These States Make It Easiest for Parents to Balance Work and Family Life

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

Article courtesy of Go Au Pair

A new study has revealed the U.S. states where parents are most likely to have time to spend with their children, with Utah taking the top spot.

Childcare and cultural exchange provider Go Au Pair analyzed 48 states across ten factors linked to family time and work-life balance, including average weekly working hours, paid time off, remote work rates, commute times, access to parks and playgrounds, and the number of family-friendly attractions such as zoos, amusement parks, arcades, and waterparks.

Utah ranks first overall, standing out as the state where parents appear to have the strongest balance between work demands and family life. The state has the shortest average working week in the study, at 36.8 hours, as well as the highest search interest for “Things to Do With Kids” related keywords, with 10,769.76 searches per 100,000 residents. Utah also performs strongly for family-friendly neighborhoods, with 69.3% of children living near a park or playground, the second-highest share in the country.

Vermont ranks second and performs especially well for paid time off and shorter working hours. Parents in the state receive an average of 11.4 days of paid time off, the joint-highest figure in the study, while the average working week is 37.4 hours, the third-shortest nationwide. Vermont also has one of the highest concentrations of arcades, ranking third for arcades per 100,000 residents, and sixth for zoos per 100,000 residents.

Rhode Island places third, helped by one of the shortest working weeks in the country and strong access to family amenities. Parents in the state work an average of 37.3 hours per week, the second-lowest figure in the study, and receive 11.4 days of paid time off on average. Rhode Island also ranks fourth for the share of children living near a park or playground, at 65.7%, and third for amusement parks per 100,000 residents.

New Hampshire ranks fourth, with its strongest results coming from paid time off, remote work access, and entertainment options for families. The state matches the national leaders for paid time off at 11.4 days and has a remote worker share of 17.3%, ranking ninth. It also ranks first in the country for arcades per 100,000 residents, giving families plenty of options for indoor activities.

Oregon rounds out the top five, supported by a short average working week, high remote work levels, and strong access to parks. Parents in Oregon work an average of 37.6 hours per week, the fourth-shortest working week in the study, while 19% of workers are remote, ranking fifth nationwide. The state also ranks eighth for the share of children living near a park or playground, at 62%, and second for arcades per 100,000 residents.

Massachusetts follows in sixth, ranking highly for paid time off, remote work, search interest in kids’ activities, and park access. The state has 11.4 average paid time off days, 18.4% of workers working remotely, and 7,978.12 searches for “Things to Do With Kids” related keywords per 100,000 residents. However, its longer average commute time of 29.4 minutes prevents it from ranking even higher.

Delaware ranks seventh, standing out for paid time off and family attractions. The state records 11.4 average paid time off days and ranks inside the top 15 for zoos, arcades, and waterparks per 100,000 residents. Maine comes eighth and also benefits from the joint-highest average paid time off figure, along with strong access to zoos and a relatively short 24.4-minute average commute.

Colorado and Arizona complete the top ten. Colorado ranks first for remote workers, with 21.2% of workers based remotely, and also has the highest share of children living near a park or playground, at 69.6%. Arizona ranks third for remote work, with 19.2% of workers remote, and also places just outside the top ten for average paid time off, with 10.3 days.

At the other end of the ranking, Mississippi places last among the states analyzed. The state has one of the longest average working weeks, at 39.5 hours, and the lowest remote work share in the study, at just 5.5%. It also ranks last for search interest in “Things to Do With Kids” related keywords and last for the share of children living near a park or playground, at 29.4%.

Louisiana ranks second from bottom, with parents facing long working hours and fewer signs of work flexibility. The state has an average working week of 39.6 hours, among the longest in the study, and a remote work share of 8.2%, ranking near the bottom nationally. It also ranks low for family attractions, including waterparks, arcades, and amusement parks per 100,000 residents.

Alabama, West Virginia, and Arkansas complete the bottom five. Alabama ranks near the bottom for search interest in kids’ activities, remote work, and park access, while West Virginia has one of the lowest shares of children living near a park or playground, at 33.6%. Arkansas has a shorter commute than many states, at 22.2 minutes, but ranks low for remote work, paid time off, searches for kids’ activities, and arcades per 100,000 residents.

The full ranking:

To find the U.S. states where parents have the most time for their children, this study evaluated each state using ten metrics: Average Weekly Working Hours (15%), Searches for “Things to Do With Kids” Related Keywords per 100,000 Residents (15%), Average Paid Time Off (15%), Share of Remote Workers (15%), Average Commute Time (15%), Share of Children Living in Neighborhoods With a Park or Playground (5%), Zoos per 100,000 Residents (5%), Amusement Parks per 100,000 Residents (5%), Arcades per 100,000 Residents (5%), and Waterparks per 100,000 Residents (5%).

U.S. Census Bureau, Google Trends, HRSA National Survey of Children’s Health, Google Maps, and Smartscraper