New Study Reveals Where Alabama Ranks for At-Risk Youth

A new national study is shining a spotlight on the challenges facing young people across the country, measuring everything from poverty and education to employment and overall well-being.

WalletHub's 2026 report compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 15 indicators designed to identify where young adults face the greatest obstacles. The study examined factors such as the number of young people who are neither working nor attending school, youth poverty rates, labor force participation and high school completion.

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Researchers note that about 13% of young Americans are disconnected from both work and school, underscoring concerns about long-term economic opportunity and success.

The report also found that Alabama ranks third in the nation for the percentage of overweight and obese youth, sixth for youth poverty, sixth for youth labor force participation, 17th for disconnected youth and 25th for the percentage of youth without a high school diploma.

When all of the categories were combined, Alabama ranked as the 10th most at-risk state for youth in the nation.

The full report, including rankings for every state, and Alabama click here.