Illinois ranks in the top 20 for the best states to be a working mom, according to a new study.
WalletHub evaluated the attractiveness of all 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key dimensions – child care, professional opportunities and work-life balance – based on their significance to a working mother’s life.
It found Vermont to be the best place to be a working mom, followed by Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Illinois came further down the list, tied at number 20 with Iowa.
The worst places to be a working mom, according to the study? Apparently it isn’t too great to be a mom in the South – southern states Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and Nevada ranked the lowest.
Some key findings included the states with the cheapest childcare costs, being Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.
You will pay the most for childcare on the East Coast in Washington, D.C., New York and Massachusetts, according to the study.
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But your money will be well spent – as the study also found the best day care systems in the country are located in New York and Washington, followed by North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas tied for the third spot.
The worst day care seems are reported to be Idaho, Nebraska and California.
Women make the closest to men in the states of Vermont, Washington D.C. and California, the study shows. While the biggest gender pay gap are in the southern states of Wyoming and Louisiana followed by Alaska.
The map below breaks down the full ranking of all 50 states, with the darkest blue being the best spots for working moms and the fairest being the worst:
