📈 Where the DMV Lands in Supporting Working Dads (and Families)

Two recent reports—from WalletHub and Motherly—highlight the best and worst states for working dads in 2025. Their findings underline important issues—not just for dads, but for entire families, including moms, kids, and caregivers. Here's how it plays out for us here in the DMV:

🏆 WalletHub’s National Rankings

WalletHub assessed all U.S. states and D.C. across four key areas:

• Economic & social well‑being

• Work‑life balance

• Childcare access

• Health outcomes mother.lybeckershospitalreview.com+13wallethub.com+13mother.ly+13fox5dc.com+8parents.com+8sparknomad.com+8

Their top 10:

1. Massachusetts

2. Washington, D.C.

3. Connecticut

4. Rhode Island

5. New Jersey

   …

6. Maryland beckershospitalreview.com+10sparknomad.com+10nypost.com+10

D.C. shines at #2, fueled by:

• High household incomes (median ≈ $147K)

• Low unemployment

• Strong physical and mental health indicators citybiz.co+6livenowfox.com+6nypost.com+6

Maryland also rates well, landing in the top 10 thanks to strong economic status and family support systems. Virginia, while not in the top 10, did rank #10 in WalletHub's family-friendly report, signaling solid infrastructure for families, though there's room for growth in work-life balance yahoo.com+6sparknomad.com+6livenowfox.com+6.

🧭 Motherly’s Dad‑Focus Lens

Motherly zoomed in on what working dads specifically need: leave policies, childcare access, health, and schooling. Their top picks:

• #1 Massachusetts

• #2 D.C.

• #3 Connecticut fox5dc.com+1livenowfox.com+1

They praised D.C. for its:

• Generous parental leave support

• Excellent infant/pediatric health systems

• The highest median family income for households with resident fathers yahoo.com+1yahoo.com+1fox5dc.comparents.com+6mother.ly+6nypost.com+6

Their key insight: When dads are supported, moms breathe easier—with shared load comes healthier families, reduced burnout, and better emotional outcomes for everyone.

💡 Why DMV Stands Out

1. D.C.’s Strengths

   • Paid parental leave & remote work flexibility

   • Top-tier healthcare access for men

   • High incomes that offer financial breathing room wallethub.com+15mother.ly+15parents.com+15yahoo.com

2. Maryland’s Family Focus

   • High ranking in national family push (top-10)

   • Strong schools and childcare infrastructure fox5dc.com+10parents.com+10b105country.com+10

3. Virginia’s Opportunity Areas

   • Solid family-friendliness overall

   • Some lag in work-life balance suggests scope for policy or cultural improvements livenowfox.com+3parents.com+3fox5dc.com+3

🏡 What This Means for DMV Moms (and Families)

• Shared parenting is finally gaining real support — we’re seeing paid leave, flexibility, and health benefits that help dads be present too.

• Policy is only one piece — cultural acceptance matters. Even in supportive places like D.C., stigma around taking leave still exists .

• Still room to rally. Maryland and Virginia can step up with improved leave access, affordable childcare, and workplace flexibility initiatives.

🎯 Local Action Steps

If you live in the DMV and want to push for better family infrastructure, consider:

• Advocacy for local paid leave laws (especially in MD and VA counties)

• Workplace conversations—encourage flexible schedules, and normalize equal parental leaves

• Community support—join parent groups that lobby for improved childcare and school systems

🧭 Bottom Line

The DMV scores well for parents—especially fathers—with D.C. ranking #2 and Maryland in the top 10. Virginia shows strong promise, too. But the reports remind us that real change happens with both policy and culture work. When dads can step in, moms step down from burnout—and families thrive together. 🌱