Growing up is hard enough. Without a stable home, positive role models and tools for success, many young Americans fall behind their peers and experience a rocky transition to adulthood. Today, about one in eight individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither working nor attending school. Others suffer from poor health conditions that hinder their ability to develop physically or socially.
With about one in eight young Americans today neither working nor in school, exposing them to risk of negative outcomes in adulthood that cost society billions of dollars each year, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2017’s States with the Most At-Risk Youth.
Arizona continues to fail its youth. Arizona is solidly ensconced in the 12th spot for states with the most at risk youth. Arizona is tied with Georgia for 4th place with the highest percentage of youth without a high school diploma
To determine where young Americans are not faring as well as others in their age group, analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 10 key indicators of youth risk. The data set ranges from share of disconnected youth to labor force participation rate among youth to youth poverty rate.
States with the Most At-Risk Youth States with the Least At-Risk Youth
| Rank | State | Score | Rank | State | Score | |
| 1 | Mississippi | 72.75 | 27 | Ohio | 45.54 | |
| 2 | Louisiana | 69.09 | 28 | Illinois | 45.48 | |
| 3 | New Mexico | 69.08 | 29 | Wyoming | 44.95 | |
| 4 | Alabama | 63.6 | 30 | Idaho | 44.83 | |
| 5 | West Virginia | 60.48 | 31 | Maine | 42.75 | |
| 6 | Arkansas | 60.45 | 32 | Colorado | 42.64 | |
| 7 | Oregon | 58.63 | 33 | Tennessee | 42.01 | |
| 8 | Nevada | 57.77 | 34 | Hawaii | 41.09 | |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 56.91 | 35 | South Dakota | 37.47 | |
| 10 | South Carolina | 56.8 | 36 | Virginia | 36.78 | |
| 11 | Georgia | 56.27 | 37 | Kansas | 36.54 | |
| 12 | Arizona | 56.17 | 38 | Pennsylvania | 36.42 | |
| 13 | District of Columbia | 55.42 | 39 | Connecticut | 35.49 | |
| 14 | California | 54.81 | 40 | Maryland | 34.33 | |
| 15 | Florida | 53.37 | 41 | New Jersey | 33.61 | |
| 16 | Alaska | 52.1 | 42 | Rhode Island | 33.3 | |
| 17 | Washington | 51.29 | 43 | Vermont | 30.5 | |
| 18 | Delaware | 49.92 | 44 | Massachusetts | 29.96 | |
| 19 | Kentucky | 49.53 | 45 | Nebraska | 29.09 | |
| 20 | North Carolina | 49.41 | 46 | Wisconsin | 28.1 | |
| 21 | Michigan | 48.57 | 47 | Minnesota | 26.37 | |
| 22 | Texas | 47.91 | 48 | Iowa | 26.34 | |
| 23 | Montana | 46.7 | 49 | New Hampshire | 25.21 | |
| 24 | Missouri | 46.42 | 50 | Utah | 25.18 | |
| 25 | Indiana | 46.41 | 51 | North Dakota | 21.48 | |
| 26 | New York | 45.72 |
Some of the most startling stats:
- Mississippi has the highest share of disconnected youth, 19.6 percent, which is 2.5 times higher than in Vermont, registering the lowest at 7.8 percent.
- Nevada has the highest share of youth without a high school diploma, 19.8 percent, which is 2.4 times higher than in Hawaii, registering the lowest at 8.1 percent.
- Louisiana has the highest share of overweight or obese youth, 59.4 percent, which is 2.2 higher than in the District of Columbia, registering the lowest at 27.4 percent.
- Colorado has the highest share of youth using drugs in the past month, 33.84 percent, which is 2.4 times higher than in South Dakota, registering the lowest at 14.14 percent.
- Nevada has the highest share of homeless youth, 0.55 percent, which is 27.5 times higher than in Mississippi, registering the lowest at 0.02 percent.
To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit here.