NY ranks among best states for working moms, but one major cost stands out
NY ranks among best states for working moms, but one major cost stands out
Madison Scott, New York Connect TeamWed, May 13, 2026 at 9:34 AM UTC
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New York is among the best states for working moms, a WalletHub study revealed.
According to WalletHub, women make up around half of the workforce, and in 2025, around 74% of moms with children under 18-years-old were employed. However, the study states that mothers often face many challenges in the workforce.
For example, WalletHub states that women make about 82% of what men make per hour on average, creating a financial disparity that could put an extra strain on working moms. Other issues that can factor into the success and opportunities for working moms could vary from state to state, depending on things like child care access, parental leave policies and good public schools.
"The U.S. still has a lot of work to do when it comes to improving conditions for working moms, given the wage gap and the lack of representation women have in certain leadership positions. However, some states are significantly better than others," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. "The best states for working moms provide equitable pay for women and a strong potential for career advancement, along with robust parental leave policies and high-quality child care, health care, and schools."
WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 17 metrics to determine which are the best and worst states for working moms.
Here is what to know about New York's ranking.
Why is NY a good state for working moms?
New York was ranked the 9th best state for working moms, according to a WalletHub study.
New York State is among the top 10 best states for working moms, according to WalletHub. The Empire State scored the No. 9 spot, with an overall score of 53.37.
NY scored the No. 12 spot for the child care rank and offers the second-best daycare systems in the country, the study found. That being said, New York was also ranked to have the highest childcare costs in the country compared to the percentage of the median women's income.
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The Empire State ranked No. 12 for work-life balance and No. 33 for the professional opportunities rank.
WalletHub's top 10 best states for working moms -
Connecticut
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
New Jersey
Vermont
Maine
Minnesota
District of Columbia
New York
North Dakota
WalletHub's 10 worst states for working moms -
No. 51: Louisiana
No. 50: Alabama
No. 49: New Mexico
No. 48: Mississippi
No. 47: Nevada
No. 46: Arizona
No. 45: South Carolina
No. 44: West Virginia
No. 43: Texas
No. 42: Idaho
How WalletHub assessed best and worst states for working moms
To determine the best and worst states for working moms, WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across three dimensions: child care, professional opportunities and work-life balance.
The child care category analyzed these factors:
Daycare quality
Child care costs
Pediatricians per capita
School system quality
Share of nationally accredited child care centers
Number of childcare workers per total number of children
The professional opportunities rank analyzed these categories:
Gender pay gap
Ratio of female executives to male executives
Median women's salary
Share of working women living with economic security
Share of families in poverty
Female unemployment rate
Gender representation gap in different economic sectors
WalletHub's "Best states for working at home" ranking
The work-life balance category analyzed these factors:
Parental leave policy score
Average length of a woman's work week
Women's average commute time.
Data used to create the ranking was collected as of March 30, 2026, and was sourced from multiple entities, including WalletHub research, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Institute for Women's Policy Research, the National Partnership for Women & Families and Child Care Aware of America.
— Madison Scott is a New York Connect reporter, covering entertainment, breaking and consumer news, and trending topics with a focus on stories that matter to readers across New York state. She also has an interest in how the system helps or doesn't help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY among top states for working moms, WalletHub study finds
Source: “AOL Breaking”
