From The FAMiLY Leader:
Iowa has the eighth-ranked strongest family culture in the country, according to a new national index. The Family Structure Index measures which state have the most stable and sustainable families, highlighting the importance of strong families for the future of our state and nation.
The Index analyzes demographic and fertility data to determine which states are best situated to improve the prospects for happy and healthy children and the economic well-being of a state. Utah ranks at the top, and Rhode Island ranks last.
“Iowa’s ranking reveals our state is a leader in championing the importance and stability of family,” said Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The FAMiLY Leader. “Strong, intact families have been repeatedly linked to better education for children, better economic opportunity, lower crime, and a higher quality of life. Iowa’s policy makers and community leaders should be commended for the strong family culture we have built in Iowa and encouraged to continue to make families a priority for our future.”
Developed by Brad Wilcox, Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project of the University of Virginia in partnership with Center for Christian Virtue and The Institute for Family Studies, the Index focuses on the share of adult residents of a state who are married, have children, and raise those children together through the child’s high-school years.
The Index is specifically made up of three components:
- The percentage of adults aged 25 to 54 in the state who are married.
- The average number of lifetime births per woman in the state (the Total Fertility Rate).
- The percentage of children in the state who are living with their married birth or adoptive parents at ages 15 to 17.
“Right now, the American dream is out of reach for too many men, women, and children,” said Wilcox. “The Index reveals that one key to saving the dream … is to strengthen and stabilize family life.”
Unsurprisingly, we see a connection between healthy and stable families and the economic well-being of a state. Seven of the top 10 states in the Family Structure Index are also in the top ten in the American Legislative Exchange Commissions Laffer State Economic Outlook Rankings of 2024, analyzing the states with the lowest tax and regulatory policies.
