and children across Minnesota," said study author Brad Wilcox. "The Index reveals that one key to saving the dream in Minnesota is to strengthen and stabilize family life across the state."

Here are the top ten best states in the Family Structure Index:

1. Utah
2. Idaho
3. Nebraska
4. South Dakota
5. Wyoming
6. Kansas
7. North Dakota
8. Iowa
9. Texas
10. Minnesota

Meanwhile, these are the 10 states that round out the bottom of the index:

41. Illinois

42. Oregon

43. Louisiana

44. California

45. Vermont

46. Massachusetts

47. Nevada

48. New York

49. New Mexico

50. Rhode Island

Editor's note: A previous version of this article was updated for clarity.