2021’s best & worst states for working dads

Reprinted with permission from WalletHub

Fatherhood is a responsibility that changes over time. Back in 1960, 75% of American families relied on a single income, that of the dad, who spent much of his week at work while mom stayed home with the kids. Now, 69.2% of married mothers work, and while that’s still quite a bit lower than the 93.3% of married fathers who do, the gap is closing.

The contemporary dad no longer fits neatly into the standard of the married breadwinner and disciplinarian. That’s been especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, where many fathers have been working from home and have taken on more childcare duties as a result.

Not all working dads are in the same situation, though. Those who live in states with greater economic opportunity and quality of life have it better than others.

In order to determine the best states for men who play a dual role of parent and provider, WalletHub compared the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia across 23 key indicators of friendliness toward working fathers. Our data set ranges from the average length of the workday for males to child-care costs to the share of men in good or better health.