With 13% of young Americans neither working nor in school, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the States with the Most At-Risk Youth in 2024, as well as expert commentary, to identify the places where more effort is needed to help young adults succeed.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 15 key indicators of youth risk. The data set ranges from the share of disconnected youth to the labor force participation rate among young adults to the youth poverty rate.
| States with the Most At-Risk Youth | States with the Least At-Risk Youth | |
| 1. Louisiana | 42. Massachusetts | |
| 2. New Mexico | 43. Maryland | |
| 3. West Virginia | 44. Hawaii | |
| 4. Alaska | 45. Utah | |
| 5. Arkansas | 46. Connecticut | |
| 6. Oklahoma | 47. Virginia | |
| 7. Mississippi | 48. Iowa | |
| 8. Montana | 49. Illinois | |
| 9. Wyoming | 50. New Hampshire | |
| 10. Oregon | 51. New Jersey |
Key Stats
- Louisiana has the highest share of disconnected youth, which is 3.4 times higher than in the District of Columbia, the lowest.
- New Mexico has the highest share of youth without a high school diploma, which is 2.1 times higher than in Hawaii, the lowest.
- West Virginia has the highest share of overweight or obese youth, which is 1.6 times higher than in New Hampshire, the lowest.
- Vermont has the highest share of youth using drugs in the past month, which is 2.1 times higher than in Alabama, the lowest.
- The District of Columbia has the highest share of homeless youth, which is 60 times higher than in Mississippi, the lowest.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/
“A high share of youth who are not working, not getting education and generally stagnating in life can spell trouble for the future. States that are most impacted by this problem, as well as related issues like high youth poverty rates, widespread drug use and low test scores, need a wake-up call to invest more into improving conditions for young residents. Otherwise, the future economic and social progress of the state is in danger.”
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“Louisiana is the state with the most at-risk youth, largely because it has the highest share of people ages 18 to 24 who are not attending school, not working and have no degree beyond high school. This represents 17.7% of young adults in the state. In addition, Louisiana has the second-highest share of people ages 18 to 24 without a high school diploma, the third-highest youth poverty rate and the third-highest teen birth rate in the country.”
- Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst
Expert Commentary
What can state and local policymakers do to reduce the number of rural youth who are disconnected from school and work?
“Policymakers are crucial in creating environments that foster connection and growth for rural youth. They can start by investing in local educational programs tailored to rural communities’ unique challenges and opportunities. Enhancing digital connectivity is another key strategy, as it opens up access to remote learning and employment opportunities that are often scarce in rural areas. Addressing these foundational needs can create a more inclusive and supportive framework for rural youth to thrive.”
Desmond Upton Patton, Ph.D., MSW – Professor, Penn Medicine; Chief Strategy Officer, School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania
“The first thing they need to do is study the causes of the disconnection for different target groups. Without understanding why young people are disconnected, policy responses will not be effective. So, the first thing they need is to understand the root causes of disconnection. I know in the context of 4-H, one of the things we do is to try and create strong ‘developmental networks’ between families, youth, communities, and schools through skill-based programs that work toward providing young people not only with workforce-ready skills, but also healthy relationships with family members (i.e. parents usually), other caring adults from the community, and whenever possible, schools. These ‘webs of support’ are critical to supporting young people to identify their ‘sparks’ – that which interests them or where they have certain abilities and talents, build skills, as well as social capital. This also includes developing new peer networks. Programs like 4-H, especially for rural youth, are critical to reducing this disconnect that you are talking about, however, such out-of-school time and community programs are unfortunately not often prioritized and are seen as an important remedy toward reducing the problem of disconnectedness.”
Steven Krauss – Associate Professor, University of Missouri; 4-H State Specialist in Volunteerism and Youth-Adult Partnerships
What tips/advice do you have for parents to support young people who want to stay in school and seek employment?
“The first is to relentlessly communicate hope, belief, and unconditional love for their children no matter their achievements or lack thereof at any point in their lives. Always encourage getting the most education/training possible whether you intend to use it immediately or not. Education spells opportunity and offers options – putting the youth in control of their future.”
Paul S. Neitman – MSW (retired)
“Parents can play a transformative role in encouraging their children to pursue education and employment. One effective approach is to maintain open lines of communication about their aspirations and challenges. Offering encouragement and understanding the pressures they face can help young people feel supported in their goals. Additionally, parents can help by providing practical support, such as assisting with school and job applications and exploring career options together. It is also beneficial for parents to connect with school social workers, counselors, and local employment resources to find opportunities tailored to their child’s interests and needs.”
Desmond Upton Patton, Ph.D., MSW – Professor, Penn Medicine; Chief Strategy Officer, School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania
What are the best ways for local authorities to encourage productivity for idle youth during the current economic environment?
“Local authorities should do everything they can to provide job opportunities for youth and as many out-of-school time learning opportunities as possible… I think it is critical that there are more efforts to bridge families, schools, and local programs and businesses to provide greater synergy in supporting youth, whether it be work-related or educational in nature. Encouraging young people to work as soon as they can is a critical developmental support, as youth learn so many life skills from work, including an appreciation/work ethic, how to work with others, self-discipline, social skills and competencies, decision-making and problem-solving skills, and others. Also, we need to have more opportunities for young people to pursue not only STEM-based jobs and internships, but also agriculture, the trades, arts and humanities, culture, and religion. This group of occupations or disciplines is critical for a healthy civilization and is being grossly under-represented. AI is a major threat to young people’s future career possibilities. Local authorities should do more to support AI-proof careers like the trades, as well as human service occupations that cannot be replaced by AI.”
Steven Krauss – Associate Professor, University of Missouri; 4-H State Specialist in Volunteerism and Youth-Adult Partnerships
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