Report: What Are The Best States To Raise A Girl In?

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – If you have a daughter, you'll want to read the new report from the Girl Scout Research Institute.

The research, titled "The State of Girls: Thriving or Surviving?", spotlights the best and worst places in America to raise a girl.

According to this year's list, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Massachusetts and Vermont were the best states for girls to grow up in. Mississippi was the worst.

In our region, Pennsylvania ranked a respectable 13th, while New Jersey came in an even better ninth.

Delaware, however, didn't fare nearly as well, coming in toward the bottom of the list at 31.

According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, each state is ranked according to five factors: physical health and safety, economic well-being, education, emotional health, and extracurricular/out-of-school time activities. States in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest tended to rank higher for girls. States in the South fared worse.

The report also notes that while girls are making strides in educational attainment, Latinas and African-American females "face significant challenges in making successful transitions to adulthood," though "data is not destiny."

To read about or download the report, click here.

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