Idaho generally ranked well in a national study on childhood well-being — but the Gem State’s education scores were mixed.
Overall, Idaho landed No. 13 in the nation in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count Data Book. The Baltimore-based foundation graded each state across 16 metrics.
Here’s how Idaho stacked up, category by category:
Education: 36. Idaho came in above the national average for fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math scores. However, more than two-thirds of Idaho students still fell shy of a “proficient” score in each national test. Idaho lagged behind the national average on two other metrics: the percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds in school, and on-time high school graduation rates.
Family and community: 5. In this category, Idaho beat the national averages on all four measures: teen birth rates, child poverty, children in single-parent households and the percentage of children living with a head of household who lacks a high school diploma.
Economic well-being: 15. A lower percentage of Idaho children live in poverty, live in households facing a high burden of housing costs, or live with parents who “lack secure employment.” But a slightly higher percentage of Idaho teens are not in school and are not working.
Health: 19. Idaho’s childhood obesity rates and low birth-weight childbirth rates are lower than the national average, and childhood death rates mirror the national average. However, a higher percentage of Idaho children have no health insurance — and that percentage is rising.
