Parents will find great healthcare for their kids in New Jersey, according to one report

⚫ New Jersey is a great state for children's health care, WalletHub reports

⚫ It ranked high when it comes to kids' nutrition and physical activity rates

⚫ New Jersey also has low infant mortality and kids' obesity rates

With workers paying an average of more than $6,100 per year toward employer-sponsored family coverage, the personal finance website WalletHub released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst States for Children’s Health Care.

WalletHub compared all 50 states and D.C. across 33 key metrics, said analyst Jill Gonzalez. Cost is not the only factor that is important when it comes to children’s health care.

There are other things that play a big role including the quality of healthcare systems, and environmental factors including access to healthy food, and chlorinated water.

“So, we looked at those things, 33 different indicators of cost, quality, and access to children’s healthcare,” Gonzalez said.

Where does New Jersey rank?

New Jersey ranked as the 8th best state for children’s health care, overall. It did very well when it came to kids’ nutrition, physical activity, and a low obesity rate in children and teens, ranking third best in that category. Gonzalez said many states are falling further and further behind in terms of obesity rates in children, but in New Jersey, that is not the case.

The state ranked 10th best when it comes to kids’ health and access to healthcare. Most children aged 17 and below are in excellent or very good health. Gonzalez said depression rates in New Jersey are not as high as they are in many other states. When it comes to the uninsured rate, the Garden State has one of the lowest for children. So, access to health care is also there.

Also, New Jersey has the 4th lowest infant death rate so that’s a good thing for new moms planning on having a baby in the state, Gonzalez said.

Where can New Jersey improve?

The state could be doing a lot better when it comes to kids’ oral health. In fact, New Jersey ranked 50th in the report, or second worst, with Nevada coming in dead last.
Gonzalez said everything from the presence of school-based dental sealant programs which does not exist in New Jersey to things like a state oral health plan could be better.

“Dental treatment costs are very high in New Jersey, more so than other types of treatment costs,” she added.

New Jersey also needs a bit of help when it comes to cost. Premiums and the costs of a dentist or a doctor’s office for kids are expensive. Of course, Gonzalez said, the care in the state is some of the best in the country, so there is always this mindset of “you get what you pay for.”

What are the best and worst states for child healthcare in the U.S.?

We know that New Jersey cracked the top 10 at number 8. But the number one state for children’s health care in the country is Massachusetts, according to WalletHub. Washington D.C. came in second place, followed by Rhode Island, Vermont, and Hawaii.

On the flip state, the worst state for children’s healthcare is Mississippi followed by Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming, and Indiana.

For a full report, visit here.

Jen Ursillo is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at jennifer.ursillo@townsquaremedia.com

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