Study Reveals States with Most At-Risk Youth in 2025

A recent study conducted by WalletHub has pinpointed Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico as the states with the highest proportions of at-risk youth in 2025. This comprehensive analysis, comparing all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 15 key indicators, sheds light on the pressing issues faced by young Americans who are neither employed nor enrolled in educational institutions. The indicators encompass a range of factors including the percentage of disconnected youth, youth labor force participation rates, and youth poverty rates, offering a detailed overview of the challenges at hand.

Disparities among states are stark, with Louisiana, Mississippi, and Nevada reporting the highest shares of disconnected youth. This figure is 2.9 times higher than that of New Hampshire, the state with the lowest share. Education gaps are equally concerning, with New Mexico leading in the share of youth without a high school diploma, a rate double that of Hawaii, which boasts the lowest share. Health-related issues also vary significantly across states; Alabama has the highest share of overweight or obese youth, 1.5 times higher than Colorado's rate, while Vermont reports the highest share of youth using drugs in the past month, 2.5 times higher than Utah's rate. Notably, the District of Columbia has the highest share of homeless youth, a figure 34 times higher than Mississippi's rate.

These findings underscore the critical need for tailored interventions to mitigate the challenges faced by at-risk youth across the United States. The study not only highlights the disparities in youth outcomes but also calls attention to the varying levels of support available to young Americans in different states. For more detailed insights and expert commentary on the study, visit https://www.wallethub.com.