NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is the fourth-best state in the nation for working fathers, according to a new study released by personal finance website WalletHub ahead of Father’s Day.
The report evaluated all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 22 indicators designed to measure how supportive each state is for working dads. Factors included average workday length, child-care costs, health metrics and economic conditions affecting families.
According to the study, New Jersey ranked fourth overall, trailing only three other states nationwide.
Among the individual categories, New Jersey ranked third for male life expectancy and ninth for child-care affordability when adjusted for median family income. The state also ranked 12th for average workday length among men and 17th for day-care quality.
Other rankings were less favorable. New Jersey placed 22nd for the percentage of children younger than 18 living in poverty while residing with their father, 21st for the percentage of physically active men and 28th for the male uninsured rate.
WalletHub noted that nearly 94.4% of married fathers were employed last year, compared with 72.1% of married mothers, underscoring the continued role many fathers play as primary earners while balancing parenting responsibilities.
Researchers said the rankings were intended to identify states where working fathers have the strongest combination of economic opportunity, family support systems and overall well-being.
The full report is available on WalletHub’s website.
