Oklahoma ranks 46th in national child well-being report

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows Oklahoma continues to lag behind much of the country when it comes to child well-being.

The foundation’s annual KIDS COUNT Data Book evaluates states across four key domains: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community context. This year, Oklahoma ranked 46th overall.

The data, compiled by the nonprofit in partnership with the Oklahoma Policy Institute, paints a picture of how children in the state are faring in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Oklahoma’s elected officials like to say that our children’s futures are a top priority, but the new KIDS COUNT report shows a stark disconnect between their words and their actions,” said Shiloh Kantz, executive director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute, which is Oklahoma’s member of the Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT network.

The Numbers

46th: Overall Ranking

Oklahoma ranked 46th out of all 50 states for child well-being, with only Nevada, Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico placing lower. The score reflects combined outcomes across four categories: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community context.

8 of 16: Indicators Ranked 40th or Lower

Oklahoma performed among the worst 10 states on half of the report’s measures:

1. Children in poverty: 21% lived below $30,900 for a family of four in 2023 (ranked 44th)
2. Fourth-grade reading proficiency: 77% of students scored below proficient (ranked 48th)
3. Eighth-grade math proficiency: 83% scored below proficient (ranked 49th)
4. On-time high school graduation: 20% did not graduate on time (ranked 46th)
5. Household heads without a high school diploma: 11% of children lived in these households (ranked 40th)
6. Child and teen death rate: 40 deaths per 100,000 children ages 1 to 19 (ranked 43rd)
7. Youth overweight or obesity rate: 34% of children ages 10 to 17 (ranked 40th)
8. Teen birth rate: 21 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19 (ranked 46th)

48th: Education Ranking

Education was the state’s lowest-ranking category. In addition to poor reading and math scores, the state struggled with low preschool enrollment and on-time graduation.

SEE ALSO: Oklahoma Ranks 2nd To Last In Nation With Average ACT Score Of 17.6

43rd: Health Ranking

The state also ranked low in health outcomes, including child mortality.

40th: Economic Well-Being

Oklahoma’s economic indicators placed it near the bottom, with high percentages of children living in poverty and parents without stable employment.

2 of 16: Indicators in Top Half

The only areas where Oklahoma outperformed the national median were:

1. The percentage of children in single-parent families
2. The percentage of low-birthweight babies

Why These Numbers Matter

The data reveals persistent challenges in education, health, and economic security for Oklahoma’s youth. Advocates warn that without targeted investment in these areas, children across the state will continue to fall behind their peers nationally.