The best and worst states for working mothers

Being a working mother comes with its challenges, but the challenges are steeper in some states — particularly those in the South.

Just ahead of Mother’s Day, WalletHub sized up the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia based on attractiveness to working mothers. The analysis looks across 12 metrics from three categories: Child care, professional opportunities and work-life balance.

Southern states did not fare well and make up eight of the 10 lowest-ranked states, including Louisiana (No. 51), South Carolina (No. 50), Mississippi (No. 49) and Alabama (No. 48).

Likewise, Georgia has a relatively low overall ranking of 45. In the categories of child care and professional opportunities, the state is ranked at 20 and 38, respectively.

Regarding work-life balance, however, the Peach State comes in dead last at 51.

The top-ranked states are primarily in the North and Midwest and include Vermont (No. 1), Minnesota (No. 2), Wisconsin (No. 3), New Hampshire (No. 4) and Massachusetts (No. 5).